Is Parent Communication Really Necessary?

I've met several teachers along the way who simply don't communicate with parents, they just don't see that it's necessary.  Once I picked my jaw up off the floor and kept the comments in my head from coming out of my mouth, I went along my merry little way.  

If I can say one thing to any new teacher, it's that parent communication is the number one necessity for a successful year.  That is why I'm so happy that Ashley and Angie asked me to share about how I communicate with parents in my class.

 I'm a firm believer that it's essential to keep parents in the loop, heck, I wrote my entire Thesis on it and created a Family Literacy Handbook with ideas for parents to use at home!

There are a million things you can do to actively communicate with parents; but I want to share my favorites with you! Here are some things you can do keep parents aware of what's going on in the classroom:

E-mail List Collect parent e mails at the beginning of the year and create a contact list.  I e mail parents every week with our homework, important reminders, and what learning is taking place in our class.  Here's a copy of last week's Monday e mail.

Remind 101 This one way messaging service is a huge game changer!  I have parents sign up at Back to School night and I basically stalk ask them until they sign up!  I love that I can simply send messages to remind them to bring their library book, dress up for spirit day, and more!  Here's a sample from last year's class.  What I also love is that you can include photos {which parents who work love to receive during the day} and even schedule future messages.

Class Instagram This is my first year ditching the class blog and creating a class Instagram.  It is less maintenance and so easy to do.  Did I mention that my kids are in charge of it?  Parents love it because they get to see photos of the great things happening in our day.  My working parents especially love it because they can see that their little one is safe, having fun, and learning.  Read all about how you can set one up, here!

Parent Conference Packet It's key to build a positive relationship right from the start.  Since we hold conferences early in the year, I use it to get the know the families and share with them their child's progress. I send home a note to schedule a date and time, a questionnaire asking parents what they want to discuss {crucial to avoid and surprises}, and an assessment results form because parents want to see where their child is at and where they need to be!  I blogged about it earlier in the year over at the Primary Pack.

I hope you can use some of these tips in your class this year or simply store them away for your lucky friends next year!  I promise that some of these tips will not only make your life easier, but it really helps parents as well. I've had several parents thank me repeatedly for doing my best to reach out to them.  Most have said they've never experience this type of communication and they are so appreciative. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on parent communication.  Link up or leave a comment!