Positive Parent Contact

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As I have said before, teaching is a work of heart. We don't do it for the money or the glory but to help kids. Sometimes those kids don't seem to appreciate what we do. In fact, sometimes they seem to fight us tooth and nail as we try to go about educating them. This can lead to the inevitable (and sometimes unenviable) parent/guardian-teacher meeting!

Many teachers complain about the meetings saying that the parents/guardians are not receptive to their suggestions. To these teachers I say, did you make POSITIVE contact first?

Cue the deer in the headlights look!

Positive contact? What do I mean by that? 

I mean that teachers should contact parents/guardians in some way prior to any issue arising. Show the parents/guardians that you are in this together when it comes to teaching the kids and that you are not the enemy.

Some suggested ideas are:

Sending out a note at the beginning of the year asking parents or guardians for an email address, phone number or other way to contact them. At the very least send out a generic note introducing yourself and giving your conference time and a good way to contact you. This tells the parents or guardians that you are interested and not to be feared.

There is a misconception that "coming to the schoolhouse" is a bad thing. Make that misconception go away. Show the kids, parents and guardians that they are welcome any time and that they should drop by to check on the kids. People are very busy these days and nine times out of ten they won't come to the school but just knowing that they are welcome is enough! This also gives you a little leverage when trying to extract the best behavior from the kids. When they know that you and the folks are on the same page and have the same goal it can often curtail bad behavior.

Making positive contact can never hurt and you might be surprised by how much it helps in the long run! : )

Below is an image of a sample letter (I know it is a bit hard to read so I put the text below it):

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to another exciting school year! I am Mrs. Smith and I will be teaching your child technology this year. I am so pleased to see each of my student’s smiling faces each day!

I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I am always available should you have any questions. You can contact me via email at mrssmith@myschool.com or you can call or stop by during my planning time. I plan from 8:00 to 8:45 each morning. My number is 411-555-1212. This number rings directly to my desk. Please do not call after 8:45 as I will be teaching. I do stay until 4:00 most days so feel free to call after school.

I will be hosting a meet and greet during the school’s Goal’s Night so please stop by and chat. I am located in the large computer lab in B-hall. Just look for the signs!

Wishing you and your child a great year!

Mrs. Smith