Hello Everyone,
Where did 2020 go? I can’t believe it’s already August. I can’t say I will be sad to see 2020 go but there are a few highlights from this year that make me hopeful. (Wedding in less than 4 months!) But do you know what August means? BACK TO SCHOOL.
Yes, this year is a little crazy already. Our school has already declared we will start out virtually. My favorite thing about back to school is getting to know my brand new students. I’m a teacher who is “all in” when it comes to student and parent relationships. This year with virtual or hybrid learning, it is even more important to establish relationships with your students and their parents. So, I have some ideas to help you create relationships with your students and parents that last longer than one school year!
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Include facts about yourself and your philosophy of teaching in your “Welcome Letter”
In some cases, the parents in your classroom may know you or your teaching style but the majority won’t. I always include a bio in my “Welcome Letter” to make the parents and students feel like they’ve met me already when maybe they haven’t. Some items I include are:
- my educational experience (how many years I’ve taught)
- my education (degrees)
- my philosophy of teaching (what I truly believe is most important)
- a few fun facts (family, pets, favorite things, etc.)
This helps the parents feel a sense of welcoming even before the school year starts. This is a big deal for most parents because they are trusting you with their child all day. It creates a relationship before you meet them in person.
2. Start communicating from the beginning
At the beginning of the school year (and continued throughout the school year), I write down each student’s name on a list. Each week, I choose 5 students to write positive emails to their parents telling them something I noticed about their students throughout the week. This is in addition to all the positive emails I send out anyways. When I’ve emailed all the parents, I start over! When you establish a positive relationship upfront and you show how much you care about their student and if you ever have unpleasant news, they will know its because you are coming from a good place because you truly care about their student.
*I would always call parents to give them positive news to make it more personable but most parents are fine with an email.*
3. Make Every Moment Count
In my classroom, students can earn rewards. The usual ones: prizes, candy, extra time on technology, pick a center first, etc. One of my rewards that students can choose to eat lunch with me! You would be surprised at how many students choose this. Although we are starting out virtually this year, I will still have 30 minutes where we can Zoom and eat lunch together (If they so choose). This will also help build community because they will be eating with their classmates. In the morning, students arrive at 7:30 a.m. but the school day would not start until 8:00 a.m. During this time, the students would pick a free center where they could play with their friends. I would also set up a center that would meet with me where we would play games, review work, or just talk. The students really enjoyed having some special time with just me to tell me stories or just to play a game. I plan on still implementing this virtually once a week with a sign-up. Although those little moments may not seem like much to you, they mean to world to your students and their families!
4. Although It May Be Hard, Keep Those Relationships “Professional” Over “Personal”
With social media, it is hard to find that line between “professional” and “personal” when it comes to relationships with parents. My number one rule is: I don’t add on any parents on social media accounts until I know their student is out of my class. (Except one parent & its because they are pretty much family) This is not because I don’t love the parents in my classroom, but because of its actually a rule at my school! I share so much via ClassTag, our Happy Camper Campground, and a variety of other online platforms I have, my personal Facebook is where I get stingy. And do be honest, I don’t post interesting things on Facebook. If you are a teacher that adds all your parents, go to you. No teacher shaming here. Just make sure you keep that “professional” relationship as well.
Tips:
- Remember your student’s name or something small about them. This will make them feel special. Such as remembering their sibling, something they like or something they’ve shared. This will make a bigger impact than you think.
- Respond to parent emails when you can. During the school day, I lose my phone 100+ times a day. But when I can find it, I respond back to parent emails when I receive them. I do this because 1. It will get lost in my inbox and 2. I will forget to reply. My parents know that there is a 24 hour grace period (48 hours on the weekend) before I can respond. If I can’t answer the question at the moment, I still reply to let the parents know that I read their message but I will respond later (via email or phone call) This makes the parents feel heard.
- Continue to build those relationships even past the first week of school. I’ve created AMAZING relationships with families over the years, simply because I’ve kept the relationship going past the school year. My students and families know they are ALWAYS welcomed back into my classroom.
- Give your classroom a name. My classroom is called “The Happy Campers”. It makes the students feel like they are a part of something. They love telling their friends that they are also in the camping room. (or bunny room because of our class pet, Graham!)
- Share, share share! I weekly post pictures of the students learning in the classroom to our ClassTag page. The parents LOVE seeing their student learning and it creates a classroom community. (Stay away from classroom Facebook pages or other social media unless given permission from school officials.)
ClassTag is what I use for central communication for my classroom. Sign up here!
https://classtag.com/l/7i038m7d
No matter what, relationships with your students and parents will make the biggest impact on their education. Teachers make a huge difference in student’s lives every day when they build these crucial relationships. Although this school year might bring its challenges, you must think creatively to reach those students and families.
However you are starting out this year, GOOD LUCK! You got this.
-Ms. Hilburn
mshilburn 