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Rationale - The way the classroom is arranged is so important. I love the idea of tables for my students to sit at, this helps when students are working in groups which happens so often in 5th grade. Collaboration is important to build relationships and teach students how to work together. The tables and chairs would be somewhat angled so that none of the students backs are facing the board and it allows for more space in between the tables/chairs. If and when the students are required to work independently, I will provide them dividers that separates them, even though they are at tables. I love the idea of having a smart board and projector screen at the front of the room, because this is something that will be used daily. I think both techniques are equally important and can help in different ways. The smart board helps with technology being shown to show the class and a projector can help by allowing myself to show information to the class from the projector which would be placed on my desk. I placed my small group, U-shaped table so that it was at the back of the room so that when the rest of the class is working in other groups, away from the teacher's table, they wouldn't be as distracted and I will be able to see the entire class from the back of the room. I placed 5 chairs at my small group table because I think any more than 5 students in a group would be too much and not beneficial. I also would like to have 2 storage bins/shelves near my U-table to stay organized and keep materials. I placed two shelves under the windows against the walls so that it takes up room and allows for organization but away from the rest of the room. I also made sure to include a relaxing reading area with a rug, couch, two bean bag chairs, two bookshelves, and a lamp for the students so they can comfortably read. Providing students with a fun, cozy, and inviting reading area, encourages them to read more which is important at this age. I would love to have a sink in my room because children can be very messy and there are always accidental spills in the classroom and it is important to maintain a clean environment. I am unsure of whether there will be a bathroom in my future classroom or not, but if there is one, I would hope that it would be in the back left corner, near the sink. I also made sure to include my teacher's desk in the front corner of the room so that I can see all of the students faces and can make sure they're working when I am sitting there. The door behind my desk, is where my office would be so that is why I don't mind my desk being right there in front of it. I think having a few plants in my future classroom would be fun, as long as there are no allergies to them and students are not affected by the smell. I could assign 2 students weekly to keep up with watering the plants which would allow them to feel responsible. In the mornings, when the students are entering the classroom, I would like to play upbeat/instrumental music to set the tone for the day and start off on a positive note. When the students are reading or doing classwork, I would like to play soft/instrumental music to provide a calming learning environment. I am unsure of the "exact" theme I want to decorate my classroom in yet, but I do know that I want lots of bright and cheerful colors.

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This idea is fantastic! Classroom agreement instead of rules is important and effective. When students see an "agreement" instead of strict "rules" they seem to be at ease a little more and will respect the agreement. I like the idea of a sun with the students names being the rays. That is such a great strategy and allows the students to "sign" the agreement with their own signature and it's colorful to be hung in the classroom. I think this would be great to hang near my desk or near the door and I would also like to print enough copies for each student, so they can place them in their take-home folder/planner.

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Supplies! These items can cause such a distraction and pause in instructional time when the students do not have them. I think it would be so helpful to have a supply station that is at eye level with the student so they have access to them at any time. Not all students have the ability to have supplies and materials throughout the school year and often rely on the teacher/school to be supplied with these materials so it would be beneficial to keep these items out and accessible in the classroom. The supply station would be on the shelf in the back of the classroom in between the trashcan and my small group table, that way they will not have to walk in front of the rest of the class or board to grab materials.

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This might be one of my favorite parts of this classroom arrangement. "Things I Wish My Teacher Knew" This is a great strategy to include in my classroom and to place on my desk because students aren't always comfortable saying what they want to say and sometimes would rather write about it than say it in person. I feel this way myself because I am not a confrontational person so I think it would be so helpful to provide students with this opportunity. Students can write what they want to say, how they are feeling, what is bothering them, or what they need on a sticky note and then can drop it in the jar. I would place this on the corner of my desk and will also have this set up in google classroom too so that students can send me something electronically rather than writing it down if it is during instructional time. I plan to check this daily, like possibly during my planning time, so that I can address anything if it needs to be taken care of ASAP.

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In 5th grade, it is so important to include anchor charts for all content areas. They help students to visualize what is being taught during that time and to better explain what they need to know or remember. Colorful anchor charts throughout the classroom helps students to see important information. There is a lot of content and things to know in 5th grade so it is important that our students get lots of support and help during instructional time. These would be hung throughout the classroom and will be bright and colorful. Some of the anchor charts will be colored/decorated as a class and others, I will draw but we will fill out together.

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Fun reading centers are so inviting and engaging for our students. I love this area. I love that the teacher makes it feel like a real library by presenting books on the top of the shelves. These books can be the most popular books or follow along with whatever theme it is for the month. I also love the color. I love bright colors and plan to have lots of pop and color in my future classroom so I love that everything is color coated and pretty in this arrangement. I think it is a great idea that the teacher has anchor charts above the shelves in the reading center. You can see that one is labeled "theme" which can help students while they are reading to understand different elements of a story. For my reading center, I would like a couch/futon, along with 2 bean bag chairs and I placed a lamp to create a cozy area.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xrgwcGY8MfL9fmG5ai4ktKZhsw-ICNvpGVRAUHUWSG4/edit

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Chelsea LeMire - First Day Plans-Elementary

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For a fifth grade classroom, I would like to do a student-centered treatment agreement instead of a strict set of rules that the students are given, with no say. I feel like with fifth grade, they are at the top in the elementary school and should be provided a little more responsibility and ownership since they will be moving to the middle school the next year. Before we begin, I will make sure my class knows how important rules/procedures are for the classroom, our campus, and for life itself. We will have a short discussion about what rules mean and how I expect so much from them since they are in fifth grade now. For my treatment agreement, I would love to give every student two sticky notes and have them write one rule on each. I would make sure they know and understand that they are choosing the two most important rules they think we need to have in our classroom and on campus. Once all students have their rules written, I would say each one out loud and write it on the board for the whole class to hear. I would then make sure to keep all of the sticky notes on the board. Once all of the rules are written and said aloud, I would then have students choose their one favorite and they would write that on a sticky note and we would repeat the process. I would see if any of them are duplicated or see if some of them can be reworded that have the same meaning. I want to finish with 6 rules to post on our treatment agreement. After the previous step, I would then have students close their eyes and put their heads down and the students would vote their top favorite to get the 6 most liked rule. When we settle for the 6, I would give each student a small piece of paper, I would have them sign/write their name and then give them time to decorate it however they want so we can create a fun and colorful sun to hang in the front of our classroom. I would like to do this process over three days and have our agreement signed and hung up on the third day.

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When we are done making the agreement, I will emphasize and help the students to realize how important this is in our classroom. I will explain to the students that breaking a rule is a choice they make, not an accident. I will also explain that I realize they may break the rules from time to time, but I want to fix these problems so it doesn’t happen again. They will have a consequence if they break a rule. I found these consequences which I like, but I also want to make sure I am staying student focused and to do that I would show the students this consequence poster. If the whole class agrees on it and likes all of the consquences, we would post it and keep it in the classroom. If the whole class doesn' agree, we would talk about the consequences the students don't like and would change or modify those so that all students like and agree on them.

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I would keep a treasure box in my classroom that has candy and fidgets for random rewards, but I also want to include/incorporate a bigger reward for the whole class. I would do this once a month and every student that didn't break any of the rules or part of the agreement for the whole month, would get to participate. Whoever is able to participate, would anonymously vote on the reward they want.

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Chelsea LeMire - Classroom Procedure Template (1)

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Mrs. LeMire’s 5th Grade Class!
So glad you’re here!

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https://www.positiveaction.net/bullying-prevention-curriculum-programs

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Students want to learn and feel connected to school. Teachers need a partner that understands their needs. Parents are eager to support and participate. Administrators seek to create a safe and welcoming environment.
Nurture each role with Positive Action.

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Leading SEL Program for Pre K-12. Embeds academic content in lessons designed to develop an intrinsic interest in learning & promote pro-social behavior

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As a teacher, I need to focus on the individual student and the strong, one-to-one relationships that support my trauma-affected kids. Secondly, when I create these bonds, it requires a broader cultural adjustment and reprioritization, where the whole community works together to cultivate a space in which students, educators, and staff members thrive. I can support my students by providing them SEL (Social Emotional Learning) in my classroom. SEL practices boost academic success, decrease disruptive behavior, and reduce emotional distress in the long term. It is important that I know my students, that the whole school is on the same page with the same message, and to support myself as well. The book, Fostering Resilient Learners helps me, the teacher, to do several different things for my students and myself. I have included the website, for this book, as a resource to not only read the book, but to see the additional resources that are provided as well.
Some key points from this book are:

Build relationships.

Maintain consistency.

Encourage communication.

Establish trust.

Make sure we take care of ourselves.

Self-care increases positivity and an energy that is refueled to help students work through trauma.

“It’s OK, to not be OK” a key point that is important so that teachers and students know that we all go through bad things and trauma in life and you aren’t alone.

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"This is my new mission for schools. It's not that unreasonable or outside the realm of possibility, is it? As educators, we have an obligation to provide an opportunity for all students - each and every single one of them - to learn and grow and become the best they can be. I want every adult in education to see all kids and each other as competent, special, and awesome! The demands on educators are ridiculously high, and it remains our responsibility to ensure that every child has an opportunity to learn in a safe and caring environment.

Many of us would agree that our systems are less than ideal; indeed, some might argue they're downright busted. While well intended in their design, our systems - education, mental health, medical, family services, legal, and others - are not equipped with the resources or the vision to truly achieve what is needed. No matter which of these fields you're in, your jobs are difficult and challenging and, at times, overwhelming. Many of you are underappreciated and not acknowledged for the hard work that you do. That gets old and is tiring.

I am here to tell you that we can change that. We may not be able to change systems overnight; however,we can make a difference every day in the lives of those we serve." (RRR, pg 1)

The reality is this does not just apply to education professionals. It applies to all of us... parents, early learning providers, first responders, mental health professionals, medical personnel, community members and anyone what has a heart and a wish to support human. I am excited to share that our work, while still dedicated to supporting our students and education professionals, is expanding to serve all of our community members. It takes all of us to ensure that we are doing the best we can for everyone! Please have patience with me as I am in the process of updating our website. Thank you for visiting our site. Click on the tabs above to explore all that we have to offer. Thank you for the belief in this work and for your support!

~Kristin Van Marter Souers

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FOSTERING RESILIENCE: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND SUPPORT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

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This article encourages more ways and strategies to help students that have experienced trauma. It enforces some of the same principles that Fostering Resilient Learners does.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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"ClassDojo connects teachers with students and parents to build amazing classroom communities." Dojo will allow me to communicate with parents by sending messages and pictures and keeping the family up to date on news, events, and things going on in the classroom. It helps to create a positive culture, give students a voice, and to share moments with parents.

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ClassDojo helps teachers, parents, and students build amazing classroom communities.

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Talking Points will allow me to communicate with families in their home languages to build strong partnerships all year long. It provides two-way communication with all families in more than 100 home languages. It's as easy as communicating through texting and families can also use an optional Android/iOS app.

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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Languagers will allow the ability to have interpretation services 24/7, in over 350 languages. This will be very helpful when having conferences with parents who speak another language because it can be in person, through phone call, or even video.

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Languagers | Professional Interpreters | American Sign Language service

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350 Foreign Language Translators | ASL Interpreter Services

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Get instant phone interpreters, video interpretation 24/7 | ASL interpreting services | Foreign & Spanish Translation Service | Live captioning | Transcription

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It will be important that I find the best and most appropriate strategies to promote productive behaviors in my classroom. Ways I can do so would be to: give positive and rewarding feedback, post student work in the classroom and in newsletter, share personal growths, track positive behaviors, and giving shout-outs are just a few of the strategies to promote positive behaviors.

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Need to login or register for Behavior Support (formerly Kickboard)?

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3. Unified Classroom® Behavior Support

Part of the PowerSchool Unified Classroom® Solution

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Pull customized data sets for clear insight into your students' and staff's performance. Users can see behavior patterns over time and securely track data over multiple years.

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Engage parents and families by sending and receiving messages through the family mobile app.

Allow teachers and families to translate messages to their language of choice. This way, everyone involved in the student's educational journey is heard.

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Need to login or register for Behavior Support (formerly Kickboard)? PowerSchool Unified Classroom Unified Classroom® Behavior Support Support the whole child with the only evidence-based (ESSA Level II) behavior solution proven to reduce suspensions and referrals and increase school positivity.

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Behavior intervention in my future classroom will be so important because I will be faced with plenty of behaviors and challenges that require intervention. The ultimate goal of education is to mold young people into well-rounded individuals. That often includes making sure that the teaching and learning process flows as smoothly as possible. Some ways that I can intervene for problematic behavior would be to: maintain routines, set rules together with students and make agreements together, create lessons that are engaging, fun, and require movement, develop relationships, and using positive language are just a few strategies.

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The ultimate goal of education is to mold young people into well-rounded individuals. That often includes making sure that the teaching and learning process flows as smoothly as possible.

In theory, your role as a teacher is to plan and deliver your lessons, and everything will fall into place.

Unfortunately, theory doesn't always apply in the real world. Truth be told, getting children to settle down and behave as expected is often a job and a half.

That's where positive behavioral management strategies shine.

Let's talk about some behavior management strategies you can tap into to enhance student behavior and allow teaching and learning to proceed as planned.

1. Maintain a Routine

Having a set routine is an important behavior management tool that helps to establish guidelines and behavior expectations.

A routine ensures that students know what's coming next, so you'll spend less time giving out instructions-freeing up time to do the real work.

Include the students in establishing a class schedule that works for everyone and give them responsibility for some routine tasks.

Don't leave out the notoriously disruptive students in your schedule-more often, a sense of responsibility can help reduce behavior issues.

When a student starts to slide out of your planned routine, use non-verbal cues like hand gestures to remind students of what they should be doing. Avoid verbal cues to keep the lesson flow uninterrupted.

2. Set Rules Together With Students

Just like a routine, rules help improve student behavior. However, if the classroom teachers set the rules themselves, the class may reject them.

That's why it's important to have an audience with your class to help set the rules.

When children take ownership of the rules, peer pressure works in your favor to enforce them and improve behavior management.

Also, have a guideline for how infractions will be dealt with. These guidelines help remove the feeling of being punished, so students will know what to expect when they're called out about their behavior.

Remember to enforce the guidelines impartially and consistently. If you slack on the enforcement even once, you create a loophole that everyone will want to take advantage of.

It's also important to remember not to discipline the whole class for one student's infractions. For example, disrupting class proceedings to deal with one student. This will likely alienate the whole class, who will feel wrongfully punished.

3. Create Stimulating Lessons

Imagine sitting through a meeting where the facilitator drones on for hours on end. You will probably start fiddling with your keys or just zone out right in the middle of it.

That's exactly how students feel when lessons aren't exciting. Monotonous classes are sure to bring out the worst in your students. To get rid of bad behavior, make your class activities as exciting and stimulating as possible.

Structure your activities to engage and involve your learners throughout the lesson. Strive to allow your students to uncover knowledge with practical activities.

Most importantly, vary your teaching methods, use plenty of aids, and make the work as interactive and fun as you can.

You can draw the attention of younger students by incorporating games and using plenty of actions in your learning time. With older students, try to stay relatable, for example, by referencing modern music or movies.

4. Use Positive Language

Negative language has a way of reinforcing the wrong behavior. Typically, kids like to do what they are told not to do. So, rather than create a vicious cycle of behavior challenges, use positive language.

For example, instead of saying, "Stop throwing those paper airplanes," you can say instead, "Can we all focus and pay attention, please."

Positive language makes the students feel respected, leading to better behavior.

Plus, positive language will encourage the kids to start speaking positively. For example, instead of saying, "This work is too hard for me," they will begin to say, "I can try my best."

It's also important to keep your body language positive. Smile more and frown less often. Model the behavior you want to see in your students. Studies have shown that students learn from the language and behavior that educators display.

Some of the outcomes of positive language approaches include:

A safe learning environment

A sense of responsibility

Self-discipline

Self-motivation

5. Develop a Relationship With Your Students

Get to know your students individually. Take time to find out their interests and dislikes. If your lessons are centered around what the learners like, you will find it easier to keep them engaged.

Also, knowing your students will help you identify some triggers for behavioral problems. For example, if a student suddenly starts lashing out and talking over you in a lesson, they may be going through some personal problems at home or facing issues like bullying at school.

If you know a bit about the child, you may be able to figure out the root of the problem. Instead of punishing the bad behavior, you can talk to the student or point them in the direction of help; for example, get them to see the school counselor.

One way of developing a good relationship with your class is by speaking positively about them to their parents and administrators.

Use notes and calls to update their parents on their positive behavioral changes. Or have the principal or a senior administrator drop in to commend their good behavior. Your students are more likely to feel like you are looking out for them and continue to improve.

6. Adjust Your Scoring Methods

Getting an "F" on an assignment is demoralizing. Typically, students who get poor marks are disruptive in class and deliberately fall short of behavior expectations to deflect from the real issue.

If you are dealing with a similar scenario in your class, use a less standard scoring method for grading classwork.

For example, instead of grading a paper with a specific score, simply put check marks where they got it right and point out areas of improvement. This unconventional grading can help reduce the overwhelming feeling of poor grades.

You may also turn it into a game. Use points to grade papers and give some rewards when a student reaches a specific number of points. Treating scores like a fun game helps motivate students to focus and improve their scores.

Developing a Positive Behavior Management System for Your School

Many years ago, the trusted classroom management approach was authoritarian. Teachers routinely meted out punishment or used stern warnings to keep the class in line. However, this method has been proven to have many shortcomings.

For one, it breeds an atmosphere of fear, hindering kids from making progress in their studies. Secondly, studies have shown negative long-term effects like behavioral problems, low self-esteem, or depression.

That's why turning to positive behavior management techniques is critical. Positive behavior focuses on understanding your students, becoming a role model, and promoting wholesome behavioral development.

Imagine this scenario: a child is hanging from a tree cursing at his grandma, refusing to get into school. The principal's office is bursting at the seams with pupils in trouble for one infraction or the other, and it's not even time for recess yet!
Sounds incredible?
That's what Dr. Michael Perry had to deal with in his first year as principal at Critzer Elementary in Virginia.

But then, Positive Action came to his aid with a curriculum designed to instill positive behavioral change, plus training for educators in using positive behavioral management in the classroom.

The result was a phenomenal decrease in behavioral problems, safe classrooms, and thriving learners.
"Four years later, Critzer is profoundly transformed. The school is fully accredited, meeting and exceeding federal, state, and local standards. It ranks among the highest academic performing schools in its district, and halfway through this year there have only been two suspensions."
If you're facing behavioral problems in your school, turn to Positive Action.

Positive Action offers a full curriculum package, counselor kits, and school climate kits designed to help teachers, students, and school leaders to implement positive behavior management systems.

For a comprehensive turnaround of your school, contact Positive Action today.

Positive Action's programs are tried and tested.

Most importantly, all packages are engaging, easy to use, and set to transform the classroom and school environment to help shape your learners into well-behaved positive thinkers, and well-adjusted individuals.

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6 Behavior Management Strategies for Your Classroom in 2023

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Get ahead of the game with these upcoming trends and strategies for classroom behavior management. Learn to tackle the challenge of social awareness head-on and make your students thrive!

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Strategies for Effective Behavior Management

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Strategies for Effective Behavior Management

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Chelsea LeMire - ABC Data Collection Tool

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This link provides many different strategies and ways to communicate with the parents of our students. It is important that I know each of my students and their parents so that I know their preferred way to communicate.

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It's no secret that when schools make a concerted effort to foster healthy, strong relationships with families, students benefit in a number of ways.

Studies suggest that parental involvement can lead to academic gains for students: higher grades and test scores, improved social skills and time on task, better attendance and participation, and decreased behavioral problems in the classroom.

But parent-teacher communication can be challenging, say teachers. In 2006, 50 percent of participants in a survey of more than 1,000 K-12 public school teachers rated parental involvement in their children's education as inadequate; 48 percent reported parental understanding of the curriculum similarly. And a 2016 study revealed that some of the largest barriers to productive parent-teacher communication were trouble getting to the school site, conflicting work schedules, lack of translation services, and consistent requests for donations or fundraising that seem prioritized over all else.

Though parent-teacher communication will always require a mutual effort on both sides, educators shared their best practices-from home visits to in-school parent workshops-for building strong bonds with families, from the first day of school to the last.

Getting Off to a Good Start

Establishing strong relationships and clear lines of communication at the beginning of the year sets a strong foundation for parent-teacher interactions, according to teachers.
© Shutterstock.com/Monkey Business Images
Opening reliable channels of communication: Not all parents communicate the same way. To determine a family's contact preferences, simply ask them directly, says Erin Healey, an English teacher in Rhode Island. Create a beginning-of-the-year Google Form, use an introductory phone call or email, or discuss the topic at back-to-school night. This is also a great time to learn what languages are spoken at home.

A personalized touch: When in-person parent meetings weren't possible due to the pandemic, middle and high school teacher Lauren Huddleston found that embedding short, introductory videos in emails was an effective alternative. The video format allowed Huddleston to virtually "share my personality and warmth with parents" at the start of the year, while also outlining the syllabus and explaining classroom expectations.

Your child, in a million words or less: Eighth-grade English teacher Cathleen Beachboard mails out a "Million Words or Less" survey asking caregivers to tell her everything she should know about their child, with a tongue-in-cheek word limit as the only restriction. Huddleston, meanwhile, distributes a survey to caregivers that is meant to capture their child's attitude toward the subject matter, their motivations, and how they might be feeling about the new school year.

Connecting outside the school walls: To kick off the year, preschool teachers from Educare New Orleans visit the homes of each family. During the visit, parents are asked about their strengths as a family and any goals they have for their child. Educators then help outline what can be done within their classroom to help the child meet and exceed those goals, as well as what families can do at home to help support their child's learning. They have a follow-up visit near the end of the school year.

Establish Back-and-Forth Communication

Two-way communication where parents can listen and receive information, as well as speak and be heard, ensures a healthy exchange of ideas that welcomes parents as partners in their child's education, says Beachboard.

Beyond bad news: Consider sharing regular information about how students are progressing and engaging with lessons at school. This is especially important for families that are newer to the country, as "teacher-home communication may be new and is likely to be reserved for bad news only," explains Louise El Yaafouri, an independent consultant in refugee and immigrant newcomer education.

Get active on social media: Healey recommends creating a classroom Instagram page or Twitter account to post photos and videos of student work, or emailing out a monthly or quarterly blog celebrating student successes and previewing upcoming curricular content for parents. This keeps families in the loop about what their child will be learning next and maintains positive communication with parents, she says.

Real-time tech tools: Platforms like Seesaw or ClassDojo allow kids to share their learning with their parents directly through the app and make real-time updates easier. "If you're in class and you're able to take a video of one of your scholars saying, 'Hi Mom! I'm learning about how to add numbers-10 and 5 makes 15. I'm going to practice tonight when I come home,' and then the [parent] gets to see, that's powerful," says Paul Bannister, a New York-based kindergarten teacher.

Give parents a nudge: Simple text reminders-sometimes called "nudges"-can help parents help their children stay on track. A Columbia University study, for example, found that sending weekly text updates to middle and high school parents about their children's grades, absences, and missed assignments led to an 18 percent increase in student attendance and a 39 percent drop in course failures. Beachboard says she personally utilizes the Remind app to keep families abreast of assignment due dates and bolster back-and-forth communication.

Bring the Parent Into the Classroom

Show off your families' strengths: Give parents a chance to highlight their talents, experiences, and skills to get them more engaged in the classroom, says education consultant and retired teacher Terri Eichholz. Eichholz created a Google Form where families could mention any skills that they might want to share with the class-which led to her finding a parent who was a drone operator. "[He] zoomed with my students (back before Zoom was a thing!), and we built an entire field trip around his expertise," she says.

Provide pathways for entry: At Educare New Orleans, teachers maintain a monthly calendar marked with days on which caregivers are invited to engage with their child inside the classroom. For parents who can't attend, there's a take-home activity that provides a similar experience.

Empower students to explain their best work: At Design 39 Campus in Poway, California, parents attend in-school workshops. During the first half hour, students are in the driver's seat, taking charge and explaining their work to their parents. The second half hour is reserved for parent-teacher communication-including a question-and-answer period-while students attend an elective, gym, or their lunch period.

Making your curriculum transparent: High school history and journalism teacher David Cutler posts two weeks' worth of lessons and assignments online. The practice provides transparency to families about what their children will be learning-and when- while also allowing him to carve out time to meet with students and parents as they prepare for more challenging assignments.

Reaching Every Parent Where They Are

Historically underserved families are often judged before parent-teacher communication even begins, says Angie Shorty-Belisle, school director of Educare New Orleans.

"The biggest mistake is to think, OK, we're at a school where we're servicing [underserved] families; they're going to be difficult parents," explains Shorty-Belisle. "Every parent is their child's first advocate.... No family comes in wanting to be a burden or difficult to the school."
©Nora Fleming
Redefine the perception of participation: Work schedules and transportation can be just as significant of a barrier to parent engagement as language, say teachers. "We often think of parent engagement as PTA, coaching the softball team, or chaperoning the middle school dance," says El Yaafouri, who recommends redefining family participation so that it's more inclusive. "Sometimes, engagement is ensuring that a child has a quiet place to study at home, or making the right calls to get ahold of school supplies, or sharing wisdom that is unique to one's lived experiences."

A more inclusive calendar: One way to show families of diverse learners that they are an important part of the community is by creating an inclusive school calendar at the beginning of the year, says El Yaafouri. Find out what holidays families celebrate-don't make assumptions-and be cognizant of not scheduling school events on days that might conflict, while creating opportunities throughout the year so that all students and families feel represented and valued.

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Teacher-Parent Communication Strategies to Start the Year Off Right

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By prioritizing communication with families at the start of the school year, educators can foster strong parent engagement, break down barriers, and provide support for all students.

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This is another great article that provides creative ways to communicate with parents.

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It may be challenging for a teacher to find the time to make parent phone calls after a long day of work with grading and lesson planning to do. Luckily there are efficient and creative ways to communicate with parents.

It may be challenging for a teacher to find the time to make parent phone calls after a long day of work with grading and lesson planning to do. Luckily there are efficient and creative ways to communicate with parents.
→ See how we support Parent Communication in Schools
Communication tools and apps like Kickboard offer a few ways for teachers to communicate student progress with parents.

Kickboard Family Portal

Teachers no longer have to wait to give parents a weekly paper report because Kickboard has created a way for parents to log in on a computer or mobile device to monitor student progress in real time in the Family Portal. Teachers and parents can message each other through the portal to ask questions and talk more specifically about the student, allowing for efficient and effective communication that includes both parties.

Pro tip: Parents can also now hear Kickboard updates through their Amazon Alexa devices. Just ask, "Alexa, how did [child's name] behave in school today?"

GroupMe App

GroupMe is an app that allows multiple cell phone users to have one message group. Teachers can make groups for the parents in each classroom if they are sending constant group communications. This can be challenging if individuals send personal messages back and forth through the group, but it can be very efficient for teachers to get urgent info to parents.

Weekly Student Behavior Reports

Kickboard offers a unique way for teachers to communicate student progress with parents. Teachers assign behaviors to students that either earn or take away dollars. Teachers can print weekly reports to share with families. Paycheck dollars, or a generic point system, can be tracked over time and used for classroom and school-specific incentives. The student reports have targeted behaviors to describe student actions such "showing pride", "going above or beyond" or "not following directions". Over time, these behaviors can be assessed to identify which habits students exhibit the most or least.

The Kickboard system also allows teachers to leave anecdotal comments to give more detail about student behaviors. Notes can also be left that aren't associated with a specific behavior.

Social Media Classroom Page

With proper media consent, social media can be an efficient and effective way to communicate with families. Teachers can post announcements about picture day, field trip permission slips being due, etc. This platform could also be used to post student work and share classroom photos.

Text Messaging

Sending personal text messages to parents may be a quick and easy way to get and gather information. For working parents, this may be the best way to be reached during the school day.

Student Agendas

Student agendas are a great way to have students document homework assignments and track parent-teacher communication. As an evening routine, parents can review their child's agenda to see what homework was assigned, any updates from the school day, and then sign the agenda to verify the work is done. When teachers send home communications for parents to read and sign, the document can be assigned as an item on the agenda to ensure that parents see it.

Classroom Website

Teachers can include information about weekly homework, test dates, class projects, and field trips on a classroom website. Some teachers have also used their class sites as a way to provide links to free academic web programs and games that students can access while at home. This platform is a perfect way to share classroom photos and student work in addition to important classroom announcements.

Communicating with parents is an essential component of teaching. It helps keep parents informed and maintains trust when communication is clear and consistent. Teachers can keep parents up-to-date by finding creative ways to communicate that can be effective and allow teachers the ability to hear from parents as well.

Here at we have seen many schools improve parent-teacher relationships by using our family portal, PBIS mobile app, web platform, and professional development services to support their initiatives. Kickboard helps teachers to communicate with parents, track student behavior, identify cultural trends and implement systems to improve student results.

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Creative Ways for Teachers to Communicate with Parents

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It may be challenging for a teacher to find the time to make parent phone calls after a long day of work with grading and lesson planning to do. Luckily there are efficient and creative ways to communicate with parents.

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Creating and maintaining strong and trusting parent-teacher relationships is so important to provide the most success for our students. This article shows us ways we can do so.

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You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

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Effective communication is essential for building school-family partnerships. It constitutes the foundation for all other forms of family involvement in education.

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Chelsea LeMire - [Template] Connection Plan

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2. Promote Class Discussion and Peer Interaction

Hold regular class meetings to check in with all of your students and encourage them to express themselves constructively. Promote positive interaction amongst your students. Allow them to share their feelings, and encourage them to listen to each other, give compliments, express gratitude and practice problem solving together.

As teachers, we can present topics and help initiate discussions, but then let students guide the conversation. You'll learn a lot about them just by listening! You'll also want to establish groups to help students learn to collaborate and hold regular group meetings. You may find that some students are more attentive in these smaller groups, and you'll be able to provide extra help and attention for those who need it.

3. Staying Connected With Students

Making sure that students can connect with you and each other in whatever way works best is of utmost importance. You'll want to keep yourself approachable for questions, whether that is during the school day or if your students need to email you to ask a question during the evening.

Your students and their parents shouldn't feel intimidated when asking you questions, as you'll have established a helpful environment where no child is left behind beforehand.

4. Come Up with Projects Your Students Can Be Excited About

An easy way to keep your students engaged and excited about learning is to come up with projects that are both fun and meaningful, such as creating a classbook. If you want to engage students and get them excited about writing, then let them see their work and their names in print in a collaboratively-created classbook.

This project serves to introduce young writers to the writing process and build confidence in their skills. It also promotes teamwork, encourages creativity and creates a keepsake for your class.

5. Create a Sense of Order and Routine

A great way to establish a healthy sense of order and routine is to greet your students in the same way every day. You can greet your students at the door of your classroom each day at a safe distance and pass out "air high fives" with enthusiasm. Let them know that each and every one of them matters to you and show that you care by making individual connections.

Explain to them that no matter what has happened before, you'll be there at the beginning of every day of school to look them in the eye and wish them a good morning. Tell them that you expect the same in return.

Creating routines helps to maintain a sense of order in the classroom. Routines provide students with a solid foundation from which to start from and a structure to help them move through their day. You can create routines for activities throughout the school day and even for the transitional times in between.

To create routines that your students can stick to, start by explaining each routine and why it's important. Let your students know exactly what to expect, as well as what you will expect from them. Then, let your students practice the routine using modeling and demonstrations.

Once your class has an understanding of a new routine, make it a part of your daily schedule. If you find that your students have a difficult time remembering a routine once they return from a break, be flexible in reviewing that routine and consider making changes to help set your students up for success.

6. Positively Reinforce Good Behavior

All teachers understand the ongoing challenge of managing behavior and keeping students on task in class. There was once a time when doling out harsh punishments for misbehavior was common practice. But we have since learned that positive reinforcement of good behavior is a much more effective method of changing student behavior for the better.

Rather than focusing on what your students are doing wrong and reprimanding them-a form of negative reinforcement that can inadvertently promote acting out-praise your students for what they are doing right.

If you see students misbehaving or otherwise taking incorrect action, make a point to thank the students you see taking the correct action. Saying thank you for listening, thank you for following my instructions and thank you for participating will positively reinforce those behaviors.

7. Take Care of Yourself and Maintain a Positive Mindset

Do what you can to take care of yourself, both mentally and physically, and practice thinking positively; your state of mind will most certainly have an effect on the kind of learning environment you are trying to create for your students. If you don't properly take care of yourself, you won't be able to help your students as effectively either.

Practicing additional self-care on your off-time will also be of great benefit to both you and your students. Seek out strategies that will help you destress and unwind, such as practicing deep breathing, meditation, body scans, muscle relaxation and stretching.

Studentreasures provides free publishing kits. Creating a classbook is not only a fun activity that teaches students about the writing process, it can also help build their confidence as young writers.

Visit our website to learn more about how the process works and see how your students can become published authors!

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Creating a Positive Learning Environment | Studentreasures

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Crafting a positive environment for both your students and yourself is crucial to the success of the school year as a whole.

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