Keeping parents in the loop
The artifact.
I wrote my first letter to parents last week. To gear up for the final week of the quarter, I notified parents of what we had been working on as a class and let them know what their child will be working on as they complete the course. Karen and I came up with a draft in a Google Document, revised it for clarity, and then sent it out to parents via CheckMyProgress.
Another artifact that is relevant to this learning comes from the English 9 parent-teacher interviews that were held a few weeks ago (Oct 22). Although I was not personally involved in the interviews, Karen mentioned my name to the parents and asked for my input during specific stages of the meeting. I wrote down key phrases and sentences that stood out to me from Karen’s conversations with the parents:
The phrases I liked were:
- “Does that sound consistent with what you know of [them]?”
- “Is there anything you’d like me to know? Ways I can support [them]?”
- “I am looking through the assignments and taking a snapshot of skills, versus penalizing what is incomplete.”
What stood out to me during these interviews was the friendly way in which Karen communicated with parents, and all the discussion points were formulated so that they could reach an understanding of how the student was really doing, both in school and at home. Karen asked for guardians’ input about why students may be struggling and how they can be best supported in the classroom. The conversation very much revolved around a partnership in supporting the student and focusing on their learning and well-being over grades, incomplete work, and other such judgments.
Why it matters.
Regular communication with parents is vitally important.
My SAs are in regular contact with parents and guardians regarding the progress of the students. During blended learning with the English 9 class, Karen continuously emailed home regarding repeated absences and late work. She did this to keep a sense of accountability for students and guardians regarding the blended learning space — just because it was at-home learning, the students were still held accountable to show up to class on Google Meet and complete assignments. For several students, they needed their parents to be a part of facilitating good learning habits at home.
In the Anatomy & Physiology 12 class, Nathan communicated less with guardians. He held on to the philosophy that these are almost-adult-aged students, and should therefore learn to self-regulate and foster habits that adults would be expected to have as well. Nathan messaged home a few times, first to introduce himself, then to send an update of marks to guardians, and finally to remind them of how the format would change when the cohort switched to the blended learning space. There were one or two students that Nathan did need to correspond with their parents about (about missing work or questions regarding grades).
Especially during this global pandemic, the involvement of parents and guardians in schools is of vital importance. The blended space is challenging for teachers and students alike, so the support of parents to hold their children accountable and stay “in the loop” about their progress is crucial. Regular communication between the teacher, student, and home means that the student is regularly supported, held accountable, and also reminded of how they can improve if they are struggling.
For myself, communicating with parents makes me feel less isolated as an educator. Knowing that the students’ learning is not entirely on my hands alone is a comforting reality – it helps to know that guardians are on my side too, especially when I need to have challenging conversations with students.
Professional standard 4 describes that “educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families, and communities in schools.” Schools are a central tenet to communities and a foundational part of every individual’s upbringing. For that reason, the people involved in raising each student should be aware of how their ward is doing in school. Students still require support from trusted adults until they can learn proper work and self-regulation habits on their own.
Next steps.
Thinking forward to my certifying practicum in the spring, I am considering how to best stay in communication with parents. Like Karen and Nathan do now, I plan to write an email to parents at least 3 times during the quarter to notify them of their child’s progress in the class: first, to introduce myself, then to share a mid-quarter update, and thirdly to prepare guardians about how students will complete their course.
In English 9, I will communicate with parents about absences and late work if it is a continuing issue. For Anatomy & Physiology 12, I agree with the idea that students should be treated like mini-adults by being contacted by myself directly, first: parents will only be notified if there is a repeated issue and/or the student is not replying to my efforts to communicate my concerns.
Over time, I think it will be helpful for me to come up with a bank of email templates that may help me to communicate with parents in an efficient way that communicates ideas clearly but also saves me some time. I recognize that corresponding with guardians can become time-consuming (especially if I’m trying to make a good impression as an English teacher!).
A goal I would like to set for myself is to communicate with guardians regularly about the positives of what students are accomplishing. When students excel in a skill or show extra effort or initiative, or contribute positively to classroom culture, I would love to tell parents about that. The positives are equally, if not more, important than the challenges. I’d like parents to also be a source of encouragement for students, and for my communication with guardians to also be one that establishes positive behaviors and celebrates students’ victories. The goal is to email the guardians of each student in my class at least once over the course of my certifying practicum.
Professional Standard 1: Educators value the success of all students. Educators care for students and act in their best interests.
Professional Standard 4: Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.