How often should teachers contact parents?
Today was a busy day with discipline…you had a kid put gum in Sally’s hair, another student was continually talking out of turn, and two boys were roughhousing out at recess. You have addressed all of these situations with each individual student, and everyone is able to move forward with their day. But now you wonder… “Should I contact each of their parents as well?” It’s a question so many teachers ask and leads to the questions of…when and how often should teachers communicate with parents? Although contacting parents when problems arise is a necessary part of the job, there are many other times that we as teachers should initiate parent communication to not only inform parents but also to build stronger relationships and as a result help you manage the classroom more efficiently. So, let’s take at when teacher parent communication should happen and how often! Are you ready? Let’s go!
Weekly Contact with ALL Parents
Before we get into specifics of individual parent contact, let’s chat about whole class parent communication. Letting parents know what students are learning and what is happening in your classroom on a regular basis is so important and one of the first steps to parent communication for teachers. As the subheading suggests, I find that WEEKLY contact with ALL parents is crucial!
Weekly Newsletters
One of the best ways I find to communicate with all of my parents is by classroom newsletters. Some teachers do monthly newsletters to inform families of upcoming dates, activities, etc. However, I feel that a lot of things can change in a month and it’s hard to really get specific on a monthly basis. So, I feel weekly it truly the best path the take. Weekly newsletters really help parents know what their child is working on any given week and as a result, they can better support their children at home. I always send my newsletters home on a Monday along with their weekly folder. Read about that next!
Are you looking for parent newsletter template? Here’s one that also includes a weekly homework section.
Weekly Folder & Grade Checks
In addition to newsletters, finding a way to regularly keep parents posted on student work and grades will help with future conversations regarding academic progress and even behavioral concerns. In my classroom, all of my graded work goes home on Mondays inside of their weekly folder. For older students a weekly grade check can also be added as well as mid-quarter progress reports throughout the year. You can also easily add a parent sign-off sheet for accountability purposes and ensure that class work is actually making it home!
As Needed Contact with Individual Parents
Now let’s chat about the nitty gritty of individual parent contact. Unless you have behavior plan in place that requires daily/weekly communication, this is completely on an as needed basis. Sorry, there’s no magical formula to follow on this one! However, I have some tips to help you navigate WHEN the best time is to contact parents due to behavioral or academic concerns. However, before we dive in, I must preface with ensuring that FIRST and foremost you are following whatever communication requirement is set forth by your district and/or school administrator. Your administrator is the one that has your back (or at least they should)! If they have a system in place for parent communication, please follow it as they can more easily support you if anything ever lands on their desk in regard to a parent concern.
Behavioral Concerns
The times to contact parents due to a behavioral concern…here’s the rules I generally go by:
-Did the student see the principal? Hopefully, your administration is also making contact for students seen in the office. But there’s nothing worse than getting that contact from a parent whose child went to the office and no one from the school let them know. Check with your admin on what they would prefer for parent contact. I suggest that contact happens BEFORE they go home if possible.
-The student’s behavior resulted in an actual consequence (loss of recess, etc.).
-Behavior that caused harm to others. In this case BOTH parents of the students involved should be contacted and depending on the severity, have seen administration.
-Behavior that is out of the ordinary, recurring, or escalating.
-Ask yourself, as a parent, would I want to know…?
-Although we don’t need to contact parents for every little thing their child does, when in doubt, make the call!
When a teacher should contact parents due to a behavioral concern
Academic Concerns
Parents should be contacted whenever you have concerns for their academic progress. Don’t let report cards or parent teacher conferences be a surprise to parents! If you have a way for parents to stay updated regularly with their progress as mentioned earlier, then you are part way there! Once conversations have begun with academic concerns, it’s always a good idea to also have a timeframe prepared for when you will revisit the conversation in regard to their child’s progress. Will you get in touch after the next round of benchmark testing, after 6 weeks of interventions, report cards? Whatever it is, make a plan and be sure to follow through!
Positive Contact
You hear it often…you need to let families know about the positive things their child does, not just the negative! Well, I’m going to say it too! Parents love to hear when their child has made growth, showed an act of kindness, made a good choice, etc. I know, we’re so busy as teachers that this one is often placed on the backburner and often times forgotten. So, I suggest setting aside five minutes during your prep a couple of days week to write a positive note to a different parent. This way you have it scheduled, and you don’t forget! Be sure to get all of your students on your rotation to let parents know when their kiddos shine!
Are you looking for some resources to help you out with your parent communication?
