Educational Partnership in Everyday School Life

Hiltrud Kamolz and Michaela Kfir are fifth- and third-grade class teachers at the Freie Waldorfschule Augsburg. Both describe a very active parent body that is deeply involved and helps strengthen their respective class communities. This is by no means a given—they know this from their own experience. For such a partnership in education and upbringing between the school and the home to succeed, both sides must invest: time, patience, and understanding. This is a major challenge in a world where many people are pressed for time and lifestyles are becoming increasingly individualized. But it’s worth it.

From the perspective of the two teachers, the parenting and education partnership is not an additional program that is organized «on top of everything else», but rather part of the core educational mission. Teaching is more successful when the adults in a child’s life have a stable, respectful relationship with one another. «This doesn’t mean that everyone has to agree», says Kfir. «After all, we’re all different. But it’s important that we listen to one another and find common ground.»

Building a community

«Once a year, we spend a weekend together with the students and their parents», Kfir explains. She has already taken her class to the Swabian Alb and the Allgäu. «Because for the children to form a strong community, it’s important that the parents also form a strong community. It’s worth fostering good relationships with one another as a preventive measure.»

That is why the teachers involve parents in activities from the very beginning of first grade—whether it’s preparing for and celebrating festivals, doing felting, or numerous other occasions. This helps create a shared history—a foundation that holds firm even when conflicts arise or a class goes through challenging phases. In their third year of school, the students at the Freie Waldorfschule Augsburg go on the charcoal-maker field trip. The group visits a charcoal burner at work, builds a charcoal kiln themselves, and spends the night in tents. «It’s important to me to have many parents join us here as well», says Kamolz.

For the relationship to truly thrive, it needs reliable structures: parent representatives, jointly planned parent-teacher conferences, and sometimes informal gatherings in small groups. In addition, there are annual one-on-one meetings where parents can raise concerns and share their uncertainties—something the teachers emphasize is especially important for parents of first-time students. «I regularly invite the parent representatives to my home», says Kamolz. «There, we can discuss all topics over a cup of tea or coffee in a warm atmosphere.» She finds the collaboration to be very fruitful.

The teachers have observed that unplanned interactions decrease as trust and openness grow. Closeness does not automatically lead to boundary violations. On the contrary, it can foster greater respect: Parents feel seen, and teachers feel that their work is understood.

Mutual support

Transparency is a key aspect of the partnership between home and school. Kamolz and Kfir recommend that teachers regularly provide information about lesson content and the educational rationale behind it. Parents are less likely to worry that they «don’t know enough» when they can understand what is happening and why certain approaches are chosen. This is achieved through regular parent-teacher conferences and opportunities to observe classes. But it’s also achieved through additional brief written feedback—as much as the school day allows. That’s why the two teachers keep parents informed via email updates. This creates transparency about school activities and prevents numerous individual inquiries.

Partnership is particularly striking when parents not only provide support but also take on organizational responsibilities. After having a classroom assistant by her side in first and second grade, Kamolz found herself in third grade without a second person—someone whose support would have been urgently needed in a very challenging classroom environment. So the parents eased the daily burden by taking turns—on many mornings, a mother or father would be present in the classroom to help out. For the teacher, this was not only practical but also sent a strong message: Here, the school isn’t expected to solve everything—the burden is shared.

Students, parents, and teachers also have the opportunity to meet in an informal setting during the regular cleanup events at the school building and in the schoolyard. «These community-building activities are very important», says Kamolz. Kfir agrees. She points out how much time teachers invest in preparing for class. «But aren’t these community-building activities also part of lesson preparation?» she asks, encouraging us to reflect on what foundations are crucial for effective teaching. «Our society has become increasingly individualistic. We need to work on moving away from individualism and back toward a greater sense of community, supporting one another.»

Clarity in partnership

A common source of friction is media consumption. This is where it becomes particularly clear just how much the rules set at home influence school life—and how much individual families can support one another when they agree on common rules. This applies to the use of smartphones in general and specific communication and social media apps in particular. Many Waldorf schools offer a parents’ evening on this topic, with expert guidance from outside sources. The Freie Waldorfschule Augsburg is one such school.

In an open discussion, the parents candidly shared how much screen time actually occurs in their daily lives and what limits are feasible at home. «I was impressed by the openness and mutual trust», Kamolz reports of the parent-teacher conference on media consumption in her class. The session concluded with a joint agreement that made it easier to stick to the plan, because the rules were not perceived as individual restrictions but as a shared framework.

This can be achieved if, at a parent-teacher conference, the focus is not on one-sided lecturing but on working together to find solutions. «It’s not about condemning certain topics», Kfir clarifies. «It’s always about understanding. It’s about working together to figure out how to deal with these issues, not about the school making demands.»

«For a successful partnership, we need a shared understanding», she says—of what Waldorf education can and should achieve today, and of what parents and teachers can contribute. The balancing act between graduation requirements, arts education, and individualized support is becoming increasingly difficult. This is precisely why the partnership between parents and the school remains central: it requires realistic expectation management and a willingness to develop approaches that strengthen trust without overburdening the school.