When I was a classroom teacher, I would start to imagine the upcoming school year at the beginning of August. I'd picture more engaging lessons and activities, stronger routines and procedures, and—perhaps the most important item on my fantasy to-do list—better communication and collaboration with parents. Every fall, my instructional practices and classroom-management skills grew, but by winter break, I'd be forced to admit that I never established an effective strategy for communicating with parents.
That's not to say I didn't try. But the agenda notes I wanted to send home were too time-consuming. My newsletters never made it out of students' backpacks in one piece. My classroom blog, updated weekly, didn't get much traffic.
In hindsight, I now realize that I had the right intentions and goals—and even some of the right methods—but I never had the clear vision for what effective communication would look like. Though I am no longer in the classroom, my current roles at Illuminate Education and a teacher-preparation program at Johns Hopkins University have given me some insight into the challenges teachers face and the ways in which new technology can help.
When it comes to establishing strong parent–teacher communication, here are three steps for teachers to take that matter most:
1. Be transparent—and persistent.
We're fortunate to live and work in a time when information is more available and accessible than ever. Many districts offer parent logins to online assessment portals, student data profiles, and even gradebooks that update in real time. This is a huge step forward, as research continues to point to the importance of leveraging technology to increase transparency in the parent–teacher communication loop.
"There has definitely been a shift in thinking when it comes to what parents need to know,'" Kaitlin Kim, a 3rd grade teacher who is my former colleague from a Philadelphia school district, told me. "Before, we had to prioritize what we shared because it was harder to communicate. Now, with all of our technology, there's a sense that parents can and should know everything."
But teachers cannot assume that parents do know everything. Even though most districts offer parents opportunities to track their student's data, a 2017 nationally representative study commissioned by the nonprofit organization Learning Heroes shows that 86 percent of K–8 parents still rely exclusively on report cards for information. Perhaps even more concerning, nine out of 10 parents surveyed believe their children are performing above grade level, though national achievement data prove that is unfortunately not the case.
Share your goals for transparency and encourage parents to access the student portals and websites available. Just as you focus on establishing classroom routines and procedures with students, make it a point to help parents get in the habit of checking portals and sites by including reminders and links in letters home, demonstrate accessing them in conferences, and even encourage students to remind parents to log in frequently.
2. Commit to consistency and practicality.
While cleaning out my office recently, I came across a stack of school-themed stationery that has been collecting dust for nearly a decade. I still remember buying the paper and the grand visions I had for weekly newsletters and happy notes I'd send home.
That didn't happen. Though some of my colleagues seemed to figure it out, I was never able to stick with a schedule or zero in on what I really wanted parents to know. As a result, they never knew when to expect updates about their children or what school and district information they should pay attention to. According to a 2012 report from the National Center for Educational Statistics' Institute of Education Sciences, when it comes to effective communication between school and home, consistency and frequency are key.
It's definitely easier said than done. In order for communication to be consistent, it must also be realistic and fit into a teacher's busy schedule. Too often, teachers are overwhelmed just trying to keep up with their own systems.
Spend some time studying your schedule and analyzing the types of communication that seem to reach your students and parents most effectively. Look for ways to share information that will actually reach parents and stick with them. The nonprofit organization Project Tomorrow's annual Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning shows that most parents prefer quick, convenient methods of communication with timely information sent directly to them via texts and email, as opposed to social media, websites, and printed letters.
3. Make parents your partners.
As a teacher, it's easy to lose sight of what it means to really communicate with parents. Effective communication is not simply a steady stream of updates and reminders; it's a two-way process that facilitates a mutually beneficial relationship.
Be careful not to fall into a pattern of just sending information out. Establish channels that enable parents to respond easily. This is yet another area where technology comes in handy. Emails, phone calls, and messaging applications all work well. For example, the Global Learning Collaborative, a public school in New York City, is using an innovative system for SMS messaging with bi-directional translation in order to overcome any language barriers parents may have and foster stronger, more productive relationships with families.
It also helps to initiate conversations instead of waiting for parents to do so. This approach makes it clear to parents that you care about students and that what happens outside of the classroom matters, too. Let parents know how they can reach you and emphasize that you need them to be your partners in helping students succeed.
Important (albeit not surprising) research from the Harvard Graduate School of Education University in 2012 showed that everything—from attendance to behavior to test scores—improves when parents and teachers communicate frequently to support students.
As you spend this summer preparing for the next school year, think about what really matters when it comes to communicating effectively and how to make it happen in your classroom. When you focus on transparency and consistency to build meaningful partnerships with parents using the tools that work best for your community, you'll be able to work together to help all students succeed.
