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Parents - The ABCs of
Staying in Touch With Your Child’s School
A – Ask questions whenever you have a
concern.
Akron Public Schools wants involved
parents who know what’s going on in school. We know that sound support for your
effort grows out of a solid understanding of what’s happening and why. Never
feel like you’re intruding or interrupting when you have something to ask. Make
a call. Visit your school. Send an e-mail. However you do it, ask what’s on your
mind.
B – Build your
child’s confidence with regular communication.
Ask questions about what’s going
well and not so well in school. Compliment good effort. Encourage questions.
Make conversation about school progress an everyday ritual.
C – Clarify language
you don’t understand.
Don’t be intimidated by education
jargon or confusing abbreviations. Ask questions until you are comfortable with
what is being said. Examples: “When you say ____________________, what do you
mean by that?” Or, “Can you give me an example of what you mean by
___________________?”
D – Dig deeper into
your child’s school work.
Partner with your child and teachers
to build a home/school learning team. Understand the short- and long-term
learning objectives for assignments. Read over assignments. Review homework.
Getting involved communicates to your child and to teachers that you care.
E – E-mail your
child’s teacher or principal.
More and more schools offer e-mail
as an efficient way to stay in touch with parents. Check into what your school
offers. But use e-mail wisely. It works best for short, uncomplicated exchanges,
not for resolving concerns. Personal meetings still work best for more serious
matters.
F – Follow up with
teachers and others at your school.
Good communication is an ongoing
process. Develop a good working relationship with those working with your child.
Do not let issues build and build until they become more complicated than
necessary. When you have a question, no matter how small, ask it right away.
G – Gather
information on how your school works.
Keep handbooks or calendars close
by. They can be good sources of names, phone numbers or basic information when
you have questions. Note school meetings and events on your home calendar, and
try to attend as many as you can.
H – Have patience
when trying to reach teachers.
Remember that teachers often start
work very early in the day, and they are usually in class much of the day. Leave
voice mail messages or send e-mails. Expect timely but not immediate responses.
Of course, call the principal or a counselor in an urgent situation.
I – Inform your
school and teacher about issues important to your child.
Teachers and others in your school
want to know as much as possible about your child. Keep them up-to-date on
issues and information that might be important. Explain special situations or
events that might be influencing behavior or performance.
J – Join parent
organizations and school committees.
Parent groups and advisory
committees play essential roles in linking your school to the communities it
serves. Without good, representative input, any school can make bad decisions.
It takes only a few hours every month to make a difference by working with
groups like these. Call your principal or teacher, and ask how you can help.
K – Keep up to date
on technology.
Make sure you know what technology
is available, and use it to stay in touch. Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Call or e-mail the school and ask. Schools and districts need to hear what works
and what doesn’t from people using their communication technology.
L – Let teachers and
principals know that you appreciate good communication.
Send a note of thanks or
appreciation when you get a note, newsletter or some other message about events
in the classroom. Let them know you’re reading what they’re sending home and
what you find helpful. Suggest improvements or other issues you’d like to hear
more about. Good feedback helps people communicate more effectively.
M – Meet people
whenever you can.
Nothing is more important than
developing personal relationships with people at your child’s school. Your
child’s teachers can do a better job if they know about any concerns you have,
and you will feel better about school if you understand what is happening there.
N – Never go away
feeling confused.
Schools and the parents they serve
can get involved in many complicated issues and situations. At times, stress and
emotions can get in the way of good communication. Take time to reasonably and
rationally discuss any matter of concern. Don’t look for instant solutions.
Sometimes events may take some time and numerous discussions to resolve to
everyone’s satisfaction.
O – Organize your
thoughts and questions before attending school meetings.
Make the most of meetings with
teachers and others by thinking about issues before you arrive. Consider making
a list of key questions to discuss so nothing gets overlooked. When possible,
let others know in advance what you’d like to discuss, so they can do their best
to be prepared.
P – Provide a good
example with good communication.
What you say and how you say it has
a tremendous impact on the attitude and outlook your child brings to school. Use
open communication to show that you are concerned about quality and performance
from everyone when it comes to schoolwork – including your child.
Q – Question school
officials about special programs that may be available.
Schools today offer a variety of
special programs and services responding to all kind of needs presented by
students. Know what these programs offer and how you can make the most of them.
R – Read and respond
to those many notices your child brings home.
A top communication concern held by
many teachers: Parents often miss key information sent home. Sometimes children
forget to pass on the information. Other times, parents forget to respond. Try
this: Think of your child’s homecoming the same way you think of your phone
answering machine. Most people check for new messages when they walk in the
door. Do the same when your see you child after school. Always ask, “What
messages do you have for me today?”
S – Spend time
learning with your child.
Learning together adds to the fun
and helps your child achieve even more. Good classrooms help students support
one another in the learning process. A good learning environment at home does
the same. Focus your questions on specific things your child found interesting,
exciting or new. Ask questions in ways that express interest in feelings and
thoughts, not just progress and performance.
T – Thank your child
for sharing.
Children like to get thanks, too.
Take the time to express your appreciation for information and insight that they
share with you. Make sure they know that helping you stay in touch makes you
feel good about them and the work they’re doing.
U – Understand
school rules and why they’re important.
Schools and teachers have many
rules. Good rules help to foster fairness, safety and cooperation. Good up-front
communication with your child and teacher can help to avoid all kinds of
potential problems when it comes to following school rules. You can’t
over-communicate when it comes to rules. Ask when you have a question.
V – Voice your
concerns with people who can your solve your problem.
Don’t waste time complaining to
people who can’t fix your problem. Ask questions to find out who can help, and
then make your request directly to that person.
W – Wade through the
red tape if it appears.
Good schools are run by good people
who are responsive. Still, bureaucracies can pop up even in the best systems,
and the resulting red tape can entangle good intentions. Recognize that
non-responsiveness isn’t personal. Be persistent.
X – X-out what isn’t
essential when communicating.
Remember that old line from the TV
show Dragnet when communicating on school issues: “Just the facts.” Debates and
disagreements are a natural part of open communication, but they shouldn’t get
personal. Remember: The goal of good home-school communication should always be
keeping a focus on the success of children. Use that as your benchmark to keep
your messages focused.
Y – Yearn to help
others help your child succeed.
Many people at home and school
contribute to a child’s ultimate success. How well all of these people share
information and get along with each other will have a great deal to do with just
how successful a child’s school experience will be. Use sound communication to
build relationships to serve your child.
Z – Zero in on the
positive messages essential to a great school experience.
Don’t let your communications be
sidetracked by outside issues. Keep people and conversations focused on results
that will mean the most to your school and child. Use communication to bolster
what’s right and what’s working. Don’t use communication to dwell on what’s
wrong.
Source: National School Public Relations Association, 15948 Derwood Road,
Rockville MD 20855; (301) 519-0496; www.nspra.org; E-mail: nspra@nspra.org. |
