Frequent, effective communication is necessary for families and teachers to share information about children’s progress, needs, and interests. This communication ensures that families and teachers are informed of what is expected in relation to student behavior, achievement, and discipline and what is needed for children to achieve those expectations. In addition, when properly done, regular communication exchanges afford the opportunities for families and teachers to establish and review shared goals in a mutual decision-making process. This minimizes misunderstandings, and provides opportunities for parents to understand what is expected in school. It also helps teachers get a better sense of families’ expectations and how families anticipate these to be achieved.
Effective communication between teachers and parents includes1:
1. Emphasizing a “win-win” orientation rather than placing blame.
2. Striving for a positive orientation rather than a deficit-based or crisis orientation.
3. Keeping the focus of communication on the child’s performance.
4. Considering the tone as well as the content of your communications.
5. Ensuring that parents have the needed information to support children’s educational progress.
6. Creating formal and informal opportunities to communicate and build trust between home and school.
Teachers can streamline their communication strategies by establishing systematic communication approaches. These often include:
- planners (assignment and homework books),
- a weekly way to communicate with families (folders or electronic exchanges), and
- classroom and/or school newsletters.
Many schools also host system-wide events such as open houses and parent-teacher conferences that provide all families and teachers with an opportunity to get to know each other. These are uniform, far-reaching strategies that are useful for disseminating classroom and school-based information and can reach many families at once.
In contrast, individual strategies will emphasize personal contact through notes home, phone calls, and home or community visits. These strategies are usually focused and used with a smaller proportion of families, although it is recommended that teachers use them, at least initially, with all students. Personal contact has been found to be the most effective way to reach families who are uninvolved with or disengaged from schooling or who feel disenfranchised.
1. Christenson & Sheridan, 2001, p. 121
Activities
Creating/improving a communication system
Reflect about existing communication channels, consider how you can improve your existing communication system, prioritize your improvements, and enact a few improvement changes to your communication system.
1. Put students in small groups and have them brainstorm topics related to school that the teacher should keep the students and families informed of.
2. Have them share as a whole class and write answers on board.
3. Possible answers: homework, classroom or school events, upcoming holidays or days off, test results, report cards, progress on learning, behaviors…
4. Back in their small groups, give them the task of determining how this information could or should be communicated with families.
5. Share answers as a whole class. Write on the board and possibly branch off the topics of information.
6. Possible answers: classroom/school newsletters, phone calls, text messages, email, classroom/school blog, homework planner, Parent-Teacher Conference, Open House, home visits…
7. Have a class discussion on what are and aren’t effective means of communication between school and families. Have students share based on their own family situations. Of course, also in this context, talk about the importance of a strong communication link between school and families.
8. Reflect on the student-generated discussions. Ask students to continue the discussion with their students’ families and share more ideas the next day. Start their own communication logs between school and each of their students’ families. Have them apply strategies as suggested in this module, collect feedback from students and their families throughout the school year, and assess the effectiveness of their efforts.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(c) The teacher collaborates with learners and colleagues to develop shared values and expectations for respectful interactions, rigorous academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility for quality work.
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(g) The teacher uses technological tools and a variety of communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that engage learners, families, and colleagues.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. “Communication Channels Established by Schools to Inform and Assist Parents” by National Center for Education Statistics at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/98032/index.asp?sectionid=3
2. Epstein, J.L. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. [chapter 5 is especially useful in regards to this topic]
3. Christenson, S.L., & Sheridan, S.M. (2001). Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
4. “Communicating with Culturally Diverse Parents of Exceptional Children” at https://www.teachervision.com/bilingual-bicultural-education/communicating-with-culturally-diverse-parents-of-exceptional
Welcoming strategies
Reflect on techniques you have used to create a welcoming environment for parents. Consider other strategies you may want to use to welcome families.
1. There are a lot of ways to welcome and create a welcoming environment to establish a friendlier and more communicative relationship between school and home. Reflect on some techniques that you have used or are familiar with. How successful were they?
2. Consider some other techniques you could use to welcome families. The UCLA’s School Mental Health Project report recommends the following welcoming strategies (you can find more information about these strategies at (http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/practicenotes/welcomingstrategies.pdf)
- Front door: have a welcoming area at the front door of school; train volunteers
- Front office: create a welcoming atmosphere in front office; recruit volunteers to have sufficient assistance
- Welcoming booklet: have a welcoming booklet (and other materials) providing information about the school (not just an opportunity to state school rules). Translate and print these into all necessary languages.
- Student greeters
- Parent volunteer greeters
- Welcoming bulletin board: with welcoming information, school staff photos, campus map, etc.
- Classroom greeters
- Classroom introduction: a teacher plan (prepared information, explanation of classroom routines, etc.)
- Peer buddies
- Outreach from organized groups
- Support groups
- On-going positive contacts
3. Consider which of these strategies you could use on your own, and consult with your grade peers and school community to determine if the grade/school is willing to challenge itself to try some new strategies.
4. Aside from all the strategies discussed here, a basic one is to send home a welcome letter in the first week of school introducing yourself to your students’ families, outlining your goals and expectations for the school year, and listing exciting upcoming content/events. The letter should be friendly, personable, and about one-page long. If possible, have it translated into each student(s)’ native language. Throughout the school year, keep the lines of communication open via newsletters, homework planner, class/school blog, emails, phone calls, texting, conferences, appointments, etc. Please have all of these translated into your students’ languages if possible. (Please see below for an example template of a welcome letter for the beginning of the school year.)
5. Another strategy to welcome families is to make phone calls to the families of the students in your class prior to or at the very beginning of the school year.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(j) The teacher understands that learners bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture, family, and community values.
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
2(m) The teacher respects learners as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various skills, abilities, perspectives, talents, and interests.
2(o) The teacher values diverse languages and dialects and seeks to integrate them into his/her instructional practice to engage students in learning.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(c) The teacher collaborates with learners and colleagues to develop shared values and expectations for respectful interactions, rigorous academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility for quality work.
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
7(n) The teacher respects learners’ diverse strengths and needs and is committed to using this information to plan effective instruction.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
1. UCLA’s School Mental Health Project report at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/practicenotes/welcomingstrategies.pdf
2. Welcoming Schools: A Project of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation at www.welcomingschools.org
3. National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools; “Reaching Out to Diverse Populations: What Can Schools Do to Foster Family-School Connections?” at http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/rb5-diverse.pdf
4. “Making Students and Families Feel Welcome” at https://www.colorincolorado.org/immigration/guide/welcome
5. “Creating a Welcoming Environment: 4 Key Tips for Administrators” at https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED559740.pdf
Open House
Consider reasons parents may not attend open house and list ways you can encourage parents to attend.
1. Read this imaginary situation between two teachers discussing the results of their schools’ Open Houses.
Teacher A: How was your Open House the other day? Did all your parents show up?
Teacher B: Almost everyone. The one parent who couldn’t come scheduled another day.
Teacher A: That’s amazing! I’ve never had all my parents show up. I don’t get it. I remind the students a couple times and I send home letters.
Teacher B: That’s too bad. I know you have a lot of children from families who don’t speak English in your class. Did you send translated letters home?
Teacher A: Yeah, this year I tried to do that. It definitely helped but I still had some no shows, and they didn’t even let me know.
Teacher B: Well, what time of the day did you have it? I know each teacher could make his or her own schedule, right?
Teacher A: Yeah, I had it in the afternoon after school.
Teacher B: Well, I don’t know about you, but my students are all from working class families. It would be really tough for them to leave their jobs in the middle of the afternoon. Maybe that’s why some of the parents didn’t come.
Teacher A: I know but I tried doing it in the evening one time and it didn’t make any difference.
Teacher B: Why don’t you try asking parents the day and time that would be convenient for them? You never know, some of them might be working two jobs, have trouble getting child-care, or have difficulty finding transportation to get here.
Teacher A: Alright. I’ll consider that for next time. Thanks.
2. Working alone or with peers, make a list of some things that Teacher A is doing well or trying to do for the Open House.
3. Now note some of the suggestions that the Teacher B colleague made.
4. Add other suggestions of your own; what would be other strategies you would propose?
5. Finally, think about how you would welcome parents into your classroom via the Open House next time you have one. What are some new things you will try and why?
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. Open House Resources at http://www.teachervision.fen.com/open-house/resource/6522.html
2. “Top 5 Ideas for Open House” at http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/top-5-ideas-open-house
3. 19 Ideas for “Back to School” nights at https://www.weareteachers.com/back-to-school-night-ideas/
4. Back to school night and beyond ideas for teachers and parents at https://www.readingrockets.org/article/bright-ideas-back-school-night-and-beyond
5. Back to School Night presentation templates and resources available for purchase at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:back%20to%20school%20night%20middle%20school
Parent-Teacher conferences
Learn strategies to prepare, conduct, and understand how to effectively facilitate a parent-teacher conference.
There are many facets to preparing, conducting, and understanding how to effectively facilitate a family-teacher conference. Click on the following links to direct you to the corresponding pages:
- Part I: Key Interaction Issues
- Part II: Preparing for a Parent-Teacher Conference
- Part III: Important Communication Considerations
- Part IV: Helping Family Members Understand a Parent-Teacher Conference
- Part V: Working With Minority Family Members
- Part VI: Addressing Concerns about a Misbehaving Child With Family Members
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
1(j) The teacher takes responsibility for promoting learners’ growth and development.
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
Standard #6: Assessment
6(o) The teacher knows when and how to evaluate and report learner progress against standards.
Standard #7: Planning for Instruction
7(b) The teacher plans how to achieve each student’s learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and accommodations, resources, and materials to differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of learners.
7(f) The teacher evaluates plans in relation to short- and long-range goals and systematically adjusts plans to meet each student’s learning needs and enhance learning.
7(o) The teacher values planning as a collegial activity that takes into consideration the input of learners, colleagues, families, and the larger community.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
8(c) The teacher collaborates with learners to design and implement relevant learning experiences, identify their strengths, and access family and community resources to develop their areas of interest.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. National Education Association on “Parent Teacher Conferences” at http://www.nea.org/tools/parent-teacher-conferences.html
2. “10 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference” at http://school.familyeducation.com/slideshow/parents-and-school/38585.html
3. “Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheets for Principals, Teachers, and Parents” (Harvard Family Research Project) at https://globalfrp.org/Articles/Parent-Teacher-Conferences-Strategies-for-Principals-Teachers-and-Parents
4. The following link found on the Scholastic website provides articles on preparing for a parent-teacher conferences. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/guide-parent-teacher-conferences
5. The following link provides additional resources for successful parent-teacher conferences. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-teacher-conference-resources-matt-davis
6. McNaughton, D., Hamlin, D., McCarthy, J., Head-Reeves, D., & Schreiner, M. (2007). Learning to listen: Teaching an active listening strategy to preservice education professionals. Topics in Early Childhood Education, 27(4), 223-231.
7. McNaughton, D., & Vostal, B.R. (2010). Using active listening to improve collaboration with parents: The LAFF don’t CRY strategy. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45(4), 251-256.
8. Supporting collaboration through active listening. http://inclusiveeducationpdresources.com/learning_guides/lg_supporting_collaboration_through_active_listening.pdf
How positive is my communication with families?
Learn about various strategies you can use to ensure positive communication with families, identify the ones you already use, select the ones you would like to add to your repertoire, and reflect upon the process of trying out those positive communication strategies.
1. Read the “Guidelines for positive communication” in the first column of the table.
2. Pick two areas you would like to work on.
3. Carefully read the “Possible strategies” in the second column of the table.
4. Identify two strategies you would like to try, one from each of the areas you identified in # 2 above.
5. Carry out the selected strategies.
6. Evaluate your project: What worked? What would you have done differently? How will you do it in the future?
| Guidelines for positive communication | Possible Strategies |
| 1. Strive for a positive orientation rather than a deficit-based or crisis orientation. |
|
| 2. Consider tone as well as content of your communications. |
|
| 3. Develop and publicize regular, reliable, varied two-way communication systems. |
|
| 4. Emphasize a “win-win” orientation, rather than placing blame |
|
| 5. Keep the focus of communication on the child’s performance. |
|
| 6. Ensure that parents have needed information to support childrens’ educational progress. |
|
| 7. Create formal and informal opportunities to communicate and build trust between home and school. |
|
| 8. Underscore all communication with a shared responsibility between families and schools. |
|
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.
Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
9(e) The teacher reflects on his/her personal biases and accesses resources to deepen his/her own understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build stronger relationships and create more relevant learning experiences.
9(m) The teacher is committed to deepening understanding of his/her own frames of reference (e.g., culture, gender, language, abilities, ways of knowing), the potential biases in these frames, and their impact on expectations for and relationships with learners and their families.
9(n) The teacher sees him/herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. Building parent-teacher partnerships. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships
2. “Promoting Family Engagement: Communicating with Families” at https://www.virtuallabschool.org/preschool/family-engagement/lesson-3
3. 20 tips for developing positive relationships with parents. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-developing-positive-relationships-parents-elena-aguilar
4. 9 techniques for building solid parent-teacher relationships. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/9-techniques-building-solid-parent-teacher-relationships
Communication folder
A teacher-family communication folder provides a consistent system of communication with parents that supports students’ learning.
Many strategies can be used to improve student learning. One of them is to create a consistent system of communication between school and home in order to keep parents informed and supportive of their child’s learning. A tangible way to do this is to have a regular and designated teacher-family communication folder.
1. Name your folder. For example, “Teacher-family communication folder,” or “Monday Folder,” or “Friday Folder.” You may want to ask students to decorate the folder so they feel ownership of it.
2. In the folder, include the student’s previous week’s work and classroom/school letters and notifications.
3. Plan ahead and coordinate various info items (e.g., letters, official written correspondence, information about school events) to be sent always on the designated day of the week you chose, so that families come to expect this type of school-to-home communication on the same day of each week. Some schools have a school-wide folder they send to all students. You need to decide whether you will send your folder the same day as the school folder or if you will have a specific day for your classroom communication only.
4. As routine, get students in the habit of cleaning and organizing their desks and sorting papers to be kept at school and those to be sent home in the communication folder.
5. Whenever possible, have official letters translated into the student(s)’ native languages.
6. At the beginning of the school year, send home a parent letter explaining the communication folder system.
7. Initiate a parent volunteer system in your classroom, and solicit a reliable parent (or have a few parent volunteers on a rotating basis) to help gather and insert papers into students’ folders each week. Older children may be able to help too. Be careful that parents and students who are helping you with the communication folder do not have access to any confidential information (including graded papers).
8. Ask students and families for feedback on the communication folder: What is working? What is not? Revise your communication folder practices accordingly.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
8(m) The teacher understands how multiple forms of communication (oral, written, nonverbal, digital, visual) convey ideas, foster self expression, and build relationships.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(g) The teacher uses technological tools and a variety of communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that engage learners, families, and colleagues.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. “Weekly Folders Deliver News from School to Home” at http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin463.shtml
2. Editable communication folder worksheets: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:editable%20communication%20folder
3. An example of a communication folder. https://www.cfclassroom.com/2012/08/daily-communication-folders-teacher-tip.html
Homework planner
The homework planner is an organizational tool for students and also allows for communication between school and home.
One tool to help your students become more independent learners, keep their homework assignments organized, and allow you to communicate with the parents is a homework planner. Consider buying a commercially made student homework planner or collaborate with your colleagues to make your own. Here are some tips to efficiently use a homework planner:
1. A homework planner is a graphic organizer and scheduler with blank spaces for students to write down homework assignments. It also can be a useful reference for effective study habits and information on school, fun and historical facts and events.
2. If you’re going to make your own homework planner, brainstorm and do research with your colleagues. What kind of information do you want to include in the planner? Here are a few examples:
a. Introduction and welcome to your grade level and/or school,
b. Basic information about the school,
c. School policies,
d. Your grade-level expectations and goals,
e. Guidelines for completing homework,
f. Useful homework strategies,
g. A day-by-day calendar for students to write down their daily homework, appointments, and other schedules,
h. Fun facts,
i. Interesting historical events,
j. National holidays and school events, etc.
3. Make the homework planner a practical and easy-to-use tool appropriate for the age of your students. If you have a non-native English speaking population at your school, consider having key sections of the book translated and adding culturally and linguistically relevant information.
4. Make copies of the book, collate it, and distribute it to the students at the beginning of the school year. Explain its purpose and use to students and families. Gather feedback from all participants so you can make improvements to next year’s homework planner!
InTASC Model Core Teacher Standars
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
8(m) The teacher understands how multiple forms of communication (oral, written, nonverbal, digital, visual) convey ideas, foster self expression, and build relationships.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(g) The teacher uses technological tools and a variety of communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that engage learners, families, and colleagues.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. Tips for using a homework planner. https://student-tutor.com/blog/7tipsforthemostsuccessfulplanner/
2. This blog was written by a parent, and teachers may find it useful as well for explaining to students how to use a homework planner. https://onecreativemommy.com/use-daily-school-planner/
3. Teaching kids about time management. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/parent-child/teach-kids-to-manage-time.html
4. Primary, elementary, middle school, and high school planners for purchase at https://www.academicplannersplus.com
Newsletters
Newsletters keep parents informed about classroom and school activities and events. They can also share academic content being learned in class as well as student drawings and writings.
The purpose of a newsletter is to inform parents of academic goings on, post samples of students’ work so as to communicate with parents while motivating students, provide fun learning facts, notify students and families of upcoming classroom and school events or holidays, and to provide other useful information. Create a tangible and powerful communication tool by starting your own newsletter. Here are some tips about how to do so:
1. Consider collaborating with other grade-level colleagues, across grade levels, or as a whole school to create the newsletter or to include a section that is common to all classrooms.
2. Keep the newsletter simple, easy and engaging to read. The goal is to have an informative and fun text.
3. Involve your students in the choosing of topics and the writing of content. Connect the writing of the newsletter to Common Core standards and your curriculum learning objectives. Student-generated newsletters can be empowering and motivating, and can help to integrate academic knowledge and development with real world practical applications. Students may be more likely to show the newsletter to their families if they were involved in its creation. This will help to meet your goal of keeping parents informed.
4. Here are some ideas for things to include in your newsletter:
a. Upcoming classroom or school events, holidays or special days,
b. Current academic content being learned in class,
c. Recent academic or athletic accomplishments,
d. School menu,
e. Student drawings and writings,
f. Historical facts about holidays,
g. A message from the classroom teacher and/or another member of school or local community
h. “Tips” on learning and/or parental strategies, such as homework ideas, proper study habits, good reading habits, etc.
Please check the next two sections to find a suggested template for your newsletter and some samples from teachers. See also the “circle journal” idea, whereby children themselves write the update to their families.
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #1: Learner Development
1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.
1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
Standard #3: Learning Environments
3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.
3(f) The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment.
3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments.
3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.
Standard #8: Instructional Strategies
8(m) The teacher understands how multiple forms of communication (oral, written, nonverbal, digital, visual) convey ideas, foster self expression, and build relationships.
Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration
10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.
10(g) The teacher uses technological tools and a variety of communication strategies to build local and global learning communities that engage learners, families, and colleagues.
10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.
10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
1. “Weekly Newsletter for Parent Communication: Combine Parent Communication With a Student Writing Practice” http://k6educators.about.com/od/classroommanagement/a/weeklynews.htm
2. Tips on creating and using a newsletter template. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teaching-tip-newsletters-made-easy
3. Ideas for what to include in a classroom newsletter. https://classroom.synonym.com/things-put-classroom-newsletter-7619793.html
Phone calls
Call homes to establish communication with the students and the families, communicate with families over the academic year, and inform families of key events.
Call homes to establish communication with students and their families, communicate with families over the academic year, and inform families of key events.
Phones calls can be used during the summer prior to the academic year or during the first days of school to connect with parents during the summer about the next school year’s expectations and activities and to start building a relationship with each family.
It is important that the first call home, as well as other regular phone calls are to discuss something positive children are doing in class, rather than waiting to make the first call when there are problems.
When you call, always courteously introduce yourself first. Then, even if you suspect that the responder is the parent you’re seeking, always ask the responder, “May I please speak with the caregiver of [insert the first and last name of the student]?”
You can then tell the family member that you are very excited about the new year and all that is going to be learned in class and invite the family to the open house, where you can give them more details about what the year will be about and how they can help their child succeed in school.
You can close the conversation by asking them if they have any questions and letting them know how they can contact you if they have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
The following video presents an example of a high school teacher calling a grandparent to talk with her about her grandson’s school attendance. This situation has taken place a few months into the school year, and the teacher is concerned about the student’s number of absences. After watching the video, consider which of the following skills you see the teacher demonstrate: active listening, restating, clarifying, presuming positive intentions, finding common ground, reflection, summarizing, empathy, and creating concrete plans for next steps. What did the teacher do well? Is there anything she could improve on? How might you talk with a grandparent in this situation?
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards
Standard #2: Learning Differences
2(k) The teacher knows how to access information about the values of diverse cultures and communities and how to incorporate learners’ experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction.
1. “The Power of the Positive Phone Call Home” at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/power-positive-phone-call-home-elena-aguilar
2. “Scripting a Parent Phone Call: A Skill All Teachers Need” at http://theeducatorsroom.com/2013/01/scripting-a-parent-phone-call-a-skill-all-teachers-need/
3. “Ongoing Communications” at https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/ReachFam/oncom.html
4. “Twenty Tips for Developing Positive Relationships with Parents” at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-developing-positive-relationships-parents-elena-aguilar
5. Questions to ask parents in the beginning of the school year. In this blog found on the Edutopia website, a teacher of twenty years shares questions to ask of parents that can help to build a partnership to support their child’s learning. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-questions-ask-parents-beginning-year-elena-aguilar
6. “The Power of a Positive Phone Call Home” at https://www.pbisrewards.com/blog/positive-phone-call-home/