Open a Positive Line of Communication With Parents From Day 1

By
TheHappyTeacher

This post originally appeared on the blog The Happy Teacher.

Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. All the teachers at my school are REQUIRED to make a phone call to each and every parent during the first week of school. It may be a requirement, but it’s something that I actually love doing! I enjoy touching basing with the parents and giving them a positive update before the year really gets going. On the flip side, as a parent, I love hearing from my child’s teacher… and he’s only attending Mother’s Day Out! I created this simple form to use at the start of the new school year. Pass out the note at “Meet the Teacher” night or send it home in students’ folders on the first day of school. The letter will give parents the opportunity to share vital information with you about their child.

Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. Here's how to make this happen.
Download it for FREE by visiting my TpT store.

Speaking of Meet the Teacher Night, there are some important forms I have parents fill out when they come to meet me before school starts. 

Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. Here's how to make this happen.
This next form is probably the most important! It’s vital to know how students are getting home on the FIRST day of school. Over the years, I’ve found that parents tend to do things a little differently on the first day of school. The child may normally be a bus rider. However, on the first day of school, Mom may want to pick her child up in the carpool line or maybe Dad is going to walk home with his child. Find out how the child is getting home on that very first day of school! 
Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. Here's how to make this happen.
Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. Here's how to make this happen.

The idea is for parents to stay in the classroom and fill out these forms immediately. That way I have them ready to go on the 1st Day of School. I have some simple, fun activities for the kids to do in the classroom while their parents fill out these important forms. (Ex: Buckets of math manipulatives, Play-Doh, iPad games, coloring pages, etc…)

What do you think about my Newsletter Template? I thought the brochure style would stand out from the rest of the paperwork that goes home with kiddos. Newsletters are a great way to keep parents in the loop and keep a positive, open line of communication. Send them home monthly or at the beginning of each grading period.
Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. Here's how to make this happen.
 
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Building relationships and establishing an open line of communication with parents is essential to a great school year. Here's how to make this happen. Liz Pledger is the teacher blogger behind TheHappyTeacher. She is a former  K-2 teacher and Instructional Specialist turned WAHM to two busy toddlers. Her blog posts, resources, and professional development videos are inspired to make teachers’ lives easier. If you are in need of classroom management ideas, organizational tips, or reading and math resources, check out TheHappyTeacher’s blog, Pinterest, and Facebook for easy-to-implement ideas.

 

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