Connecting With Families: Beyond the Classroom

Hello fellow educator friends! Is it an understatement to simply say "wow!" from today's learning sessions at the TYHO Conference? Less is technically more right, so let's keep it at "wow!" 

Since my article in the (KDP) The New Teacher Handbook: Curated Advice from Award-Winning Teachers focuses on Parent-Teacher Conferences (and the second article is teaching during the pandemic,) I'm like a sponge soaking up every drop of information, suggestions, experiential testimonies, and advice from other educators and, yes, parents! The Parent Engagement Panel today was one of the best sessions I saw the past two days. From practical advice and considerations, to parental perspectives, it had it all! 

With the upcoming school year being represented by a large question mark, there are many parts that teachers have to re-think outside the box on, including school-home connections. One thing that will not change is the notion that establishing connections with families is a vital key to student success. What has changed is the frequency and modalities used to communicate, and more. 

In the spring it was difficult to select what platforms to use because there are (truthfully) so many excellent choices. The biggest thing to remember is less is more in this case. Use one that is easy to navigate for you and families. As time goes on and everyone's skills sharpen, including other platforms can be possible. My personal favorite is Class Dojo, however I'm hearing about others that I just might have fall down the rabbit hold to explore...

One of the major things I learned from the spring experience with remote learning was what to anticipate from families this fall. I know there will be many questions, and time needs to be dedicated to answering. A two-part solution to this is a combination of things I tried and advice from the panel today: 

1- Set "office hours" with emails, communication apps etc. Just as we would in school it's important to set limits for our own self-care, so we can effectively answer families with the best knowledge, resources, and clear thinking as we can. A good trick is "away" messages. These are responsive to the psychological need for immediate feedback, yet allows for time to rejuvenate. 

2- Spend time creating "how-to" videos with instructions, FAQ, and tips/tricks for them to preview. These will help answer the flood of initial questions at one time, instead of individually. (Although we know as teachers to anticipate follow-up meetings.) 

As I'm writing this blog tonight, another idea came to me, one of many today might I add. This might be a great place to do a mini-series on this topic with suggestions, reflections, examples from my class, and of course, ideas shared by other great educators and parents I've spoken with, listened to! This is how creativity is sparked and great ideas spur. I now have a whole new topic to add to my blog! 

Final thoughts: Sometimes, just writing about one concept is the key to opening the door to a world of possibilities. What makes the difference is the choice to walk through them. I hope you enjoyed this first short blog on family connections... stay tuned, stay motivated, and (theme for this week) Teach Your Heart Out always!