Parent Communication

March is here and everyone knows what that means-report cards and parent conferences. The last few weeks have been busy. We have been working on grading assessments, collecting data, and scoring our students for the report card. We are gathering information on behavior and academics to share with our parents. However, parent conferences and the report cards shouldn't be the only time we communicate with our parents about our students' progress. Communication should be ongoing and parents shouldn't be caught off guard about their child's progress. Teachers and parents must communicate and work together throughout the school year.

Why is communication so important? I have discovered that if I am constantly communicating with parents about their child's academics and behaviors, progress can be made. They will work with their child more, talk to their child, and ask for support in areas in which their child is struggling. When it comes time for conferences and report cards, my parents have some idea of where their child is and usually are not surprised by the results. Granted, there are those parents that you make sure to let them know what is going on with their child and no progress gets made. You are constantly reminding them of behavior concerns and areas to work on. I have learned to accept that there are some parents that do not hear me and make assumptions or accusations of why their child is not making any growth. I have learned that this does occur, but I know in my heart that I did my best and was clear in communicating what is going on. In order to communicate well with parents, I use multiple forms of communication.

First, I make sure that parents always have a way to communicate with me. I always provide my work phone number, work email, and let them know I can meet before or after class. Being available to talk with parents is huge. It helps parents to trust you with their children and to know what is going on with them in school. I speak a decent amount of Spanish. I am in no way fluent, but I can get by with most of my parents. This helps make parents more comfortable with me. However, when it comes to explaining academic terms, I struggle. If I need support with my Spanish, I always make sure that I get a translator to ensure what I am saying is clear and correct. I understand that there are many teachers in our district that do not speak a second language and need help with communicating with parents.

I use two resources with my parents: ClassDojo and the Remind App. Both resources are great ways to communicate and they translate messages in multiple languages for parents. I love ClassDojo because it translates messages, it monitors student behaviors, and I can post pictures of students throughout the day. My favorite part is that it has an events tab that allows me to set up reminders of upcoming events. I also love that I can post videos of activities we are doing in class and it allows parents to see what their child should be doing in class. I have had parents watch videos and let me know that they see what their child is doing in comparison to what is expected. These short videos give parents a glimpse of what academics we are learning and how to use it at home. The Remind App is also great for parents that do not have a smartphone with apps. The Remind App is  text messaging without using your personal phone number. It also translates multiple languages and you can share pictures and videos. I have found that these multiple ways of communication has helped me to build a strong relationship and trust with parents. We are a team in helping their child to be successful. It has made a difference in my classroom.

Grateful,
Maricella Mesa