Should I call home to introduce myself to parents?
Is calling home effective or is it going to add to my already hectic schedule?
Here we are again! It is the beginning of the school year! Teachers are busy getting back on track, preparing parent letters, creating classroom forms, designing cirriculum. Parents are busy with back to school shopping, getting their child ready, making arrangements for the new school year!
Right around that I time I get lots of visits to my blog with two questions!
Parents and teachers both wondering if calling home, or calling the school teacher at the beginning of the school year is a good idea. Is this going to improve the child’s year or the opposite? How do I go about it?
- It establishes relationship! It helps both parties start the year on a good note!
- It offers “signs” on what parents or teachers may need to watch for!
- It is effective for teachers from all different disciplines and all parents.
- Developing communication early helps both parties handle challenges in the future.
But
Remember
Make it “light”
Teachers are extremely overwhelmed at the beginning of the school year. As a teacher, you don;t want to add too much on your plate, and as a parent you don’t want to prevent the teacher from being able to organize the school year.
Teacher scripts:
I am just calling to say hello. I wanted to check and see if …took all of his forms home and if you had any questions.
I am glad to have you in my class. …just moved from a different district. I wanted to see if he is feeling comfortable with the new school and if there is anything I can do to help with the transition.
As a parent, do the same! You can make a SHORT phone call to your teacher introducing yourself and letting them know if there is anything the teacher needs to know about your child or if you may need help with anything.
Make it short and pleasant
Everybody is busy. Make the conversation short and to the point. Drama is not allowed on the first days of school! Right…?
Make up a reason to call
Sometimes it is uncomfortable to call home or at your child’s school for “no reason. It can also be very difficult to put a negative scenario in a positive light. This is why you make up a reason to call!
Teacher Scenario:
Johnny forgot his agenda today..I was just calling to let you know that it is safe in my room, also wanted to check 🙂 if he is clear on the assignment that he will need to do this year.
I have just let mom know about the knew assignments without extra negativity.
Parent Scenario:
My son forgot his HW… I just wanted to let you know that we have been working on that for a long time. Any suggestions or help to get him more organized will be greatly appreciated!
I let the teacher know that I am aware of the problem without putting anybody on the spot!
The main concern about calling parents home
You have too many parents or too many teachers! You are already busy up to your eyeballs and the thought of calling home seems just not realistic! Then:
- Then how about just starting with one! See if reaching out to one person make a difference. Then decide.
- Identify the FEW kids in your class that may be showing signs of being “troublesome”. Call these parents home first. Prepare yourself by getting the parents on your side for negative scenarios down the road!
Conclusion
The idea of the blog post is starting the school year on a positive note. You want the first phone call to be just an introduction- nothing heavy, no frustrations! Both teachers and parents are overwhelmed at the beginning of the school year! Don’t add to that! You are establishing a relationship! Make it a good one!
The Dangerous Business of Receiving a Call HomeDon’t mis any parenting tips!
It makes me laugh to think that I will call 500 households. I am not a music teacher but a French teacher who only sees them once a week. I so know the power of the parent-teacher connection, but they will have to make do with my blog and facebook page! Even if I tried to call a few parents per week, I'd still fail!
The idea behind the post is developing positive parent-teacher relationships from the start. If you have a blog or an online space you can do that, then that's wonderful. Thank you for commenting.
I have been teaching for 22 years. It was very uncomfortable to call parents at the beginning but the more experience I was getting the more I realized how important this is. It is difficult to talk about it because the subjects sometimes is connected to negative feelings. Still, teachers and parents have to think about connecting and establishing a good relationship.
The post is very helpful and I would love to pick your brain more about the things you are doing. Thank you!
Kathy G.