Before you dive into the resources below, read about the benefits of working with parents of students and explore some simple tips to get started in "New Teacher Academy: How to Work With Parents."

Open Houses and Back to School Night

• A Checklist for Back-to-School Night (Edutopia, 2014)

  Back-to-school night is often the first interaction a teacher has with parents and guardians. Here's a helpful checklist for educators of five must-haves for this special night.

• Back-to-School Night: The Ultimate Conversation Starter for a Succe... (Edutopia, 2014)

  When establishing that first contact with parents on back-to-school night, start the year right by being transparent, direct, and consistent.

• Engaging Parents: An Elementary Teacher's Field Guide (Edutopia, 2011)

  Nervous about back-to-school night? Gaetan Pappalardo discusses what matters most to parents and offers tips and advice on how teachers can make a real difference by engaging with parents more deeply.

• This Ain't Your Momma's Open House (Edutopia, 2014)

  Use QR codes, augmented reality, virtual tours, and other advances in classroom technology to change up the sometimes less-than-efficient rituals of parent open house.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Conference Time: Chatting With Parents (Edutopia, 2014)

  Make parent-teacher conferences easier for everyone by preparing to show student grades and work, setting parents at ease, listening to them, and remaining positive.

• Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferencing (Edutopia, 2014)

  Elena Aguilar offers up useful suggestions for teachers when sitting down with parents.

• 5 Resources for Parent-Teacher Conferences (Edutopia, 2013)

  Matt Davis curated this list of resources to improve parent-teacher conferences, including ideas for highlighting student progress and questions every parent should ask.

Developing Relationships With Parents

• 7 Questions to Ask Parents at the Beginning of the Year (Edutopia, 2014)

  Ask parents these seven questions at the start of the year to help build partnerships to support student learning. Also from Aguilar: "The Power of the Positive Call Home" and "20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships With Parents."

• 8 Tips for Reaching Out to Parents (Edutopia, 2014)

  David Cutler offers eight tips for engaging with parents, from avoiding confrontation and communicating clearly, to earning their trust on back-to-school night and coaching their children's after-school activities.

• 12 Conversation Starters on What Parents Want You (Teachers) to Know (Edutopia, 2013)

  Joe Mazza looks through the lens of his school's parents and suggests 12 conversations that all teachers should be having with their students' parents.

• Rethinking Difficult Parents (Edutopia, 2013)

  Allen Mendler looks at the ways that difficult parents can become teachers' allies rather than their adversaries.

• 9 Techniques for Building Solid Parent-Teacher Relationships (Scholastic)

  In this article from Scholastic, sixth-grade teacher Kechia Williams outlines nine tried-and-proven ways that teachers can use to build and strengthen relationships with parents.

Parent Participation at School

• 5 Tips for Engaging Parent Volunteers in the Classroom (Edutopia, 2013)

  Karen Bantuveris, founder and CEO of VolunteerSpot, presents the top hurdles and success strategies for engaging parent volunteers in the classroom.

• 19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia, 2014)

  Experts agree that parent involvement in their children's education is one of the biggest predictors of student success. This guide offers 19 proven strategies for increasing family engagement and strengthening the home-to-school connection.

Using Technology to Connect With Parents

• Old School or New School, Keep Parents Involved (Edutopia, 2013)

  Lisa Mims encourages us, whether by old school or new school strategies, to keep parents involved with their children's academic lives.

• Parent Communication Toolbox (Edutopia, 2014)

  While each school community is unique, there's a wide range of digital tools to keep parents involved when face-to-face communication isn't possible.

• Using Scannable Technology to Reach Parents Year Round (Edutopia, 2014)

  When using scannable technology with students, you can also use these tools to keep parents in the loop about classroom community activities and homework.

For resources related to working with parents, visit Edutopia's Home-to-School Connections page; the "Home-to-School Connections: Resource Roundup" is a great place to start. Looking for more resources for new teachers? Visit the "Resources Toolkit for New Teachers" page for other curated guides, check out all of Edutopia’s content on the New Teachers page, and participate in discussions for new teachersin Edutopia’s community.