Handout 4: Working Effectively with Parents -
Personal Competencies Checklist


Introduction: Encouraging parents to get involved requires you to use many different interpersonal skills. It can be very rewarding when your personal and professional abilities help you to effectively engage a family that had not participated before.

There are several abilities, or competencies, that can help you work successfully with people of different cultures, traditions and experiences. These abilities are related to each other but each one is important in its own right. They are listed in the checklists below. By going through this checklist, you can gain a sense of your own strengths and can determine those areas where you see a need for personal and program staff development.

Instructions: Allow yourself time and personal space for honest reflection. You will not have to show your complete form to anyone else.

For each item on the checklist, rate yourself using the following scale:

  1. = I need much more training and support in this area
  2. = I need a little more training and support in this area
  3. = I am good in this area
  4. = I am very good in this area
  1. I am able to understand the thoughts, attitudes and experiences of many different parents.
  2. I recognize that my point of view may not be shared by parents.
  3. I reflect on my thoughts, feelings, and stress level in order to stay calm and focused in my work to involve families.
  4. I treat parents as individuals and recognize that everyone belongs to many groups and no one represents a whole group.
  5. I am able to stop myself from judging parents negatively.
  6. I am able to pay close attention to what is being said by parents, both through what they say (verbally) and how they behave (non verbally).
  7. I am able to observe parents' behavior and understand the meaning of that behavior (non-verbal messages).
  8. I am able to see the many different points of view that exist in my work with parents.
  9. I am able to respond to unpredictable situations without becoming stressed.
  10. I am able to adapt quickly to changing family situations.
  11. I am able to stay calm, collected and persistent in trying situations.
  12. I am able to be resourceful and respond skillfully in my contacts with parents different cultures.
  13. I am able to laugh at myself and find humor and irony in life.
  14. I am able to act in a respectful manner toward parents who are different from me.
    Adapted from the Multicultural Training Model by Dr. Mikel Hogan-Garcia, California State University at Fullerton ©1990.

When you have completed to inventory, think about the following:

  1. What two or three items are your strengths?


  2. Are there competencies on which you would like more training, information or support?


  3. How do your strengths and support needs compare with those of other staff in the program?
Finally, meet with your coach to discuss your ideas.




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