"Parents need to have a good relationship with the school, so they can help bring out what the teacher feels the child is able to do." ~Elizabeth Cook
As an educator, you spend quite a bit of time with your students throughout a school year & need to be able to share with parents the joys and concerns of their child.
In the section Keeping Parents Informed, many examples of ways to inform parents of the going-ons in your classroom are given. Which of these examples have you tried, and how did they impact your relationship with the parents of your classroom? Are there other ways you have used keep parents informed about your daily routines & the child's progress? Share with your classmates a website and a summary of the website you found that they will be able to use as a reference when informing parents of the continued learning and celebrations of your classroom.
I have not had any experience in the classroom with parents, but I can speak about my relationships with parents of the athletes I have coached in sports. I have used the introductory letter in coaching, and I would use it in the classroom as well. I think it is good for both the students and the parents to see the expectations in writing at the beginning of the year. This helps eliminate questions down the road when problems arise. The other method I have used for coaching that I would use in the classroom is the back-to-school night or initial meeting. In coaching, we have a night for all the parents to come, and the coaches and athletic director speak about the schedule for the season, expectations, and student-athlete good conduct policy. This is another event where parents can ask questions and build a relationship with the coach. I like this idea for the classroom because students can show their room to their parents, and it is a social event for parents as well. This type of meeting can be structured in many ways. Teachers could have an open house atmosphere where parents can come and go as they please, or they may have a specific time set where parents know that the teacher will be speaking about the upcoming school year. There are other, less formal, ways of communicating with parents. Email can be a quick and effective way of getting information out to parents. Updates, assignments, and feedback can be given through email or the internet by using the school’s or a teacher’s own website. There are low-tech options as well. I observed a small classroom where each student had a journal that they took to and from school. The teacher and parent would write information in the journal that they wanted one another to know. This helped the teacher know what happened at home the evening before, and it gave the parents an idea of the positive and negative things happening at school. The website I found is called Teacher Vision, and the specific page I found to be useful is located at http://www.teachervision.fen.com/education-and-parents/resource/3730.html. This website has some free articles, but it does require a subscription for many of the activities. This page is called Teacher-Parent collaboration and it has articles with ideas for collaboration and printable activities to implement the ideas it gives. This website allows teachers to share with one another the strategies that have worked in their classroom. On a side note, there are tons of great education ideas on Pinterest as well!
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important parts of coaching is developing that proper relationship with parents. You want to establish boundaries and earn respect. Again it mirrors teaching as well. You want parents to respect you and be there for support in education and coaching. I think you will easily make the transition with teaching if you did it (dealing with parents) in coaching. Sorry I dont have pinterest, but I hear that it is something to check out!
DeleteI love the idea of using journals that go back and forth between school and home. We do the same thing were I work. I had my son's teacher do the same thing for my son and I LOVE it. Children are not that willing to give information about thier day at school but when you have a starting point for discussion, it makes it so much easier. It is nice to have teachers that are willing to go that extra mile for the parents and students. Knowing that they care so much makes it easier to send my son there everyday knowing that he is safe and loved.
DeleteI really like the idea of journals going back and forth to communicate with parents. This seems like a great way to open up communication lines and keep them open.
DeleteI think coaching is a great way to get to know parents outside of the classroom, it builds a tremendous amount of respect and cooperation between parents and teachers. Related to this I think it is important for teachers to make an effort to attend student's activities and use these events as opportunities to talk informaly with parents. I have found that parents are much more likely to speak openly with me at their children's activities, I think it is becasue they feel more comfortable. I have probably found out more about the students I work with sitting on a bleacher rather than sitting in a school.
DeleteI think as a coach you have to deal with parent drama to much. That's why I think it's so important for athlete and students, and parents to know expectations from day one. If the parent and the student/athlete know expectations I think it's something that needs to be the same during the whole year. I don't think you can bend the rules for one and not the other. By that I think you will avoid unneeded conflicts. I think the open house night is a great idea. I think that is something I would want to do before the school year started.
DeleteWhen I worked in Early Childhood the main form of communication was the teacher or the associate writing in a daily journal that went back and forth between teacher and parent. The daily journal was kept for general education students and our special students. This for of daily communication was very positive and seemed to work well. This wasn't the only form of communication, there were phone calls at times, emails, and personal visits. I truly beleive that open and positive communication is so very important!
DeleteOh wow, we never had any of that for our sports. We just went to practice and games and then they had an awards ceremony at the end of the year.
DeleteParent contact has always been important to me. It may not be fun always and it may be hard, but it is important to branch out of your comfort zone and make the link with the parents. That will help the students and hopefully let the parents feel involved and at ease.
ReplyDeleteIn coaching, I have sent an introductory letter. I let them know about pre-season and summer expectations. I also every year have had a pre-season parent meeting to field questions and go over team policies. In the classroom, I have done introductory phone calls. These were a great way to introduce myself when I have new students and to open the lines of communication. I have done alot of communication via email. This may be slightly impersonal, but it allows for more quick and consistent response from the parents.
I always try to be as positive as possible. I believe that you should never just contact parents when things are wrong. Let them know when things are going well. That matters to them!
http://scienceboom.com/21/teachers-guide-to-keeping-parents-informed.htm
This is a website entitled "Teacher's Guide to Keeping Parents Informed"
There are 3 parts to the webblog. They are Getting Started, Reasons to Call, and Topics for Discussion.
I really enjoyed the last two parts. The mention that parents are a great resource is so important. If you have great parents- USE THEM!
Finally the discussion topics were all good and worth reading. This website is short, simple, and to the point but is worth the time!
I agree, any resource is great as long as you use it. Parents can be a great source of information, even Grandparents or Aunt or Uncles.
DeleteI agree that communicating with parents can be difficult and take you out of your comfort zone. It is the one part about teaching that I am not looking forward to and find uncomfortable. I have made a couple simple phone calls to parents last year and was nervous. I think the more exposure I get to it, the more comfortable I will become. I always need to remind myself that they are parents just like me that care about their child as I do. As long as you care and have passion for the children, everything will be fine even if you don't always have all the answers.
DeleteCommunicating with parents I think plays a huge role of how you school year is going to be. I like how you brought up that it may not be easy but you need to do it and it might take you stepping outside your comfort zone. I feel the same way. I am nervous for the first I have to deal with a rude parents. I hope I will be prepared enough for it!
DeleteI agree, It is always important to remain positive and keep the communcation open with parents. This may be with a phone call, email, or meeting. Parents can be our biggest advocates.If you don't keep them informed they can be your biggest nightmare.
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ReplyDeleteParent communication is key to any classroom. I have seen various methods used by my son's school to increase parent involvement in the classroom and to get to know their students families. Family nights are done once a month and attendance is very low for these functions: about 5 families of the 18 children attend. I serve on the planning committee and we are not able to come up with ideas to increase numbers. They also send home a newsletter every week to keep parents informed on special activities and important dates. Home visits are also an important part for them; I have four a year done for my son. My son also get a sheet sent home with him (as part of his IEP) explaining what he did that day, ate, played with etc. They also have a clear pencil pouch for any notes to go back and forth.
Where I work, parent involvement is extremely low. We send home communication books daily that have important information about the day including: what the student ate, special activities, bath room habits, health concerns, upcoming field trips, etc. The parents also use these to write any notes or concerns that they have to the teacher. They are checked first thing every day when the student arrives. Calls to the parents are also used regularly to gain information etc. None of our students are able to communicate themselves so parent communication is a must.
http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml#parent
This site has created templates and resources for parent-teacher communication including newsletters, conference sheets, and weekly updates. It is always nice to have a starting spot for creating your own
Home visits are always a sticky thing for many people. I agree Shandy that it can be a very important tool. However, it is a step out of many people's comfort zones (both teachers and families.) I do think the biggest thing is just showing families that you care. I am sure as a parent that you could back me on that!
DeleteI agree home visits can be tricky but they also can be good relationship builders. In the high school we have several students with attendance issues. They know if they don't come to school certain teachers will be calling or texting them and if they do not reply they will show up. Most parents are aware and even welcome the additional help.
DeleteShandy - I really like the website that you posted. It is always good to have a starting point for materials like this - especially for new teachers!
DeleteLow parent involvement is a big issue I feel in a lot of places. A lot of parents feel like the family life and school life are two different worlds that shouldn't really intermingle. As a teacher it is just important to stay positive in that regard and keep doing what works best for you.
DeleteShandy I agree that parent involvement is the key. I would think that your job would be even more difficult than most without parent envolvement.
DeleteI really like family nights. I think they are a great way to get the parent in the school with fun activities to do with their kids and have some time to talk to the teacher if needed.
DeleteKeeping parents involed in the classroom in incredibly important, awhile some parents may not be able to be activity involved when it comes to classroom time or volenteering I think it should be also ok so allow grandparents who may have more free time or even an aunt or uncle, just as long as the child has some family member as an option to help in their class. That being said,I do not work with parents at this point very often, unless their child see's me out and introduces me to their parent. Newsletters are popular, wikispaces are also something that has been popular. I think more teachers are turning to Facebook and other online media to keep parents informed. For me, I wouldn't mind having a Facebook page for parents only, most people do have Facebook and check it fairly regularly. Depending on the grade level we could make a classroom newsletter, and inform parents(other family members) of big events going on in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI found a blog offering several different types of way to communicate with parents.
http://inspiringteachers.blogspot.com/2008/03/keeping-parents-informed-and-involved.html She talks about ways to keep parents involved, not only in classroom activities but also classroom procedures and big events, but it also can help ease some of the work load.
I remember taking lots of letters home to my parents when I was in school about field trips and other events going on but I don't remember parents coming in just to help out.
I agree that online modes of communicating are becoming very popular. The teacher really has to be aware of how to correctly use the sites to make sure they never cross the line, but with the technology and its changing ways, teachers must keep up.
DeleteI really like your statement about if a parent can't be involved that it's ok for a grandparent or other family member to be involved. My dad worked third shift so there were multiple times when my grandpa had to fill in as my dad or my brother (who is 14 years older than me) filled in a parent roll.
DeleteI like the facebook idea. I know it is less personable, but we have to keep up with the times too. Also, it saves paper and is more convenient for parents and teachers alike. I also like that it can't get lost. Think of how many notes didn't get to the parents. I, too, remember notes and letters getting sent home. My parents were never ones to go through my bag, I was always responsible of giving them the notes. They didn't appreciate when I waited until the last minute...oops!
DeleteI have not been in the classroom, but I like the introductory letter and the Back-to-School Night. I also like the idea of an introductory phone call, but that would be one I would have troubles with because I do NOT like talking on the phone to people I do not know. I agree that it would be a great way to connect with the parents and show you care about their child. If my son's teacher called me I would be very impressed. I do not like the idea of a house call. That's just a little too much.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to keep following up as well. Just an initial contact is not enough. I think I want to keep parents informed through email, because that is more modern and easier with people's busy lives. I am going to make a point to use the phone every once in a while too. I think I will have them select how they want me to contact them on the introductory letter. I think it is important as a teacher to go to sporting events and other school events to support your students. They notice and it is also another way to talk to parents and get to know them.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/keeping-parents-informed
This was a good website because it had ideas for keeping the parents informed and then examples - not unlike the book. There are some of the same ideas as the book, but there are also a few others like newsletters, email, and notes.
Calling is not my favorite thing either, but sometimes thats the only way to communicate. It is difficult as first but I think once you get to know the parents, talking ot them throughout the year is not as bad. We have to make home visits to our school once a month with certain students. That is VERY hard sometimes!
DeleteI had never heard of a home visit before reading this textbook!
DeleteI have worked in the classroom but not as an official teacher! I know I would use letters to send home for parents of the upcoming topics we would be covering as well as have contact with parents about how well their student is doing. I would definately send out emails to contact them, letters during the week, and simple notes. Many teachers know parents of the "naughty" students usually more because they are having to be in contact with them more, but I would attempt to keep in contact with all parents to tell good things about their students. I would also keep the parents informed by reminding them of the school website where they can assess information on what we are covering in school. I would use twitter as a form of communication with parents. I know some parents would not have twitter, but hopefully you could get more involved. I would be able to tell about upcoming events, as well as share links to educational websites to them. This would be an easy way to communicate and find ideas for education for the teacher and the parent.
ReplyDeleteI agree that twitter could be a great way to communicate with parents about classroom activities and due dates. I think in general technology can really help teachers communicate much more effectively with parents. I posted about maybe having a clasrrom website for parents to see what is going on in class, you could use this website to post your twitter posts on so that all parents could see it even if they didn't have twitter. Technology can really open up a healthy dialogue between parents and educators and can be used to strengthen that bond and really benefit the student's education.
DeleteI have not had the chance to work in a classroom yet. I think that I would send home weekly newsletters with students. These newsletters would have information on what the class worked on during the week, what the class is going to be working on the next week, what the parents can work on with their children at home, and an area for me to write a personal note about each student. If my school had webpages available for teachers, I would also utilize this.
ReplyDeleteErin - your newsletters sound ambitious! I love the idea of creating a newsletter to go home with the kids though. I think you could even do a classroom "newspaper" that could feature "articles" the students write. Perhaps this would encourage a love for some print media as well. You could use section headings that are typical of a newspaper and create some of your own. I like that you would leave a space for a personal message as well. Both parents and students will appreciate your dedication and time for individual assessment and comment.
DeleteThis year all our teachers are setting up their own web page. If you go to our school website it will direct you to the teachers web page that you choose. The teachers webpage gives thier background, assignments, contact information, and etc.. I think this idea is great! It is another way to communicate to your students and to your parents. Sometimes I love all the different things that we can do with technology. But, I also beleive that personal communication is a good thing. In today's world we need to teach our kids how to TALK to someone and not just use technology.
DeleteI have never had the sole responsibility of keeping parents informed about their childs progress in class, but as an associate I do have numerous opportunities to communicate with parents. With the students I regularly work with I attend their IEP and other meetings. I am asked to contribute to the meetings and keep parents informed about their child's progress. I have written an introductory letter to these parents before I begin working with their children; I also attempt to meet the parents of the other children in our school whenever they come in for a meeting. I do have email contact with a few parents whose children I work with, but contact is difficult with my main student's parent because he does not speak English. To communicate with him I have to go through a translator either on the phone, in person, or through email. I think having a class website would really be beneficial to the class. I never had a teacher in high school that had a class website, but several of my college professors had websites. I liked being able to get on and get more information about assignments and ask questions of things I was unsure of. I think the website would also give parents an opportunity to see what we are working on in class. I had one teacher who would send out email notifications to let us know when we had an assignment due so no one forgot, or at least so no one could claim they forgot. I think you could use the website to send notification to parents about assignments that are due. If parents and students could keep it appropriate I also think it would be nice to use the website to let parents and students ask questions and post concerns about content (I think this might work great, or be a huge mistake). There is a blog I like http://inspiringteachers.blogspot.com/2008/03/keeping-parents-informed-and-involved.html. This teacher posts often about helpbul tips for the classroom, and also posts about keeping parents informed about their students academics and behavior. The particular post I liked to gives many tips on communicating with parents. The blog places a lot of importance on making early contact with the parent, either through a meeting or letter, and then keeping regular contact. Regular contact is important so you do not just contact parents when their child has misbehaved or is performing poorly in class.
ReplyDeleteI agree that regular contact is important, you want to be reporting on more than just the misbehavior that happens. It will not be a good relationship with the parents if you always have to be that bearer of bad news.
DeleteRyals I think that it is great that you are in on the IEP's. How wonderful that you have that opportunity. I do not get to attend any of the IEP meetings.
DeleteRyals - I love the cautious optimism you have for creating a blog for parents. I think everything is worth giving a chance. Just like with the students, if some parents abuse that privilege, they will lose it. We always hope adults would use good judgment in what they post online, but unfortunately there have been far too many cases where this is not true.
ReplyDeleteI've seen in the classrooms that I have worked in different efforts on behalf of the teachers in keeping teachers informed. Often emails have been used, or scheduled phone calls. As a coach I have had to have a lot of contact with parents and usually it concerned amount of playing time. I found that the best way to keep parents informed is to have clear definitions and expectations laid out in a letter in which the students take home and have both the parent(s) and student have to sign. Therefore if any problems arise I can always go back to the paper that was signed by all parties and have a fair discussion as to why things are happening the way they are and what solutions we can work toward to improving the situation. The website I found was http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/parents/parentinvolve/engagingparents.pdf and in the site it has extensive information on how to engage parents. The most important information I took away from the information it provided was to always maintain a level of cooperation and allow for access/involvement for the parents. If the avenues aren't there for all parties then the problem will be a result of parents expectations not meeting the realities. There needs to be clear lines of communication so every one is on the same page.
ReplyDeleteNick, having parents sign agreements has been used a long time and for the most part is very effective. However, I have coached for 21 years and sometimes a signed agreement will not prevent a parent from over reacting and blowing something out of proportion. The more you can communicate with parents and be honest, the more credible you will become. Be genuine and professional with your communication and great relationships will develop.
DeleteWhile I do not have any professional contact with parents at this time I feel that there are many ways that a teacher can communicate with parents. I feel the biggest problem with parent communication is that the parents do not always do their part in communicating. Some of the ways that my school communicates with parents is by having a parent access to their students grades on the web at any time. Last year the high school teachers emailed the parent after each class to let the parent know what was done during class and if there were any assignments that were due. I think that facebook, blogging, twitter, and websites are all ways that teachers can keep parents informed. If a parent does not have internet access then the teacher could go back to using a notebook that the teacher and the parent can write notes to each other on.
ReplyDeleteThe website that I found is http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/free-resources/family-outreach/daily-weekly-reports
It has many different ideas about how to keep parents informed. It breaks the ideas into separate specific categories. For example it lists the heading as Daily Behavior Evaluation and then gives three different ideas on how to do that by creating codes for the agenda, stamping children’s agenda with special stamps, or filling out a special form or calendar.Then the article talks about Weekly Behavioral Evaluations with suggestion and how important it is to have good communication with the parent throughout the year so that there are not any surprises at conference time. Some of these ideas are to have weekly assessments of student behavior and to use tracking forms to record behaviors. The third section is Reports on Academic Progress. Sending home graded work in a folder for parents to sign and combine a newsletter with academic and behavioral reports, and use work sample reflection forms that go over the student reflection. The website give you forms and ideas on what to use.
I have been a Para-educator and coach for the last eightyears. When I worked in the Early Childhood classroom I had the opportunity to write in the student's communication journals that went home to the parent's every night. This was a very positive form of communication between the teacher and the parent. It kept the paren't informed of how their child did that day whether it was positive or negative. Phone calls, personal ontact, and emails were another form of communication. I now work in the high school and commuication is phone calls, emails, and personal contact when needed. I feel that open commuication between the student, parent, teacher, and administration if very important in a school setting. Without any form of communication, the student, parent, and teacher relationship would surely fail.
ReplyDeleteAs a coach, a letter always goes home with the athlete to the parent. They both have to read and sign and return it to me. It states what my expectations are and the rules of eligibility. I also give the school phone, my school email, and my cell phone. Even as a coach, open communication with parents is a must.
The website that I found is http://scienceboom.com/21/teachers-guide-to-keeping-parents-informed.htm This website is a teachers' guide to keeping parents informed.
This website gave instructions on what information to obtain from the student and parent in order to have communication. It also gives you reasons why the teacher should call the parents and topic for discussion.
To keep parents inform in the elementary setting, I sent home newsletters, made phone calls, had meetings, and encouraged parents to volunteer when they could. All of which worked very well. Now I am in the High School setting. Parent involvement is different at this level. Within the time that I have been working within the high school, I have not seen much parent involvement. The times when I witnessed parent involvement were during conferences or if their child was in trouble. This year I plan to call home weekly to share with parents how their child is doing. It is nice to share the good things that have happened instead of always sharing the bad things. The Proactive Approach. I would also like to try sending emails and letters. I have to be careful with this. Not all of my parents have access to the internet or even email. Honestly, many of my parents may not have email or care to answer the phone. If for some reason I could not reach the parent, I would make a home visit with another staff member.
ReplyDeleteA helpful website is http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/parent_involvement.shtml
Parent involvement in schools is much more than parent conferences and PTOs... In the resources below, learn about practical ways in which schools are involving parents. Read about parent involvement strategies that are working for others -- and that could work for you!
Hidie, the quickest way to develop a good rapport with parents is by communicating with them on a consistent basis. Yes it is important to have positive comments, but at the same time you need to be honest. If a subject needs to be addressed, then by all means be honest with the parent and make sure they know where you are coming from. Those are all good ways to communicate.
DeleteAt the beginning of the school year I always send out a welcome/informational teacher about myself and expectations for the upcoming school year. I frequently communicate with parents via phone and e-mail and I go out of my way to try and speak with every parent on a consistent basis. If I see a parent in public I always try to compliment their child as much as possible. It is very important to have something nice to say about each one of your students. Finally, I try to include parents during field trips, fundraisers, or in times when extra bodies might be needed.
ReplyDeleteKurt, I think its great that you confront parents in public. I know alot of teachers that turn the other way when they see parents. I think its important to acknowledge them if you see them in public to help build that relationship!
DeleteI have been a para educator with the same student for 8 years now. As a para you don't usually get involved with talking to the parents. Since I have been with my student for so long and have built a really close relationship with him and his family, his mother will usually talk to me before anyone else. I do have to be careful about what I say to her as I can't really say anything about his academics. I can talk to the teacher or just inform the teacher that they need to contact the students mother about her questions or concerns.
ReplyDeleteI do know that many teachers that I work with try hard to stay intouch with the parents. Email is probably the number one way I see teachers communicating with parents or phone calls. Alot of teachers have websites up for the team where parents can go and see everything they are doing in the classroom as well as homework assignments. Weekly newsletters I have seen used often in the elementarys which are nice.
The website I found helpful is http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/involving_parents_in_school_and_childcare.html. This website is full of information from what researchers say, benefits of parent involvement for children, parents, and teachers,and many different ways of keeping in contact with parents.