Building Trust with Families at Back to School Night

Building Trust with Families at Back to School Night

Ella Drucker, Olivia Overstreet, Mia Moreno, Whitney Montgomery

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Welcome Page

This e-course is designed to help elementary school teachers, especially those in their first years, create meaningful, trusting relationships with families from the very start of the school year. By learning and applying five key facets of trust, benevolence, honesty, openness, reliability, and competence, teachers will be better equipped to foster strong partnerships that support student success throughout the year.

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Audience Statement

Course Index

Welcome Page

Learning Objectives

Course Structure & Navigation

Learning Modules

Sources

Feedback Survey

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define the five facets of trust and explain their impact on student learning and behavior
• Apply key trust-building principles to initial interactions with families, particularly during Back-to-School Night, to foster open, positive first impressions
• Design effective two way collaboration systems that sustain trust and enhance student learning throughout the school year
• Evaluate and reflect on current educator-family relationship practices to develop an actionable plan for cultivating and maintaining trust in future interactions

Course Structure & Navigation

Overview of course organization:

Overview of Interactive Elements:

In this e-course you will go through four main modules, each focused on one essential strategy for building trust. In Modules 1 and 2, you will learn about the core elements of trusting teacher-family relationships and explore how to apply them early in the school year, including at Back-to-School Night. In Modules 3 and 4, you will focus on sustaining trust throughout the year and evaluating your own trust-building practices.

Throughout this course there will be interactive elements such as multiple choice reflection questions, windows with more in depth information, tool tips, and more. These things will help you to better grasp the content and allow you to reflect on your own practices.

Module 1: Elements of Trusting Teacher-Family Relationships

Purpose: Teachers will explore what is involved in a trusting teacher-family relationship and understand the core elements that make trust foundational for student success.

Definition of Teacher-Family Relationships

"We define family-teacher relationships as a child-centered connection between individuals in the home and school settings who share responsibility for supporting the growth and development of children" (Clarke et al, 2010). "Family-teacher relationships persist and evolve over time. Indeed, a relationship always exists among families and schools" (Pianta & Walsh, 1996).

5 Facets of Trusting Relationships

1. Benevolence: This means believing that the other person has your best interests at heart
2. Honesty: This emphasizes truthfulness, integrity, and keeping promises
3. Openness: Having a willingness to share information, to be transparent and include others in decisions
4. Reliability: Being consistent in actions, dependability, and following through on commitments
5. Competence: Having the skills, knowledge, and ability to perform the role effectively

The Benefit of Trust on Student Learning and Behavior

Impact on Academics

• Reduced Barriers to learning: As Tschannen-Moran (2014) highlights, "Without trust, teachers and students are both unlikely to take the risks that genuine learning entails." When students feel trusted, they are more willing to participate, ask questions, and embrace challenges.

Impact on behavior

• Sense of belonging: When families and teachers operate as a unified team, students feel a stronger sense of belonging and security. "Students who do not feel trusted by their teachers may create barriers to learning as they distance themselves from their school and build an alienated, rebellious youth culture" (Tschannen-Moran, 2014).

Module 2: Your Own Policy: making a customized policy for your classroom and specifically your goals/expectations

Purpose: Having your own communication policy is important because it allows teachers to create a customized communication plan that reflects their unique goals, teaching style, and expectations. Since every teacher operates differently, it’s only fair for parents to understand those expectations, and for teachers to understand parents’ as well, so that everyone can work together transparently to support the students.

Module 3: 2-Way Communication - understanding the importance of 2-way communication and how to establish the expectation of what it means

Module 4: Frequent/Regular Communication - what does communication look like throughout the year?

Sources

Clarke, B. L., Sheridan, S. M., & Woods, K. E. (2010). Elements of healthy family-school relationships. In S. L. Christenson & A. L. Reschly (Eds.), Handbook of school-family partnerships (pp. 61–79). Tschannen-Moran, M. (2014). Trust matters: Leadership for successful schools (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

General feedback

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Competence – “You know what you’re doing.”

Competence means having the skills and knowledge to perform your role effectively.

• Teachers show competence through strong instructional practices, classroom management, and content expertise.
• School leaders show competence through clear vision, effective problem-solving, and informed decision-making.
• When others see you as capable, your credibility strengthens, and so does their willingness to follow your lead.

Reliability – “You do what you say you will do.”

This is about follow-through and consistency.

• Students trust teachers who enforce rules fairly and meet commitments (like grading timelines or planned activities).
• Staff trust principals who keep promises, support teachers consistently, and maintain routines even under stress.
• Reliability signals stability and accountability - key ingredients in a positive school culture.

Honesty - “You tell the truth and act with integrity.”

Honesty builds trust through transparency and fairness.

• Teachers earn students’ trust by being clear about expectations and fair in grading or discipline.
• School leaders gain staff trust by being upfront about decisions and avoiding hidden agendas.
• In both cases, honesty creates predictability, as people know they won’t be manipulated or misled.

Openness – “You keep me in the loop.”

Openness involves sharing information freely and inviting participation.

• Teachers build trust with families when they communicate regularly and openly about student progress.
• Administrators build trust with staff when they explain the “why” behind policy changes and ask for teacher input.
• Openness promotes collaboration and reduces rumors or misunderstandings that can erode trust.

Audience Statement

This course is designed for elementary school teachers (Pre-K–6) across general education, special education, and specialist areas such as art, music, and PE. For all teachers, but especially first-year teachers, building trust early can make the difference between surface-level communication and deep, lasting collaboration with families.

Benevolence - “You care about me.”

This facet is about showing genuine concern for others’ well-being.

• In a school setting, teachers demonstrate benevolence by showing empathy for students’ personal challenges and by celebrating their growth.
• Administrators show it by supporting teachers’ needs, listening to concerns, and prioritizing staff morale over bureaucracy.
• Benevolence fosters a sense of safety—people are more likely to take academic or professional risks when they believe others have their best interests at heart.