Keeping+Parents+Informed

 "Parents need to have a good relationship with the school, so they can help bring out what the teacher feels the child is able to do." ~Elizabeth CookAs an educator, you spend quite a bit of time with your students throughout a school year & need to be able to share with parents the joys and concerns of their child. In the section Keeping Parents Informed, many examples of ways to inform parents of the going-ons in your classroom are given. Which of these examples have you tried, and how did they impact your relationship with the parents of your classroom? Are there other ways you have used keep parents informed about your daily routines & the child's progress? Share with your classmates a website and a summary of the website you found that they will be able to use as a reference when informing parents of the continued learning and celebrations of your classroom.

As a parent I have found that weekly planners are a great way to stay informed as well as having parents sign assignments after grading to ensure the parents see the grades. These are ways for the parents to see what the student is doing on a daily basis. As a future high school teacher I see the advantages of doing these types of things. I think it is important to keep the parents informed on a daily or weekly basis and not just rely on midterm grades or progress reports. This will also help the parents from the shock of finding out too late that the student was struggling. Most schools offer websites where the teachers are able to post lesson plans, assignments and grades. I think this is probably one of the most under utilized tools by most teachers. I will be using the website to post assignments and offer daily tasks so parents have a resource available. Many parents work off shifts and are unable to meet with teachers during the normal hours so I think the internet is a great way to bridge that gap. I will be working with several different students at four different grade levels and for me I think it is important to try and make the parents as informed as possible since I won’t be able to take the time to personally contact them all personally.Chris

Chris- I think using a website is a great resource for parents and teachers that is not always used to it’s full potential- keep in mind though that not all homes/parents have access to the internet- something paper/take home might be necessary for some students/families- Nikki

Chris, you bring up a good point that not all teachers utilize the tools that are available to them. On the same note, many parents may not know how or have the resources to access these tools, so you do have to consider a "back-up" to this method to ensure all are informed. Oh! I just read Nikki's and she said almost exactly what I just said! Ha! Great minds think alike! lol ;) - Stephanie

[] This website is centered around teacher/parent collaboration. There are several articles and handouts available on how to successfully involve parents into the classroom. Some of the links offer advice from professionals on how to effectively communicate with parents and ways to get the parents involved. This is a great resource because it the advise is from Veteran teachers who have been there and know the struggles of the job.-Chris Chris- I really like the idea of having parents sign a planner after seeing a particular grade on an assignment. Most teachers just have the planners sent home to be signed to show that the work was done, but then there is no guarantee the parents will see the outcome of their work until midterm grades or progress reports come out, and by then it's too late. *TRICIA*

Chris- I like the idea of sending home to planner or select assignments. I would send an email as well because the only flaw to this plan is parents who are divorced/separated. You don’t want to communicate with one more than the other - that’s just asking for trouble. Other than that, the plan would work wonderfully. - Sean

My favorite ideas (which I intend to use someday in my classroom) are weekly planners/newsletters and progress reports. I like these ideas best because keeping parents informed about what children are doing and what they are learning about helps parents be involved in the child’s education. At home they can ask specific questions about what a child has learned. (I know lots of kids say ‘nothing’ when parents ask what they have learned that day- this way parents could ask what dinosaur did you learn about today, if the parent knows dinosaurs are the current topic of study). I think paper copies of these items are vital- although the number maybe minimal, not everyone has access to the internet- leaving these parents out would be problematic. Having parents sign a bottom portion of the planner/newsletter and returning would ensure parents have at least seen the item (even if they haven’t read it). I also like the idea of progress reports (again signing and returning) in-between regular midterm and quarterly grades (especially if the child is struggling or has recently had a dramatic change in grades- good or bad). This will ensure parents will have no surprises when official grades are sent. If a parent knows ahead of time a child is struggling, teacher, student, and parent can incorporate a plan to improve grades. I think these key fundamentals of informing parents of the going-ons in the classroom are the best ways to encourage parent involvement. Phone calls are another way to keep parents informed about very important items. This type of information would be child specific and teachers could know for sure parents have received the information. Teachers would also get immediate feedback from the parent(s). Phone calls are time consuming and can let parents know that you truly care about their child and their specific needs. - Nikki

Nikki, I agree and like these forms of communication as well. I also would encourage parents to list their preferred form of communication to ensure that you are contacting everyone according to what works best for them. - Stephanie

Nikki-The weekly update for parents are a great update. I agree that we need to give parents more information between midterms and quarterly grades. As a secondary education major I think it may be too much for me to do with every student, but I would agree with at risk or struggling students this is an option.-Chris

Nikki- your ideas are great, one thing I would add would be to also inform the family of which days homework is assigned. My 5th grader has had some struggles this year for lack of effort and not doing his homework. The teacher has the students write their homework down in a daily planner and has the parents initial it. The problem I have with that is my son continually told me that he gets his work done in school. I've spoken with him that by him not bringing it home or showing me, that tells me that he will get it all correct. However, that is not the case. I would add having the students take the homework home to show the parents. So the parents are even more involved and in tune with what is going on in class. - Mike

Nikki- I can relate to the comment you made about when kids respond with "nothing" when you ask them what they did in school that day.... I get that from my kids all the time! I agree that it would help to keep parents informed and let them know ahead of time what is going on in the classroom so they can be more specific when inquiring about school lessons and activities with their kids. *TRICIA*

Nikki- having a weekly planner is a great idea. Not only does it keep the parents informed about what is going on at school, It also teachers the children responsibility. When the teacher writes on the board the homework assignments and reminders that the students need to copy into their planner, it is their responsibility to get it done. and if parent needs to sign something, then the child needs to remember to have the parent sign it. Melissa C.

Nikki- I love the proactive approach! I love the newsletter idea too! Something my old school just incorporated this year was more or less an online grade book. Parents got a password at the beginning of the year and they can see any of their children’s grades for any class. Once the teachers put the grades in their computer at school, it automatically updates it online. The only problem with this is that some teachers don’t update their grade books on a regular basis...I know one of my brother’s teachers does it about once every 2 weeks. But that is something I think we will see more of in the near future. - Sean

[] This website lists several ways to promote parent involvement. It has examples of items that can be sent home each month of the school year. This website also lists activities that can be done to further parent involvement. It also lists other resources available on this topic. (This website also lists a ton of other useful professional develop items). - Nikki

While teaching at a daycare in a 2 and 3 year old classroom it was sometimes hard to give parents a review of their child's day because lead teachers would often leave for the day before parents would come to pick up their child. So a method that I used was "daily news" I created a half sheet of paper on a Word document with a blank space for the child's name, and the names of the different centers and activities we had available to play with. Also at that age a big goal was potty training and they also took naps. So I included all the information on the sheet and made copies so at nap time all I had to do was circle what the child did so it wouldn't take an hour to review every child in the room. I would often write brief notes at the bottom about the child's overall mood or if there was concerns or about something silly or amazing the child did that day. Parents really loved to be able to get this kind of communication from me. Another method I used was writing achievements on a whiteboard and hanging it in the hallway. At this age, everything was always a big deal for the child and the parent. For example, one boy was behind on some of his large motor movements. So on the day that he started pedaling on the tricycle outside...it was a BIG deal. Parents really enjoyed reading the white board not only about what their child did, but about what others did as well. Also, at the beginning of a unit, I'd send home a letter about what we will be talking about, some activities we will be doing, and things they can do at home with their child related to our theme. Some things my daughter does at her preschool is every Thursday is folder day. The teachers send home a folder with the inside pockets labeled, RETURN TO SCHOOL and KEEP AT HOME. This is how I get their monthly newsletters and any other important information. It's also really helpful to know which papers need to be returned to school such as permission slips and book orders. At the beginning of the school year, her teacher also did a home visit, which I absolutely loved. I think home visits are extremely important and I wish more schools would do this. Also the teachers in her classroom are always so welcoming and encourage parents to "come on in!" They also have a bulletin board hanging next to the door about the week's lesson plan and other important dates. Weekly planners are also another good way for communication all the way up to high school even. I remember having a planner in highschool that I was completely dependent on. In elementary the teacher would write our homework on the board, and every Friday we had to have a parent's signature. If the whole class had their planner signed, we got a popcorn party...which rarely happened because there was always just "that one kid". [] This website is about partnering with parents for a successful school year. It has tips about keeping the communication open with parents, how to maintain a connection with the parents at home and also how to tackle problems. It also has related links and articles about other things related to teachers, parents, and students. -Melissa C.

[] This website was developed as a resource for new teachers. It gives good ideas and examples on how to get the parents involved in their child(ren)'s education and how to keep them informed on what is going on in your classroom. It provides good tips about how to effectively make a phone call home, write a personal note, create a class newsletter and what types of information to include, or create a generic letter to all parents (for those who don't have class newsletters). *TRICIA*

Tricia- I really like that this website was a resource developed for ‘//new teachers//’! Very helpful!- Nikki

The sources of information that work the best in my experience as a parent are the daily or weekly updates that are sent home. It is difficult to rely on the child to keep the parents informed about their educational experience. Another aspect that I enjoy is web access to stay in-tune to the progress of the student. I like being able to see the grades my child gets and the assignments that are due. This helps prevent late work as well as improve student responsibility. I think with the social media craze that is upon us, facebook can play a part in the student’s education. One website I found is [|http://www.lessonplanet.com] this site offers a vast amount of information and teaching tools. It also provides access to lesson plans for parents to use to interact with their child while helping them with their education.- Mike

At the school where my kids attend they have an open house a couple of days before school starts. This is when the students bring in their school supplies, meet their teacher, and meet the other kids in their class. This also gives the parents a chance to meet the teacher and find out what their child will be doing during that school year. In the past, some of the teachers have had the students fill out a sheet explaining their interests and other things about them. This allows the teacher to get to know the students. Every Friday my kids bring home their "Friday Folders". This includes all the work that they did during that week and a newsletter explaining what they will be doing the next week. For my kindergartner, this newsletter includes the leaders that they will have and the snack people for the week. It also gives bullet points of the topics they will be talking about the following week, and any other important information. The parents are to sign the Friday folders and send them back to school with their child(ren) every Monday. Currently, I am not teaching, but here are some ideas that I would like to implement when I do have a classroom of my own: A week or two before school starts I would write a letter to all of my students introducing myself and telling them I am excited to start school. I would ask them how their summer was and maybe give them a couple highlights of my summer. I would end by telling them I am looking forward to an exciting year of (instert grade here)! Since most kids love getting mail, I think this will get them excited for the school year, especially when it's a letter from their teacher! I also like the idea of having a class newsletter that is sent home monthly. I think it would be fun to have the students be in charge of this newsletter by assigning them in groups and have each group be responsible for a month. I would help give them topic ideas and help with the formatting. I would then send home weekly letters giving a summary of what the class will be doing the folllowing week. I also think it is important to have a teacher website with information on it so that the parents can access information at any time. Giving parents numerous resources for them to get involved and stay informed about their child(ren)'s education is key to having a good relationship with both the parents and students. *TRICIA*

Tricia- letting the students be in charge of the newsletter would be really fun! It kind of prepares them for highschool or a future career if they want to pursue journalism or any creative writing classes. How fun! -Melissa C.

Tricia- I love the Friday folder for smaller kids I think it would keeps parents informed. I like the advantage of knowing every week that there will be something coming home. My stepson was never very good at bringing home his school papers and I wouldn’t know to ask since the teacher would send them home periodically. I also think the letter would give you a connection with the student before class even started.-Chris

Tricia- One on my sons teachers sent out a letter right before school started, he loved it. Kids do enjoy getting mail and that also triggers their imagination for the coming school year. I would like to see more teachers use email to communicate with parents or texting for things that will work in that format. I run the park and rec activities in my town and organize, update all parents through email. those that don't have email I text or send letters out. This makes me very easily accessable to parents. The newsletter to be sent out on friday for the up coming week is fantastic, I wish my childrens teachers would do the same. - Mike

__Tricia-__ Love love love the idea of having the kids be in charge of the newsletter. Would teach such gresat skills and they would be so proud of it. I know if I had to make something that all my friends paretns would see I would work really hard on it. ***Amanda M.*** My Preschooler's teacher sends home a guide to the week's activities planned, as well as packets at the beginning of each month stating important dates and updates on the animals at the school. I find this to be an effective form of communication because I always know what's going on well in advance so I can plan accordingly. In my future classroom, I plan on having a similar handout. I would like to do monthly calendar happenings that I would either email or send home in the child's backpack that would show important events of the month. Along with this one page document I would add on there anything of importance to remember, major classroom assignments, field trips, birthdays, etc. that would run along the calendar to further inform the parents. I feel that calling parents at the beginning of the year is beneficial for all involved. This shows your dedication to their child's success as well as your dedication to building a relationship with parents. I would probably do this quarterly unless their was a need to do more for select students with special needs or circumstances. Although I appreciate the handouts from my child's preschool, I don't feel that they take the extra step that is needed to create a relationship with parents. It is probably this way because it is preschool and they are just starting out in their education, not a lot of higher level thinking yet! :) I hope that my children's future teachers, myself included, will take the extra step to promote success. I also like the idea of having a planner for older children to keep track of their assignments. I wish this was encouraged when I was going to elementary school so that I would be more accustomed to using them now! :)

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This website shows different ways to keep in touch with parents, as well as things to include and how to make it more user friendly. It also tells different methods to get parents involved within the classroom, and to involve them as being a guest speaker to the students (LOVE this idea). It also has many resources to utilize on the left side for all levels in education; new teachers, veteran teachers, mentors, continuing education, etc. There is also a link to a website called //Classbuilders// which could serve as your informer/newsletter to parents as well. This website is an excellent resource for teachers at all levels. - Stephanie

__Stephanie-__ I like the idea of having a weekly handout and a more comprehensive monthly one. It's always nice to have a quick overview and then a more indepth one when the time gets closer. That way parents get that reminder they need so important things don't get forgotten (i.e. feild trips, book fairs, etc.) ***Amanda M.***

I have seen many ways to get parents involved. In our school, in grades prek, kindergarten and first grade, the teachers make home visits before school starts. This is a great way to make a connection with the family and tell them about what will be happening in their child's classroom. Also in these younger grades newsletters are sent home regularly to inform parents of when and what their students will be studying. In 3rd grade and older, each of the students has a planner to write information and assignments into. In 3rd and 4th grade the planner comes home each night and has to be signed that a parent has looked at the planner. It is also used as a place to write notes to the teacher as necessary. My 4th grade son also has a folder that comes home each Thursday and has work from the last week in it. Also all tests that are taken have to be signed and returned after the parents see them. This way the teacher knows that the parents have seen the tests.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/parent_involvement.shtml--This sight gave different ways/activities to have that gets parents involved. One of the neatest things I have seen done at our school is in first grade twice a year they have a Dad's and Doughnuts and Mom's and Muffins, and the students invite their parent/guardian to join them for a half an hour and read together and enjoy doughnuts or muffins. Almost always there is 100% participation. Jill

Chris--We had the same problem with our son turning in homework that he said was done, and it wasn't done well. We just told the teacher that he wouldn't be turning any homework in until we had brought it home for us to look at. It didn't make my son very happy, but the teacher was happy that we wanted to see things. Jill

Stephanie--I think making contact with the parents is also very important. I know it eased my mind after meeting with the teacher. It was also a big anxiety relief to my children after they had met their teachers in the early grades at the home visit. The home visit also allowed the teacher to make connections with other family members. It just provides so much background information to the student. Jill

When used properly, anything will work. That is why you have got to use the most convenient thing out there. Weekly planners are the best option for that reason. I know this as a student, not a teacher. The weekly planner keeps everyone on the same page: teacher, student, and parents. Something that Grundy Center schools are doing now is posting an online grade book. Both students and parents have a password to log on and see their grade - overall grade and assignment by assignment. I see this becoming a big thing and being very popular in the near future. -Sean [] This website has some ideas mostly for parents as to how to positively influence their child’s education. The key thing on this page is communication with the teacher. It shows more ways to be involved than specific methods of communication. I think these are all good ideas to share with parents. - Sean

I think that a great way to keep parents involved in what their children are doing in school would be a weekly nwsletter and having a sort of daily communication log. In the early elementary years where I see myslef teaching I think that a very open flow of communiation between parents and teachers is importnat to stay on top of any problems that might arise during the year. In a classroom I was involved in the kids had a folder with pre-made pages that had a spot for notes from the parents and a place where they would write any homework in. It was a simle folder but effective. Everyday they came in and did thei bell work and had the teacher come around and look at the page for the day. That way at the start of every day the teacher knew what was going on with each student and at the end of every da the parents had one place where they could look and see homework and any notes from the teacher. This teacher also had a website that had all the lessons posted on and a weekly announcments and utilized email with all his parents. (of course this would only work if all parents were able to get online) But a paper copy of the newsletter would need to be used for those who didn't have acces to the internet. [] What teacher doesn't love a good printable, I ask you? This website has loads for printables for getting your parents involved and keeping that flow of communication open as well as some great ideas for parents-teacher confrences. Really gives you some ideas of how to do things to get the most out of them. ***Amanda M.** *

As a coach I have always used and introductory letter to give to our parents. The letter outlines the coaching philosophy, goals, attendance policy, and disciplinary actions for the season. The letter would be given the parents at our initial meeting before the season starts, where the coaching staff would explain the letter into more detail and often answer many questions pertaining to the letter. I would use both of these in my teaching career, it would be a chance to interact with the parents and let them have a better understanding of who I am and the way I teach. I would also say the weekly planners would be used, both in print and online. That way if the student forgets their planner at school, the parent and the student have an alternative to see what is due or what is coming in the next week. I would create my own website for the weekly planners. The website would give information for all of my classes and also a virtual tour of my classroom. There would be sections for current events, past events (such as fieldtrips), and pictures of the students in the classes. Adam

Much like Tricia, the school that my children go to did an open house 2 days before school started so we could drop off supplies and meet the teacher. At this time, we also gave our phone numbers and email addresses to them so they could contact us if anything should arise, whether it behavior, accident, etc...  They also have their handouts given to them detailing the week, lunch, helpers, etc...   For the website, I found the following website. It's basically a list of hints and tips for communicating with family. It had ideas such as a spreadsheet for you to detail attempts to contact parents and why, giving class expectations, and reasons why you are taking info. I will definitely try to incorporate some of these ideas in my room because a child with an involved parent is more likely to succeed. - Mitch []