Communication is Key
By: Lacey Hedrick
Parents are a vital part of any students lives but with mixed families and lack of
parental figures teachers must tread on light ground not to offend the student or their
family. I try a variety of techniques to keep parents involved and informed. (Jones and
Jones, 2007)
First I send home an introductory letter to inform the parents of how my
classroom works and what will be going on that semester. The initial contact is very
important to open a line of communication and build some positive experiences with the
parents. I plan on also adding another element to my first week of school, an
introductory phone call. Jones and Jones wrote about an amazing transformation and
what a positive experience it could be. I also like how you call on weekends instead of
during the school day. I have been met with lots of opposition during the school day
because the parents work and the worry that something has happened to their child.
The phone call will achieve the same goals as the letter but have superior results.
(Jones and Jones, 2007)
I agree with Jones and Jones opinion on involving parents in the classroom. I too
pull in the help of parents for field trips and big labs. It makes them feel like they are
helping and apart of the classroom. They get a sense of belonging and understanding of
their childs education. (Jones and Jones, 2007)
Our school establishes a parent teacher conference every year. This is a time
when the parents can visit and talk with the teacher. Most of the organization is done by
the school but we must prepare ourselves and our classrooms. I also have a letter that
summarizes what I discuss for the parents to take home or give to a parent that could
not be there. Then I get all my grading in order and make sure that the grades give a
good reflection of the students performance. In addition I want to have a variety of
assessments for me to discuss with the parents. We do not get a large turnout,
therefore I add some incentive by giving extra credit or a grade forgiveness for the
parent coming to the school. They do not have to have a meeting and can come
anytime. I discuss my classroom, the students grades, and any concerns they might
have. In addition if the child is present I will always ask them if I could do anything
differently to help them. Then the following day I always send home a letter to all the
students who parents could not come in and summarizing any information I might want
to share with them. In addition I sent a follow up or thank you letter to the parents who
did attend and explain they may contact me anytime. (Edutopia, 2014)
Some teachers give their home phones but I do not. I feel that can lead to an
unfavorable situation. I do however have a homework help line they can call and be
connected to a live teacher that should be able to help them through any difficulties they
might encounter. In addition we have a great resource at our school call engrade. It
uploads grades, upcoming events, and gives an open line of communication through
messages between parents, teachers, and students.
Overall parents can be your ally or your enemy. I want parents to be my ally and I
will keep an open line of communication in order to achieve those goals. I plan on
adding another element to my classroom, the introductory phone call and hope that will
transform my classroom like Jones and Jones described.
References
"Five Resources for Parent-Teacher Conferences." Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
July 2014. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-teacher-conference-resources-
matt-davis>.
Jones and Jones (2007). Comprehensive Classroom Management: Creating
Communities of Support and Solving Problems., 8th Ed.
