Comments on: Communicating with parents is almost impossible http://www.ourschool.ca/communicating-with-parents-is-almost-impossible.html Connecting parents and teachers using technology Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:42:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Ms. Vicco http://www.ourschool.ca/communicating-with-parents-is-almost-impossible.html/comment-page-1#comment-4483 Ms. Vicco Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:27:32 +0000 http://www.ourschool.ca/?p=110#comment-4483 Lorna~ I am glad that you added on that administration would allocate time for teachers to be able to make these phone calls. On top of my teaching duties, being a mom takes full priority once the bell rings at the end of the day. With only a couple of phones handy for more than a couple dozen teachers, making phone calls can be quite challenging. Lorna~
I am glad that you added on that administration would allocate time for teachers to be able to make these phone calls. On top of my teaching duties, being a mom takes full priority once the bell rings at the end of the day. With only a couple of phones handy for more than a couple dozen teachers, making phone calls can be quite challenging.

]]> By: Lorna http://www.ourschool.ca/communicating-with-parents-is-almost-impossible.html/comment-page-1#comment-78 Lorna Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:44:31 +0000 http://www.ourschool.ca/?p=110#comment-78 Thanks for your thoughts Jeannine. You present some good issues. Even excessive emails can be a problem. There will never be one size fits all solution. There must be a way to make phone calls about good things not just " what has my child done wrong today" Thanks for your thoughts Jeannine. You present some good issues. Even excessive emails can be a problem. There will never be one size fits all solution. There must be a way to make phone calls about good things not just ” what has my child done wrong today”

]]> By: Jeannine http://www.ourschool.ca/communicating-with-parents-is-almost-impossible.html/comment-page-1#comment-77 Jeannine Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:31:28 +0000 http://www.ourschool.ca/?p=110#comment-77 I agree that a better relationship will be built if we begin with "personal" contact, either face to face or via a phone call. I think that parents should be notified at the beginning of the year to expect this contact. (I remember the first time my son's teacher called me at home, my heart sank to the floor, why would a teacher call me at home??? It must be 'bad' news???) That way parents can be conditioned to expect a call for good news or bad and it will help to ensure the calls are made. Some other things to consider: - it may be hard to allocate the time to staff, won't most calls need to happen in the evening? - the best practice of 'personal communication' has to be school wide to be effective, - as the relationship grows e-mail with an option of phone follow-up might make it easier for everyone, - existing relationships (from experience with older siblings) might make a personal contact unnecessary, but some contact early in the school year should still be made. Of course this personal communication grows very difficult in the high school years - do we expect contact from the 'home room' teacher or from every teacher? Teachers may have 150-200 students per term...that's a lot of phone calls. I agree that a better relationship will be built if we begin with “personal” contact, either face to face or via a phone call.

I think that parents should be notified at the beginning of the year to expect this contact. (I remember the first time my son’s teacher called me at home, my heart sank to the floor, why would a teacher call me at home??? It must be ‘bad’ news???) That way parents can be conditioned to expect a call for good news or bad and it will help to ensure the calls are made.

Some other things to consider:
- it may be hard to allocate the time to staff, won’t most calls need to happen in the evening?
- the best practice of ‘personal communication’ has to be school wide to be effective,
- as the relationship grows e-mail with an option of phone follow-up might make it easier for everyone,
- existing relationships (from experience with older siblings) might make a personal contact unnecessary, but some contact early in the school year should still be made.

Of course this personal communication grows very difficult in the high school years – do we expect contact from the ‘home room’ teacher or from every teacher? Teachers may have 150-200 students per term…that’s a lot of phone calls.

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