Organize This! Parent Contact Edition

"You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time." - Scott Peck

One of the things that I dislike most about being a teacher is communicating with parents. Most of it seems to be done on the phone, and I am just uncomfortable talking on the phone. I hate making phone calls. I don't like to call to order pizza, set up utilities, or make appointments...and I am not worried about angry people on the other end of the line for those calls.

I have accepted that parent communication needs to happen, so I try to use e-mail as often as I can. There are a couple of reasons (beyond the fact that I hate making phone calls). First, I always prefer to have a written record of communication so there is no doubt as to what I said. This doesn't mean that misunderstandings don't occur, but it does mean that I can usually figure out what caused the misunderstanding. Second, communicating through e-mail means that I don't have to play phone tag. I don't need to leave messages or wait for a call back. Parents read it and respond (or not) when it is convenient for them. Also, having a written record means that I don't have to record the communication in my log immediately if I don't have time. If I don't record what happens right after a phone call, it is unlikely that it will be recorded at all.

I like creating e-mail groups for each of my classes and sending out weekly or bi-weekly class updates. I just give parents an idea of what we've been doing in class, the type of homework the kids have received, and the percentage of kids who have been doing and turning in the homework on time. The feedback that I have received from parents when I do this is great. They love the quick updates, and it gives them the opportunity to respond to me with any questions or concerns. When I send out my syllabus at the beginning of the year, I send home a form asking parents, among other things, if they want to receive these regular e-mails. It ensures that I get current e-mail addresses, plus it allows parents who would be irritated by them to opt out.

To keep track of these e-mails, I created a group e-mail communication log. It lets me record who is in each group, when I send out the e-mails, and a brief summary of what was in the e-mail. This will give me a quick reference in case I need to find one of the group e-mails I sent out.

I also created a new communication record sheet that allows for recording multiple contacts about one student on the same page. I've always just had a list where I record parent contact chronologically, but I really like the idea of keeping track by student rather than by date. I added a box that lets me check whether the contact was initiated by the parents. I want to be sure that if a parent seems to be contacting me frequently, I can stay ahead of the game.

I made some copies and put them in my work-in-progress teacher binder for next year. My goal is to contact each parent at least once a month. We'll see how that goes.