Communication
Communication can take many forms and is key in any relationship. The parents and the teacher are the student's education team and clear and timely communication is a major factor in helping to determine if a student is successful. I feel it is of utmost importance to keep students, parents and administration current on what's happening in my classroom.
To accomplish the best flow of communication I plan to utilize a class website and an e-mail newsletter. A letter will go home at the start of the school with all my contact information as well as outlining the information available on the class website. The class website will be one central place where assignments are posted so that both students and parents know what is due and what is currently taking place in the classroom as well as upcoming events. I will be available by e-mail and text message as well as by more traditional means. When a student is struggling the communication with both the parents and the student can help address the situation before it becomes critical.
By building relationships at the start and maintaining those relationships as the school year progresses, we provide the best teamwork to support the students' educational process.
This is one example of ongoing parent communication that occurred while I was student teaching:
Background:
In second period 8th grade Pre-AP Science, student J.S. started the year with grades that averaged in the low 80s percentile. Over the first six weeks of this school year his grades have been steadily declining. He is not on the list of students who need accommodations and English is his first language. He is technology proficient and uses a tablet as well as a smart phone. J’s parents have online access to his grades which are usually posted the same day that each quiz, test or assignment is turned in. After the last district test Mrs. S. made an appointment to come to talk to myself and the mentor teacher. His mother had attended the meet-the-teacher night and introduced herself at that time, so she was familiar with the fact that this class has a student teacher. The appointment was made for prior to school.
Mrs. X. came and read off J’s grades to be sure she had accurate information. The mentor teacher verified that the information was correct. Mrs. X asked for our observations about how he behaved in class. I brought up that fact that two days prior he had fallen asleep in class and on several occasions has to be woken or reminded to complete in-class work. He often seems very sleepy and he often lays his head down on his books. In the first weeks of school he had not exhibited this behavior and this pattern corresponded with the drop in his grades.
At this time Mrs. X stated that her son had told her that he didn’t have any homework and he was keeping up in class. I showed her his science journal and explained what we had been working on and that there is a clear expectation that work that is not completed in class should be taken home to complete. We looked through several pages where he had started but not completed the assigned work. The Power Point agenda and showed Mrs. X how each day’s activities are listed on the smart-board along with instructions including the assignment of homework.
Mrs. X asked about our use of technology in the classroom and after some discussion she mentioned she had caught her son had been staying up late using his tablet for playing video games. He had claimed that the tablet was needed for homework. The mentor teacher and I explained that we have both Chromebooks and laptops available in the classroom but most assignments can be completed in class and that the majority of his homework would be on paper and/or in his science journal.
Mrs. X agreed that past 9 at night the tablet would be taken away from her son and she would continue to monitor his progress on line and keep in touch via e-mail.
About two weeks after the parent conference he seemed more awake in class but his grades showed only a small improvement. Mrs. X has been in touch via e-mail and J has come in twice for tutorials in the morning since then. According to Mrs. X he said he had been in every day in the morning, so we scanned in the sign-in sheet for tutorials and sent her a copy. J is struggling in some of this other classes as well so an appointment has been set for a parent-teacher conference.
| contactlog.jpg |
