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Tip: At the start of the year, set expectations for

parental involvement.

Plan ahead.  "Failure to plan is planning to fail" -Benjamin Franklin

Speak with 15 different teachers during pre-planning to see what they do to help them communicate with parents.  Make notes and compile a list of things that you would like to incorporate to help you communicate with parents.  Have this information readily available for parents at open house as well as for the first day of school.  Start early and communicate often.  You will be rewarded later for the efforts you put forth in the beginning.

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Tip: Telephone communication
Contacting a parent/guardian via email is a good tool. However, I have found that making contact by telephone is much more beneficial oppose to email. Although making contact by email is appropriate, sometimes the line of communication is misunderstood by using typed words. For this reason, I mostly choose telephone communication and always make sure to end every conversation with something positive.

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Parent involvement is vital. It is always important for teachers to have good communication parents and students. When parents are involved they feel a sense of 

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Parent involvement is vital. It is always important for teachers to have good communication parents and students. When parents are involved they feel a sense of 

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Tip: Everyone has something to offer.

It's easy to write off a kid as being difficult for no reason, combative, unreasonable, argumentative, etc. What isn't easy is drilling down to the reason for such behavior. I spoke with a student who was "being lazy" only to find out he had an undesirable home life and a situation that was outside of his control. Was he failing? Sure enough. But if I hadn't taken the time to ask and had just written him up, it would have destroyed a bridge I had built with him. Now, he actually answers questions. I believe that this, in addition to making positive phone calls/notifications about even the most difficult students, lets both the student and the parent know they have something to offer. In the past, I've encountered parents who are overjoyed at a positive call because all they get are negative ones.

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Tip: Assign Homework that requires family participation
Something I do a lot of at the beginning of Spanish I is assign students to teach words and phrases we're learning to someone at home, or to use what we're learning to speak to someone in Spanish. Then as the year progresses I notice I do less of those assignments. They are almost impossible to grade, and I notice more and more that many students are reluctant to complete assignments unless they know I'm going to collect and grade them. But reading this tip made me think maybe I should continue to ask students to teach or use what they're learning at home, even later in the year. Having to teach something makes students learn it in a more meaningful way, and I have heard from a couple parents that they enjoyed learning from their children. It might really be worth it for the students who take the assignments seriously and start to take responsibility for learning Spanish not just to pass the class, but in order to share what they learn and have their family involved and invested as well.

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Tip: Communication
Parent involvement is valuable for student and teacher success. Communicating with parents shows them that you care and that you are invested in their child's learning and development. Creating that open dialogue can also aide in any discipline issues that arise because the parents can help you better understand causes and patterns of behavior and how to effectively correct any unwanted behavior. Infinite Campus can also be a great resource for communication. Not only can parents keep up with their child's grades, but if you take a few minutes to add a note next to the grade, they can use that information when discussing the score with their child. I allow the parents to sign up for my class remind account and they seem to appreciate the notifications of upcoming assignments, tests, quizzes and due dates.

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Tip:  Communication
It's important that everyone is involved and function as a team. (Teachers, Parents, and Students)  When you earn the trust of your students and your parents the communication will build a positive relationship with you ALL.  Students will perform for you as long as they know that his/her teacher cares.

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Examine your core beliefs
I was impressed with Dr. Mapp's questions on core beliefs, "How do you see the families in the community? Do you look at them through a deficit lens that perhaps you don't see that they have strengths, or do you look at them as assets - people who have skills and knowledge that you really need to be an effective educator?"  How easy it might be to assume our degrees and experiences make us authorities in the areas of child behavior and development (in addition to our various subject areas), while disregarding the likelihood that no one knows our students better than their own parents and families.  I think it's important to recognize that the parents themselves have skills and knowledge we may need to be effective educators.  On a personal note, I'm teaching 149 teenagers, attempting to instruct and model mature, responsible behavior (in addition to teaching algebra), yet I have no teenagers of my own (yet)! Surely, there are skills, strengths, and knowledge I can glean from my students' parents that would be beneficial to me not just as an educator, but as a parent myself.

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Tip: At the start of the year, set expectations for parental involvement.

BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP ... Having a positive parent-teacher relationship is essential to not only student success but teacher success as well. Research consistently shows the education community that one of the most beneficial aspects of teaching is building positive relationships with parents. To under estimate the value of relationship building with parents, in my opinion, is equivalent to taking a road trip to a new land with no directions.

Educators must start putting forth the effort to build relationships with parents before they even meet the child. Teachers must be intentional with everything they do! When preparing to enter the starting blocks (Back to School Night) know without a doubt you are ready/prepared to be in the race! A solid working relationships with parents is truly a 1st place medal.

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Dr. Mapp's point about learning more about the child and the family so that you have more to say about the child is so important.  I try and learn things about the student outside of the classroom and so then when I see the parents/child I can check in on more than just grades.  I feel by doing this it shows parents and students that the teacher is truly invested in the child as well as the family.

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Tip: Stay Connected.
It is very hard to teach students when you only care about their success and struggles in your classroom. It is important that you try to understand the challenges they are facing in your classroom, other classrooms, and at home. By doing this, you will build a relationship with that student and his or her family. This will make teaching the student much more enjoyable once the relationship is established. Then keep this relationship strong. Speak to your students in the hallways. It's always a pleasure to hear how well they are doing in the years following your class.

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Dr. Mapp's suggestions for improving school-family communication, along with tips such as "the first step of involvement is communication" and "sharing positive notes," are recommendations that the bulk of my personal experiences would support.  I used "good news cards" extensively at my previous school, particularly with the struggling students I worked with through a credit recovery program, and both the students and their parents were encouraged and positively responsive to the congratulations and positive feedback I provided them on their academic successes and progress toward credit recovery. The students particularly appreciated having a teacher "put in a good word for them" with their parents, which was something many of them had rarely received.  I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I just discovered that Eastside also uses good news cards, and I have picked up my first stack to begin writing. More broadly, parents tend to appreciate it when I reach out to them with specific academic information and feedback concerning their children, and when they are better informed about the specifics of what we are doing (and particularly when they get a sense that I like their child and am making his/her success my priority) they are more supportive of the expectations - and level of rigor - that I hold for my students.  Attending school events (ballgames, concerts, etc.) also shows students that I care about  and support them, and these events often serve as a good way to meet their parents, introduce myself to them in a positive way, and encourage further communication.

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David Allen Tip: The first step of involvement is communication

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David Allen Tip: The first step of involvement is communication

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Taking time at the beginning of the year to understand the level of communication needed by parents of students in your classes will prove to be valuable throughout the year.  Understanding both the type and frequency of communication expected by parents helps clear up any misconception in terms of communication between parents and teachers.  Consistently keeping grades up to date can also play a major role in keeping parents involved and in the loop with regards to their child's grades and progress in all courses.

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It's always important to start on a positive note early in the school year.  I think a lot of parents are intimidated by some of the education jargon (especially the IEP/Psychological terminology). Communication on a basic level is  important so the parents understand and feel connected and that their input is important.

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The ability to "stay connected" with students/parents, both during the year and beyond is vitally important.  I'd say the opportunity to include students and parents in what goes on in the classroom is a constant job that takes work on both sides.  As a teacher, we need to be aware that this effort is more effective if we are actually making an effort.  Parents, I've found, are much more receptive to keeping in touch, volunteering, assisting/supporting their child in my class, if they know that the communication line is always open and they can consistently have dialogue with me via email, phone, or in person. Upon graduation, I still invite former students and parents to all the yearly concerts and I've even used several parents in advisory/resource roles to assist my current families.  This has been a huge asset to the choral program at Eastside.

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Trey Camps - Stay Connected to Your Students

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Trey Camps - Stay Connected to Your Students

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Building relationships, more importantly trust in those relationships, with our students and their parents is vital to our mission of continual growth among everyone involved at Eastside. I have found that the more that we communicate with our students, the more they tend to open up to us about who they are and what they need as students and as people. I feel that this open line of communication allows teachers to be more than just the "face in the class for 54 minutes". It also presents opportunities to teach outside the classroom through real world experiences. Building these relationships with students sets a foundation for building a trusting relationship with their parents because the parents can tell that we know their child for more than just a student in our class.

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Communication is essential in every avenue of our field. As Dr. Mapp stated, we need to start having real conversations with parents about how their children are doing in school (Both positive and negative). By focusing on just negative things that the students do, we provide the parent with a negative perspective of how the school views their child. We need to also understand that communication is a two-way street. We need to be able to listen and address the concerns that the parents and stakeholders have in regards to our school. This feedback could be helpful in providing a better learning environment for our students.

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Getting to know the parents early in the school year is a great way to keep the communication going throughout the year. Keeping them informed of all things is helpful but I've found that sharing too often can cause a parent to begin to ignore messages, especially emails and remind messages. A phone call or face to face meeting seems to have the most impact.

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Tip: Stay connected to your students - Eric Adams

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Tip: Stay connected to your students - Eric Adams

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When you teach a subject that is a choice, the relationships and communication you create with the students and their parents encourage them to guide younger siblings to your class as well (when they could choose something else). The positive communication that comes indirectly through the student to the family sometimes matters even more than direct positive communication from you the teacher. When students feel excited about the class and feel as though they benefit, they communicate that to their family for you.

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While I try to positive in class. I also try to be very honest with parents and students alike. While I try to keep the dialogue less than formal with parents I try to keep our meetings frequent. Example: Many of the "Troubled" students from an academic standpoint are also involved in extracurricular activities. I try to go watch them all before the school year is over or at least take a vested interest in how they did at their last event or even practice. Many times I will see a parent or two that I know and we can talk about all things not classroom related. It goes a long way with kids and parents when you are more than an email signature.

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I feel communication with parents is an essential key to the success of a student.  Students don't always communicate to parents how they are doing or what is going on in their classes.  Having an open line of communication whether good or bad helps parents identify and understand what their child needs in order to be successful.  Communication allows the teacher and the parent to work together to identify the issues as they happen in order to make sure the student or child is successful in your class. As a parent, I appreciate when teachers communicate.  It allows me to feel more at ease when I know great things are happening, and when things are not happening as they should be, I can monitor more closely. I've also been the frustrated parent when things are not communicated to me.

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Dr. Mapp's point regarding examining your core beliefs is essential. I need to do a better job of assessing and appreciating people's strengths and find ways to get those folks involved with the band. Parent involvement is essential if we are going to have a successful band, and we could use more involved parents. And if it works for the band, I suspect parent involvement w

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Tip: The first step of involvement is communication.

I feel one of the most important aspects of parent involvement in school is to communicate often.  Parent communication is crucial to student success and just keeping parents informed.  Whether it’s behavior, grades, positive praise, or just checking in, parents knowing what is going on in their child’s life is so important.  Some students are away from home for 8-10 hours per day and only home a few hours before going to sleep.  In some ways, teachers spend more time with students than their parents do, so by allowing parents to have a peek into what happens with their child at school can really help parents become more involved not only in school, but just another part of their child’s lives.  With regular communication, parents can become involved in a multitude of ways.  Parents can help with supplies, they be an audience for participation, chaperones for trips, or just aids in school-related events.  I know some students would get sick of their parents constant volunteering, but more parent involvement yields to high student success, so regardless of a mild student annoyance, the likelihood of more achievement is worth the price.

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Tip: The first step of involvement is communication.

Opening the doors for communication early on sets the tone for a successful school year. Frequent and effective communication with parents is necessary in the success of students and facilitates parental involvement. It is important to reach out to parents, not only when their child is not doing well but to report when their child is progressing in class. Keeping parents updated with the child’s progress allows parents to get involved early on and assist with any concerns that may arise throughout the school year.

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Tip: Create opportunities to connect
Athletic events and arts programs draw in an audience of parents and allow teachers, parents, and students to connect in a casual setting as opposed to a scheduled conference. Even though I live out of town, I do try to attend plays, concerts, and games not only to show my support and but also foster these low-stakes interactions with students and their parents. In our PLC about parent involvement, my group discussed what other kinds of "fun" events could be used to draw in parents and cultivate stronger connections. It could also be beneficial to examine our curriculum maps and identify projects, presentations, or performances that parents might want to attend. We often showcase this sort of work on social media but don't invite a live audience.

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Tip: Connect with families during home visits

In a diverse community, parents are not always able to make it out to school during school times or during school functions. It could be because of transportation, work, etc. I think that there needs to be a system to where if needed parents can be transported to school or a teacher/counselor can do a home visit if needed. I do believe that it would help increase cultural competence and build stronger relationships with parents.

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Tip:  Showcase what students are learning and accomplishing

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Tip:  Showcase what students are learning and accomplishing

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Highlighting the great work our students do in our rooms benefits us threefold.  First, our students receive recognition for their growth.  Students deserve to feel proud about the gains they have made, and too often we forget to celebrate what each student has accomplished because we don't take the time to step back and see how far each student has come. Second, our parents become aware of the great work their children are doing in class.  We need to share in our celebration with those at home, because the growth of a student does not just happen within the walls of the school.  Third, it helps build a positive reputation for our school, the programs we offer, and the future of our students.  One of the most meaningful events we host is the annual Eastside Art Show.  This is one of the best ways I can get in touch with my parents about the awesome potential each student has in the realm of the art world.  This tangible work of art seems to solidify a positive relationship with the parents, where we can celebrate the student's achievement together.

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Tip: Start the parent teacher relationship by sharing positive notes.
I always try and send home positive notes throughout the semester, for those students who struggle academically, I try and focus on when they do well on a project or a quiz or test. I always try and include a positive characteristic about their behavior as well. I know that the students see these when they are mailed home, because I get a positive response when they are received. With my younger students, I notice that they are excited to receive the note and their parents usually are putting these notes on their fridge or are complimentary when they receive good news. This impacts relationships with students within the classroom and I notice it makes a difference in their participation and self esteem.

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Tip: Change the Communication- Dr. Mapp

As an educator, it is imperative that we communicate to parents in order to bridge the gap between home and school life. Many parents only hear when teachers call to complain or tell them what their child did wrong, instead of offering ways to ensure success in their class, or give them meaningful compliments. Also, if parents are informed about what is going on in your class, it gives them a chance to step in help if the child doesn't understand the content. Communication is an effective way to allow parents to feel valued in their childs education.

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(Ginger Boyter) Tip: Start parent-teacher relationship right by sharing positive notes

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(Ginger Boyter) Tip: Start parent-teacher relationship right by sharing positive notes

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I come at this from a parent and a teacher standpoint. As the parent of a special needs child, I know there is a lot that my child may not be able to do. She may not always perform up to the level of her peers. However, I do know that there are many positive points about her, and it is truly appreciated when her teacher lets me know that she sees those. As a teacher, I try to do the same thing for my students. If I notice something good, I want the parent to know that.

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Tip: Change the Communication (positive, not negative)-Dr. Mapp

At Eastside, it is stressed to communicate frequently with parents.  We are expected to keep parents informed.  We are required to update grades each week.  We send out progress reports seven times each school year.  We are required to respond to parent emails within 24 hours.  Teachers must update parent contacts on Infinite Campus.  Communication is a major point of emphasis.  Dr. Mapp stressed that positive communication should be made when possible.  I like to contact parents when a student has shown improvement or when they have done consistently excellent work.  Sometimes the parents reply and appreciate the effort to compliment their student.  Other times there is no answer.  But students still deserve praise.  Last school year, I sent an email to a parent. Apparently, one of my friends was Facebook friends with the student's mom, because a few minutes later, my friend sent me a message about the content of what I thought was a private email.  But the mother was so proud that she posted the email on Facebook.

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Michael Kennedy                                                                                     Tip: The first step of involvement is communication.                                                                                                                                                                                                      Keep the parents informed on what is going on in the classroom.  Tell them about future projects, quizzes and tests, but also about what their child is learning.  If the parent knows what their child is learning, they might talk to their child about it. Also, it is important to update grades in Infinite Campus as soon as possible. Parents can’t help with issues like missing work or failing grades if they don’t know about it.

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Michael Kennedy                                                                                     Tip: The first step of involvement is communication.                                                                                                                                                                                                      Keep the parents informed on what is going on in the classroom.  Tell them about future projects, quizzes and tests, but also about what their child is learning.  If the parent knows what their child is learning, they might talk to their child about it. Also, it is important to update grades in Infinite Campus as soon as possible. Parents can’t help with issues like missing work or failing grades if they don’t know about it.

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Tip: The first step of involvement is communication.

I always communicate with Parents as I would want a Teacher communicating with me. Every Parent Loves their child. Love looks different for each of us. Sometimes a parent doesn't communicate with teachers because they believe the teacher is superior and they have nothing to offer. Teachers perceive this as not caring. They all care! I always let them know that we both want the same thing (what's best for their child) and we have to work together to achieve it.  I don't use big or fancy words (Don't know any. Lol). I try to speak to them on the same level as a friend would with terms and language that they always hear.
I also agree with most of you. Food will bring us together!! :)

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Communicating about academics not behavior

It is my experience that behavior and academics go hand in hand, and so it is necessary to communicate with parents about both. However, I also feel that juniors and seniors need to be held accountable for their actions, and so I struggle with communicating with parents as often as I would with younger students.

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Tip:  The first step of involvement is communication.

I know parents don't always want to hear bad news so I try to find something positive to say.  The tough times are when you don't have a lot of positive things to say about their academics.  I try to make sure to mention hard effort when I see it and when I know a student is struggling, but they are working hard.  If they have been coming in for help on their own I try to highlight that as well because it reflects well on the student and help the parent know that their child is making the effort on their own.  That tends to get good responses from parents.  I also try to make sure parents clearly understand that I want to help their child and am available for help before and after school.  Most parents will appreciate the flexibility and willingness to help their child since many parents can't help their child with their school work anymore since they may not have had these classes even when they were in high school.

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Tip: Start the parent-teacher relationship right by sharing positive notes.

I agree with this tip because of personal experience. I recently gave a quiz where a lot of my lower-performing students did much better than normal. I emailed parents and told them about the quiz and their child's grades. Almost all of the parents emailed me back, saying thanks for reaching out and they were so excited to get good news instead of bad news. Some of the students told me that their parents shared my email on social media and bragged to all of their friends! The students immediately behaved better in class and were more attentive, in hopes of getting more good grades.

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Teachers need all of the resources that they can get so it would be wise to use our parents/guardians as another key resource to help our students to be successful in our classrooms.  Communicate expectations early and then continue to communicate progress, strengths, etc... throughout the year.  Email is good, but phone calls/face-to-face meetings are better.  Good News cards are good, too.

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Tip: Communication / Staying Connected to Your Students
Open lines of communication are how effective partnerships are built. In my experience with teaching & coaching, the parents involved appreciate knowing the expectations and standards set for their child. Building the relationship depends on trust, and is built by coaches/teachers showing a genuine interest in the young person outside of the classroom and/or off of the field. In the coaching world we believe that they need to know you care about them off of the field before they'll perform for you on it.

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Tip:  Be clear about what’s needed and create a structure that supports those needs.

I believe that being clear on expectations and structure in the classroom is an important part of being a positive and organized educator. The biggest criteria when it comes to this aspect is laying down the expactations and structure early and often. When having clear expectations from the very beginning the students and parents know what is expected from you and the behavior expected in the classroom. It also allows the conversations to run a little smoother if an issue came up with a student, because everyone knows and understands the expectations from the beginning.

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Tip: Positive feedback to parents (From Video)

Communicating with parents should always be a priority for teachers. Having that communication line between home and school is vital to a students success. In my experience, I have taught many of the students that have been stamped with that infamous label of "the bad kid" or the "lazy kid", the one that EVERY teacher knows when they pop up on their roster. Each year Mrs. Bowman and myself try to make it a priority to send something positive home within the first few weeks of school for all students. Whether that be an email, post card home, or even just something we scribble on a sticky note to a student. Not only have we noticed more positive interactions with our parents, we have noticed more positive interactions with our students. I think when students consistently have negative feedback set home, they start to lose faith in themselves and the system. Although at times it may be tough, finding something positive to send home not only helps your relationship with the parents, it helps your relationship with the students as well. I really enjoyed this video and think Dr. Mapp's advice should be implemented by teachers more often.

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Meaningful feedback taken from video clip
As with any issue, you can only solve the problem if you know exactly what is wrong.  When we communicate to our parents we need to be sure we are telling them exaclty what the concern is and not a broad overview of "your child is failing".  Parents are not in the classroom to observe their child, therefore they rely on us as teachers to tell them exactly what the child is doing and offer solutions as to how to get the child back on track.  The same can be said for positive feedback.  General statements are things most parents already know about thier child, your child is a "good" student, your child is "nice" to others.  As a parent I say of course they are because that is how I raised them.  What we need to tell parents are very specific details that we have noticed.   This lets the parent know that we have an invested interest in their child and that we truly pay attention to thier childs actions and personality enough so that we can give sepcific examples about them.

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Tip: Stay Connected to Your Students

This is an extremely valuable in several ways. One being that students need to feel loved and accepted, not just when they are in my room. I make a point to ask former students how they are doing and how their classes are when I see them in the halls. I want them to know I care, always, not just when they are in my class. I feel that it also helps when they are struggling; they will return to ask for help rather than feeling lost or hopeless. In addition, when current students see former students return for visits it really boosts the morale in the current classroom. When they says things like "You guys should really listen to them" it means much more coming from an older peer. Last, as a freshman teacher I have found that it truly makes an impact to have former students that currently attend college talk to current freshman about the importance of their freshman year. Therefore, staying connected with students is not only valuable for the student I had but also valuable for my current students.

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Tip:  Sharing Food!

I worked at a school where we had two or three chili dog suppers before meetings.  It wasn't much, just a hot dog/chili dog, a bag of chips, a fruit and a cookie.  It really did the trick though.  We had great parent response.  But that wasn't the end of it.  Staff were not to eat with other staff; they ate amongst the students and parents.  It helped us to appear more "human" to them, and visa- versa.

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Tip:  Writing home positive notes and asking for one in return

As always, communicating positively about students to parents is always a good thing. Parents appreciate teachers who intentionally look for and give feedback on the good things the student demonstrates in class. I love the suggestion of asking the parent to return a good note of their own. This would give great incite to some really wonderful attributes about our students that we might no the aware of or ever know about. We are always encouraged to know our students and establish relationships - this would be a helpful way to do that.

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Tip " Communicate often about the need for and importance of parental involvement"

Parental involvement is schools is very important for student success. This type of involvement is typically considered the norm in elementary school, but this involvement solely dies off as the child ages through the system. While parent volunteers are really needed in high school normally, PTOs could be beneficial to bridge the gap between parents and teachers and make parents feel like they play a role in our school. The gap could also be bridged by offering fun school wide events that parents and students can participate in so that parents are coming to the school for things other than academic or behavioral concerns.

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Tip:  The first step of involvement is communication
It is my opinion that the best thing this county and our school has done for parent communication is the implementation of  infinite campus. Communication of progress and attendance is immediate with complete transparency.  OUR role as teachers is to use IC with consistency.  It is frustrating for parents when teachers are not timely with grade updates.

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I agree that communicating is a key component for student success. It is true that sometimes content can get lost in translation when utilizing technology. Dr. Mapp suggested making phone calls in the beginning of the year and keeping the content more focused on academics and less on behavior. I prefer to utilize the good news postcards. It is not always convenient to contact parents via phone during school hours simply because most parents are working during those hours as well. I am old fashion. Taking the time to sit down and write a note means more to me as both an educator and parent than a quick message on my voicemail or an email.

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Tip:  "Stay connected to your students"
It's incredibly important to be connected to the students/families you teach.  Students respond to teachers who care about their accomplishments both in and out of the classroom.  When parents become aware of the care and concern teachers have for their students, a culture of positivity is established.  Parents within the community are more likely to support a school who values and celebrates the accomplishments of both current and former students.

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Tip: The first step of involvement is communication. (Edutopia)

MOST parents will back you up as a teacher if they are know what is going on. Keeping parents in the loop about grades, behavior, and classroom expectations is important.

My struggle: Sometimes it is all negative news, and sometimes it's hard to find a positive way to begin the conversation. So, I avoid doing it as long as possible.

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Maggie Johnston-19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia)

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Maggie Johnston-19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia)

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Tip: Start the parent-teacher relationship right by sharing positive notes

Communicating positively with parents is a great idea to help ensure families stay involved with school. Often times parents hear the same thing about their kid every time the school calls. Eventually, the parent of a troubled kid may even stop answering the phone inhibiting any contact at all. However, positive notes home are always something I strive to do and rarely get around to. I plan on making a goal of 2 positive notes home per week to get in the habit.

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Mrs. G. Smith - 19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School

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Mrs. G. Smith - 19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School

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Tip:  "Share Positive Notes"
If I am conferencing with a parent, I always try to start out with something positive about the student.  No parent wants to hear only bad news.  Plus, you should be able to find something good to share.  I have also gotten a lot of good feedback from the Good News Cards.  I try to send some of these out every few weeks.  I have gotten thanks from both students and parents!

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I liked Dr. Mapp's point of helping parents find a skill or role they can participate in. I know a number of parents that help with band, concessions, etc., and I think it's a very positive way of letting parents contribute; it will inevitably lead to engagement between teachers and parents as well, and little more is a better icebreaker to discuss student progress and achievement than an event that showcases our students' talents (e.g. sports or band competitions).

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Let's face it- educators are certainly not in the field for money. Most educators enter the field because they want to make a difference in the lives of young people. One of the most important things an educator can do is to know their students, develop relationships with them, and continue to foster those relationships throughout the high school career. Students tend to thrive personally and academically when they know that the adults in the building support them on all levels, and continue that intentionality long after the class is over.

Erin Lowry

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Mrs. McCullers - Dr. Karen Mapp Shares Advice for Educators on Family and Community Engagement Strategies

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Mrs. McCullers - Dr. Karen Mapp Shares Advice for Educators on Family and Community Engagement Strategies

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Positive Communication
Communication is vital. As an individual I know I need to work on communicating the positive. I often contact the parents of my failing students more than those who are successful in my class, which honestly makes me the bearer of bad news. I don't want to be "the bad guy". I want to be the good guy who supports all of my students, those who are struggling and those who are doing well. Those who are doing well need to hear this. Those who are struggling need to hear what they are doing well, while I also touch on what we can do together to make improvements. I need to work on being "the good guy" more often. =)

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K. Bagwell - 19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia)Tip "Sharing food encourages goodwill and is an important part of community building." 

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K. Bagwell - 19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia)Tip "Sharing food encourages goodwill and is an important part of community building." 

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No matter how old students get, they are still kids who aren't in control of how money gets spent in their household, and students can't learn if they are hungry. Therefore, I always keep a stash of granola bars, animal crackers, and spare change so that I can help a student who is hungry. At the beginning of they year, I always share this information with my students. Have I been taken advantage of in doing this? Probably. But, I know that I've helped more than have taken advantage of me. I also keep a supply of binders, notebooks, paper, and pens/pencils, and my students know that this is for them. Over the years, I've had students stop by my room to ask for a snack because they didn't eat breakfast or needed a folder. To me, this tells me that they know that I care about them, and that's what it's about.

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Tip: Assign homework that requires family participation.

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Tip: Assign homework that requires family participation.

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While I understand the intention, I do believe this approach only widens the gap among achievement for students with involved parents versus students with little to no parent involvement - students with involved parents will excel on the assignment (like they typically do anyway), while students with no parent involvement will still struggle. I'm not a huge fan of homework, much less a fan of homework that REQUIRES home participation from others at home. This makes me think about elementary school science fair project - the awesome projects and awesome grades are created/aided by parents, while the bad grades/ bad projects reflect an elementary student without much help at home.  -Nathan Ogle

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I try really hard each year to send at least 1 positive note home to each student.  Some students are more challenging than others and so I try to do it within the first few months while they are still excited.  Throughout the year I write down notes or keep the positive post cards handy so that I don't forget what I need to write down.  Additionally, I send positive emails, social media, newsletters, and submit articles to the newspaper about what the students are doing.  I feel that this further builds relationships and rapport with my students and their parents.  Students loved to be featured as Student of the Month or highlighted for their accomplishments.  I typically have students for 3-4 years so I build strong relationships with them and their parents.

Catrina Pollard

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3. Communicate about academics not discipline.
I enjoyed Dr. Mapp's advice to communicate to parents about where the child should be in terms of academics rather than telling a parent about the behavior issues. I believe by doing this, parents will be able to help their children at home and realize if their child is behind or on track in a class. If they realize their child is behind, perhaps they will encourage their student to focus better in class and be sure to do all the assignments, thus creating a better student in class for the teacher.

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Beth Bryan Tip: Showcase what students are learning and accomplishing.“Parents (families) love seeing their child in action, learning, and sharing the product of their hard work...if your school/district permits it...use social media ..... All these little things help make families feel like part of the learning experience.”—Gwen Pescatore, President Home & School Association

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Beth Bryan Tip: Showcase what students are learning and accomplishing.“Parents (families) love seeing their child in action, learning, and sharing the product of their hard work...if your school/district permits it...use social media ..... All these little things help make families feel like part of the learning experience.”—Gwen Pescatore, President Home & School Association

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I think that this is one of the tips from the Edutopia article that we have really embraced as a school and a district.  As a parent, I really enjoy getting a glimpse into my own children's daily lives at school.  It really does make me feel like I'm involved in what my children are doing because now I can ask better questions about what they doing and learning at school. As an employee, I enjoy getting to see the great things that my colleagues have going on in their classes, clubs, sports, etc.  This helps me better know what services and resources may be useful in the Media Center.

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Ms. Mitchell-19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia)

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Ms. Mitchell-19 Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School (Edutopia)

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Tip "Communicate Often"

Communication is a key component for student success. I think communicating often is important but also making sure that the means by which we communicate is appropriate. Technology makes communication easier but sometimes intent/content can get lost in translation when sending an email. Phone calls (if possible) are my preferred choice,especially when students are not doing well.