We went into teaching to teach the kids. Then we found out there was so much more we were expected to do. One of those things is parent teacher communication.
One thing I have learned is that regular communication with parents will actually make your life easier. If parents know what is going on in the classroom as well as with their child specifically, they are happier. They just want to feel involved.
Here are 5 strategies for easy and effective parent teacher communication.
1. Regular Newsletters and Updates
Keep parents informed of what is happening in the classroom with regular newsletters. Include what is being taught in the classroom, what events are coming up, and any important info they need to know such as permission slips that need to be signed or book orders that are due. You may even want to include any pictures from throughout the week.
You can keep this as simple as text in the body of the email, or something in a newsletter format in Google Slides or PowerPoint that you link. One timesaver for this is to use an email template. If you've never used one, definitely check it out. Google email template and the kind of email your school uses such as Gmail or Outlook.
2. Parent Teacher Conferences and Meetings
Parents like to have the opportunity to talk to you face to face so conferences and meetings are important. Most schools will have parent conferences for all students at the end of the first report card period. For students you have concerns about, you'll probably want to have additional meetings throughout the year to continue working with the families in supporting the child.
Remember to always start with something positive about the child. If it's a challenging student with many concerns, try to focus on your top concerns so as to not overwhelm the parents. Give tips and strategies for how they can help their child be more successful.
3. Utilizing Digital Tools and Communication Platforms
Nowadays we have many digital forms of communication that we can utilize in keeping in touch with families. Some of the forms of digital communication that I've used in the past include email, Remind app, Class Dojo, and Otus (our district's learning management software).
Your school may have a preferred way that they want you to communicate digitally, so make sure that you're aware of that.
Not all parents are great at reading their emails so I've found that if it's an important email, sometimes sending a quick text asking parents to read the important email you've just sent can help with that.
4. Sending Progress Reports
You don't want parents to be surprised when they suddenly find out that their child is struggling. So regularly notifying families of their child's progress can help keep them informed and up to date.
How often you send out progress reports is up to you (other than anything required by your school or district). I have found that monthly progress reports work best for me. I created progress reports that are very easy to use. They have checkboxes to make them quick to fill out. I included both academic and behavioral sections in the reports.
In the long run, I feel like these saved me time because I didn't have parents emailing me to see how their child was doing in school because they already knew.
Save time and purchase these already-made editable monthly and weekly reports.
5. Addressing Concerns and Challenges Promptly and Constructively
Make sure to keep families informed about situations that they should know about. If there was an incident at school that the parent really needs to hear about, contact them and let them know. You don't want them only hearing about it from the child. Especially if that story might be different from what happened.
Let's not forget about emails you might receive from an upset parent. First of all, if the email upsets you, don't answer immediately. You might end up answering with your emotions instead of your head. Once you've had time to work through the emotions, now you can address the email. If needed, have a teacher friend help you with a response. Also, try to assume positive intent. Parents just want what is best for their child, but they don't always show it in the best way. Often a parent just wants to be heard and once they get it out of their system, the situation will often resolve itself.
Remember, regular communication helps build trust and a positive relationship between families and teachers. In the long run, that trust and positive relationship will make your job easier. So keep that parent teacher communication going.
~Jill
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