You know when you have a student who is “acting” up in class, and you decide it’s time to call home? It’s time for that school-home communication tool that guarantees students improve their behavior! So, you call and say something like this… “Hi, is this __’s mom? This is her teacher and I need to talk to you about her behavior in class.” And then realize, dang… this is the first contact I’ve ever had with this family! Ah! NO! This is not the way it should be.
So, let’s backtrack BEFORE any behavior problems have started. Connecting with all of your student’s families in a positive manner is a vital first step in strengthening school-home communication. Yes, I mean it… ALL. If you are an elementary teacher that’s a little less tricky than junior high teachers who may have 130+ students…but you still need to do it. Will it be time-consuming? A little bit. But will it be so worth it? Heck. Yes. 🙌
PS- I shared an embarrassing moment I had when I made a phone call on TikTok. 😫
School-Home Communication Resource
Let me share this super easy-to-use resource to establish your first point of communication. It is this family homework letter freebie! It will save you time because all you have to do is update the date and your name. Easy peasy. It’s a great way to start off that communication with families. It’s even in English and Spanish for ya! For two other ways to start communicating with families, check out my blog post here. The focus is EL students, but all students would benefit.
Why does positive contact matter?
I totally wish my school had communicated better with my family. I still remember to this day sitting in the principal’s office with my mom and the day I confronted my mom about that day…10 years later! I know that if my school had a stronger relationship with my mom this whole situation would have been less traumatizing for me.
As teachers, we know how crazy those middle school years can be and it was in sixth grade when I was called into the office. I had written a poem about a girl who was hurting herself and my teacher made sure to turn it in. I was very depressed at the time and this poem indeed was about me. It was one way I tried asking for help. In the office, it was the principal, my mother, and I.
As we sat in the principal’s office talking about the poem, how I was feeling, and counseling, my mother was nodding her head and saying “yes, yes” with an accent, displaying she understands all that is being said. After the meeting on our way home, my mom gives me a lecture in Spanish about how I shouldn’t be writing and saying that “stuff”. And that was it. I wish I could hug my 6th-grade self and give her the courage to explain what REALLY was going on.
Fast forward 10 years later, my mother and I are sitting in my living room a few days after I gave birth to my second son. I am not sure what brought up the conversation, but I began explaining what the principal was talking about so many years ago. I was bawling within a few minutes (those postpartum hormones had really kicked in!). My mom soon started crying and apologizing. She said “Hijita, yo no sabía lo que estaba diciendo.” The translation? “My little daughter, I did not know what they were saying.”
My mom felt so bad and as much as I want to blame her, I have learned to accept the many factors that played into that moment. One major factor was the lack of trust and fear of embarrassment my mom felt towards the school. She didn’t feel comfortable asking for help. I believe that if the school had attempted to form a better relationship with my family school-home communication, the outcome of this event would have been a lot better.
I think of that moment often when communicating with families because I don’t want a misunderstanding like I have experienced to happen to any child. A positive connection with a family before a negative one will help build a relationship of trust.
Maybe you can relate to my story having grown up in a bilingual household, or even a monolingual one. Perhaps you’ve only experienced positive communication and want to share that joy with your own students! Whichever one it may be, I am here to help assure that communication with families (especially diverse ones) is occurring at your school and that miscommunication is minimized.
What can you do to strengthen school-home communication?
- If you take one thing from this blog post, let it be this! Please, please make sure your school is sending home information in the family’s indicated home language. Families have a right to know what is going on at the school and the best way this will happen is if it is sent in a language they know. If you don’t speak the language, check with the district! Districts often have a list of interpreters and translators. (BTW, an interpreter is verbal language and a translator is for written, cool huh?)
I grew up in a rural school district, so I know that not all districts have the means to have interpreters. Luckily, we have Google! I highly suggest sending home low-stakes messages using Google Translate. If it is personal and high-stake information, please urge your principal to make sure the proper interpreters are contacted for messaging/calling/meeting with the family. Google Translate isn’t perfect and mistakes can happen! Sending home an ill-translated message for very important information can go south quickly. One of your main goals should be for families to receive the most accurate information.
Another idea to keep in mind is even if the family are native English speakers, make sure you’re using the correct forms of language. Dr. Donna Beegle, who has an incredible story, has these suggestions of what not to do when working with families who are in poverty. She says “People who grow up in poverty…often rely on word of mouth. Sending a letter, using professional jargon, and providing information on a website are not effective ways of communicating with people in poverty.” Be mindful of how you are communicating with all families, including the words you’re using in English. - Providing opportunities for the communication to be actual two-way communication. You communicate, but so does the family. This is a great way to get to know your families. Once this connection has been made, you’ve opened big doors! The information you send is more likely to be received because of that foundation of trust. To communicate effectively, families must listen to you and trust you. When you provide this opportunity for two-way communication, they know you genuinely care and that you are wanting and waiting for a response. Here are some ideas for 2-way communication:
-Family homework (click here to get the freebie!)
-Share a positive behavior/story about their student and ask for them to share one back
-Ask what goals/hopes they have for their student
This article has some more information on effective two-way communication. There are fun ideas on there too. - The last suggestion I have for you to strengthen school-home communication is to get families into your building! Spending time with families will build the relationship and strengthen communication on both sides. Create events that are fun and engaging! This provides a more relaxed environment to enjoy each other’s company. Try out one of the following events:
-Board Game Night (low to no cost) 🎲
-Ice Cream Sundae Monday (host a dessert night to start off the week)🍦
-Cultural Night (invite families to have a table about their country/culture) 🎉
-Craft Night 🎨
-Field/Olympic evening (or morning!) 🎖
Hosting events is best done in teams and school committees because it can take a lot of planning and time. Besides, isn’t it more fun to work with others?
Recap of Strengthen School-Home Communication
Get out there and start making plans for connecting with your families. I guarantee that with a relationship established with all your students’ families, your life in the classroom will be better! Before you make that call to speak to families about behaviors or concerns, make sure you’ve contacted them with something positive. The initial school-home communication is so vital! Along with that, remember to send home information in their language (whether that is Korean or simplified English), assure your communication is two-way, and invite them into your school. Good luck!
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