There's a few words to answer this question. Good. Really good. Awesome. The list could go on forever, but communicating with parents is an absolute must in this day & age.
I liken it to building a sports team, you can't win with only a few spots in the line up filled, you need to cover all the bases & get everyone on side from the get go.
So what's the secret?
Let's start with a little story. From this evening. It was parent teacher night & I said to a colleague before we started, "I'm calling it now, I'm going to know at least 90% of these families." Sure enough, I was on the money. There were only two families of the 40+ interviews that I hadn't met or communcated with before. And this was great! Having already established positive, open & honest communication with parents from the time they enter our gates as wide eyed 12ish yr olds, as the years progress you get to know more and more about each family (& student), their lives,their likes, their needs... & it paves the pathway for success.
So how & why does this all work?
In a school of 500+ students, how, how, how do you get to know all these kids and families? Well here's a few simple ideas, guidelines or whatever you may want to call them.
#1 - 3PCD (3 positive calls daily)
Now this may take 10 minutes of your time, but if you can lock in time each day to make 3 positive phone calls, you quickly get to know your kids & fams. Hell, if 3 is too much, start with 1 & that's 200ish positive calls a year!
I love nothing more than when parents first walk in for an interview than to see their smiling faces & open up the conversation with something along the lines of, "Hi, <insert family name here> family, it feels like 2 weeks since we last spoke!" & further easing the conversation with some positve reference to a recent school or community event of activity their child has been engaged in & leaving the initial greeting open with a rhetorical Q to get the ball rolling. So thats number 1.
#2 - Stalk the front office
Any time you are around the front office, front gates, or out and about in the community, approach parents, introduce yourself & simply say, "Hi." You'd be surprised how much positive return you get from these mini meetigs.... And secretly, the kids love that you're taking the time to communicate with their family & showing that you care about not just results, but their lives in general.
#3 Talk to kids about their fam
If there parent loves footy, talk footy, works at a local shop, talk shop, is interested in art, talk art to to kids. Quite simply, letting students know you know them buys you respect and credibility from all parties. & kids react (positively) to the teachers that give them respect. Respect comes in many forms, but I'd like to think that the biggest mark of respect I pay my students is getting to know them, their parents, their cultures, their interests, & really providing a personalised learning experienced based on conversations. Conversations relating student interests and family cultures to the curriculum all working in an intertwined web to ensure their child achieves their personal best.
So how was Parent Teacher Night?
Awesome!
Excellent feedback, no real new information regarding students had to be discussed (as its already happened) & the time spent is devoted to further positive communications reinforcing the awesome things their students do, the top notch curriculum and opportunities afforded to them & refining existing (or sometimes new) strategies for success.
And what was the most common comment tonight?
There were a few....
* This is 'Johnny's' favourite subject.
* You're 'Johnny's best teacher.
* Thank you.
And most rewardingly, me... leaving the night knowing that I always 'teach & make a difference.'
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