what is the best way for teachers to communicate with parents

Entering results weekly or bi-weekly keeps everything in a uniformed manner and it eventually gives a chance to parents to appreciate my on-time reporting about their kids. In these meetings, teachers learn from and give one another feedback. The more we communicate with our teachers, the more effective we can be as a school. That was wonderful. Includes free PDF with 8 tips for teachers for better communication with parents. They also get the bonus of "pausing" me. One of the most important things I have learned is to stop and put myself into that person's shoes—to think, What if this were my child? 51% OFF the cover price. So, when I was called to report to the principal's office during my first week as a new teacher, I had some anxiety and stress as I walked down the hallway.

Observations are more meaningful for everybody. It will be easier for them to enter their data, records, GCP, and grades and share it with their parents. Just upload your important documents, assignment or any other material to Google drive and you will not have to carry a heavy file or bag with you. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714. I have three sections: events for the upcoming week, with time and location; upcoming events throughout the quarter; and an "As Seen" feature, in which I give important updates and shout-outs. Unlike digital communication, it's rarely misunderstood. They can have a virtual meeting via Hangouts and Skype.

The best form of communication I received from a principal was a high five. Also quote why do you love that! —Renee M. Burnett, curriculum coordinator, OCM BOCES, Syracuse, New York. An open-door policy makes it easy to communicate with my principal. Show teachers that you know their time is … I want the principal to acknowledge my efforts when I go above and beyond and to tell me when a student or parent has shared positive comments. I provide my students with a weekly report with their grades and ask them to share it with their parents and get it signed from them. Whatever you want to say, inform, ask to them or warn them, pick your pen and start writing today because you are going to love this idea.

What concerns/issues do you have at this point? If I have missed any of them which you are using, please let me know.

That meant being in the halls and doing walk-throughs so that I could talk to all staff every day.

—Dave Weston, principal (retired), Saudi Aramco Schools, Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. It allows educators to make the most of commute time and spend more time sharing how to best meet the needs of students and families. After formal class visits, we would sit down and discuss "commendations" and "recommendations." This is the most personal way we communicate and the most effective, but we do use several communication methods daily to stay in contact. The Unsupportive Co-Teacher: What is the Root? It’s the smartest way to flip the side of the complaining card to parents that instead of me taking a child to call his parents, they come over and discuss whatever the matter they for at school loop.

She encourages us to check her calendar and fill in time slots if we would like to meet with her face-to-face. It is always a dream of parents to see what their child is doing and how confidently he is doing it. Effectively communicating with parents about projects, activities and milestones is the best way to help clients see the value. —Joe Mazza, leadership innovation manager, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, Philadelphia. Children love to see their school and those activities which they have performed and when they show that up to their relatives, they feel quite confident and pleased. However, we all know that the best communication is face-to-face conversations. Also, share your views about this article; whether you found it useful or not? 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. It helps keep parents informed and maintains trust when communication is clear and consistent. Now when you are quite comfortable to talk face-to-face with their parents and there are some hurdles which are stopping things from being scheduled, you can always rely on Skype for one on one meeting with your kid’s teacher. —Jeanette Patterson, principal, Cherry Creek School District, Greenwood Village, Colorado. Google has made my life so easy, I just love everything about it but Google calendar is at the top. chool data system is another good tool which can be used as a conversation startup with parents. With all of the technology available, I cannot find a better way than face-to-face communication to build relationships and create a culture of trust in our school.

—Patrice Bove, retired elementary music teacher, Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Another good tip for teachers using emails is to prepare a template and use that for general emails to minimize time consumption. —Chuck Achter, high school principal, Anoka Hennipen District, Coon Rapids, Minnesota. —Brianna Crowley, English teacher and instructional technology coach, Derry Township School District, Pennsylvania. Parent? —Thomas Woodall, retired principal/educational supervisor, Loudoun County Public Schools, Dulles, Virginia. As it turned out, she just wanted to hear how my first few days had gone and to let me know that her door was always open! Email is the simplest and most popular way for teachers to start communicating a student’s parents. We have weekly face-to-face meetings with all our teachers. Sometimes my tunnel vision gets in the way, and he opens my eyes without discounting my ideas. This year, I started having teachers and education technicians talk to me one-on-one about their hopes and dreams for the next six weeks and how they hope to accomplish these dreams. And that's what I did.

I appreciate when my principal values my experience and expertise while challenging me to see things from a different perspective. He is the brain of TeacherPH. —Paula Hoffman, special education teacher, Grand Ledge High School, Grand Ledge, Michigan. My teachers love it because they can multitask as they watch my message for the week.

This personal communication builds trust and relationships and shows an investment and partnership in their work in our school. This method is used by private tutors as well because parents want to keep an eye on their kid’s progress while having additional classes. As Stephen Covey would say, this "put money in the bank" for the times I had to take money out of the bank. The follow-up e-mail ensures that everyone is clear on what has been said and what decisions have been made. There are several teachers who believe in a constant in touch by sending weekly updates and some who send an only final report after the completion of a semester. It is quite simple to put a ‘0’ when the due assignment is not submitted on time. What are the best ways for teachers to communicate with parents using technology? As a principal, I felt it was important to be available to all teachers, students, and staff. They need to be exceptional in their studies. It is really easy to share that with parents and staff as well. —Eric Townsley, middle school principal, South Tama County Schools, Toledo, Iowa. I appreciate criticism that is heartfelt, constructive, and delivered personally, in a way that shows me what needs improvement, but also shows that my successes are valued. When I taught 5th grade, my principal, Dr. Joan Montgomery, was an excellent communicator. —Paul Baez, principal, Alief Independent School District, Houston, Texas. These team meetings support our school culture and ethos and ensure that no teacher gets left behind. Monday through Friday Whatever the scenario is, this connection must be established because it is very important to keep parents aware of their children’s progress. I used to send out a weekly staff e-mail on Thursdays that contained school information and calendar items.

It’s essential for parents to trust their child’s teacher.

I would ask the teachers to tell me what commendations they hoped to hear and what recommendations they thought I'd probably offer. It contains information about upcoming events along with general staff notes, reminders, and announcements; links to content and documents that would traditionally be shared in staff and student handbooks; and links to archived resources from all of our professional development opportunities and programs. While e-mail and class websites have increased the avenues for reaching parents, they lack the personal touch of a phone call or a handwritten note. In my 14 years of teaching, I believe that communication has been best when my principal has used multiple forms of communication. After conducting an evaluation observation, the principal left me a note saying she sincerely hoped her son would have me as a teacher. MISSION: ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are always free and it is quite easy to form a group for similar interest and post the relevant material up there to get many subscribers and likes. Anything else? We communicate throughout the day through instant messaging, Skype, and private messaging within our learning management system. It was the first time when I started using remind.com. It has become quite easy and fast for teachers to get InTouch with parents and students.

Communicating with parents is an essential component of teaching. We briefly met, discussed the evaluation, and signed it. As a novice teacher, I had more than enough questions for any one person to bear, but Mr. DeForest always made me feel like I was the most important thing on his plate.

I've been surprised and pleased with the energy and thoughtfulness of their reflections. Do let me know if you have some better idea for communication, it will be highly appreciated. I have noticed that students respond much quicker to a text, rather than Email. —Eric Sieferman, principal, Cascade Middle School, Clayton, Indiana. It is a common practice that school’s admission forms usually ask for an email id and keep a record of all email addresses entitled with students’ names and classes. When I was hired, my dean told me, "Your job is this: Be the best at what you do and help every student succeed."
If you could get some professional development right now, what would it be? It is a free service, at least up till now and that allows students to just subscribe and start using.