I think that a good way to keep the parents "in the loop" is to send home a weekly news letter. At the beginning of each week, the teacher can send each student home with a news letter summarizing what was learned during the previous week, and break down what will be learned each day during the current week. They could list the in-class assignments, homework, and maybe some extra activities that the parents can work on with the students if the student is still struggling or wants a little bit of extra practice.
As a teacher, another way to keep the parents of your students satisfied is to provide them with your email. By doing this, the parents can contact the teacher whenever they need to with questions about the class, their child's grade(s), and any other questions or concerns that they may have. The teacher should always be available to not only the students, but also the parents of the students. If a parent wants to meet with a teacher after school, then the teacher should make herself available to meet with this parent and address the issue(s).
I remember when I was in elementary school, that we had open houses once each term. During the open house, my parents were able to come to my classroom and see what I had been working on throughout the term. After they viewed my portfolio and all of my work, they were able to have an individual meeting with my teacher discussing my progress and any concerns that either my teacher or my parents had for me. I think that this was helpful for my parents because by the time I got home from school everyday, the last thing that I wanted to talk about was what I did in school that day. At that point, I was ready to kick my shoes off and relax!
I love the idea of sending home a weekly newsletter! I remember getting newsletters to bring home with me when I was in school, I just can't remember if they were weekly or bi-weekly. I also think providing your email for the parents is a great thing to do. The teacher I'm observing for 270 does email parents back and fourth. I think it's a great way for the parents and the teacher to talk about concerns or accomplishments of a student. Parents need to be in the loop, they need to know that their child is learning and safe when they aren't around.
ReplyDeleteI think that sending home a weekly newsletter is an awesome idea! Keeping parents involved with what is being taught in class is extremely important. Students are only in class during the day time, but when it comes to homework the students are most likely on their own. Yes, parents should be able to help their children with their homework but sometimes parents have trouble helping students because they do not understand it themselves. This newsletter could be a great way to give parents a brief explanation as to what is being taught in class. I remember being in middle school and not understanding my homework. When I tried to ask my mom or dad they were not familiar with the material either. I believe that this newsletter would be a great start to fixing this problem! Awesome idea!:)
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of sending home a weekly newsletter. I think this would really help parents stay involved with their child and what they're learning in the classroom. I remember bringing home a weekly newsletter in elementary school and it was extremely helpful. It let my parents know what I was learning in class, what projects we were working on, any field trips that were coming up, etc. It's a great way to let parents know about any concerns in the classroom as well. It's an overall great idea!
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