Now that I'm working with K-4 students I've been challenged by ways to pass along what we're working on each month without having to create...
Columnist Stephanie Towler discusses the impact of a rare disease diagnosis on a person's family members, especially their parents.
A Christian teacher in California, Jessica Tapia, lost her job after refusing to comply with district's transgender policies and said she intends to sue.
Participating in Parent Teacher Conferences can be a stressful part of being a teacher. You want what is best for your students. Sharing areas of strength and other positives is the easy part. Presenting concerns can be uncomfortable for both you and parents. I am approaching my twelfth year of parent teacher conferences. There are times that I am nervous, but by now I have a routine and things that I do to every year that help to make them successful. Prior to Conferences Send out your sign-up sheet a few weeks ahead of time. Have parents mark their 3 most preferable times, ordering them from 1 to 3. For those that you know or suspect will need extra, leave the time slot immediately after theirs free. If you don’t get a conference slip back from a student’s parents, make a phone call or send an email to try to set one up. Send home a survey for parents to fill out. Questions they may have for you and/or concerns about their child. Have them return it to you prior to the conference so that you are prepared. Send home a conference reminder – listing the time and day for their scheduled conference. Copy on colored paper to have it stand out Have students complete a self-evaluation to rate their own learning, behavior, etc. Prior to the conference, fill out the conference notes. This will help with maintaing a focus and purpose. Setting the Stage Make sure your room is tidy. Have students clean out their desks Outside the classroom, have a table decorated for the appropriate season. Consider having a basket with candy for waiting parents Include a sign-in sheet. Have chairs sitting outside the room Display student work in the hallway for them to look at while waiting. Need supplies? Have a wish list for parents to choose something to donate. During Conferences Close the door for privacy Don't sit behind a desk. Sitting side by side is ideal. This helps parents feel less intimidated. Make eye contact. Begin the conference with saying something positive about their child. While conferencing, always remember that their child is their world and that you all ultimately want what is best for their child. Within reason, the parent is always right. Take notes. This will serve as a reminder for you. You see many parents during conference time, and it's hard to remember everything you talked about with all parents. Make it a priority to stick to the allotted time. You don’t want angry parents before they come to the conference. Thank them for coming and let them know you are looking forward to the rest of the year. Conference Follow-Up Send home a thank-you note to parents that came. Continue a channel of communication between home and school. You can download the free forms that you see within this post HERE. Wishing you successful parent teacher conferences!
CNN passes over black employees and denies them on-the-job training, a producer claims in a new $500,000 racial discrimination lawsuit.
Say goodbye to toddler biting with our positive approach! Explore practical tips and insights to create harmony at home.
We find and feature creative,free teaching ideas and activitiesfor kindergarten through fifth grade.You get back alittle more time to yourself.
Part of my role at our district early childhood center is to complete incoming evaluations for children entering the program. We have about half of our students come from the state birth to three program
Say goodbye to toddler biting with our positive approach! Explore practical tips and insights to create harmony at home.
If you have a "difficult" baby, you know the hours of soothing and calming they require. Research shows why all this parental care matters.
In light of the fact that Crohn's is back in the news again today, thanks to Dynamo, I spoke to my mum and my partner, Vince, this morning and suggested that
Part of my role at our district early childhood center is to complete incoming evaluations for children entering the program. We have about half of our students come from the state birth to three program
6 Tips for explaining salvation to a child in a way that they can easily grasp, while truly getting through to their hearts.
Our students spend 8 hours a day in our classrooms, and even though I’m not a parent, I can’t imagine not knowing what’s going on. So from Weebly, to Twitter, to newsletters, to Y…
Photos from Stars Playing Onscreen Twins
Tourette's syndrome (Tourette's) is a neurological disorder characterized by the occurrence of uncontrollable movements and sounds, called tics. The tics can be body movements such as simultaneous movement of the arms and legs, jerking of the head, sounds such as tickling, shouting, grunting and others.
Perth-based blogger Constance Hall has snapped back at mummy shamers who took offense at her latest photo taken immediately after giving birth to son, Raja Wolf.
Hello teacher friends! Naomi from Read Like a Rock Star here! I hope your new school year has had a great start! How do you keep your students' parents in the loop? I know that some educators use their blogs or classroom websites to update their parents. I tried that one year and just couldn't keep up with it. Kudos to those that do! Something that I found easy to utilize all year long was a classroom newsletter. Choosing to send home a weekly, biweekly, or monthly newsletter is up to you. Do what will be helpful, but do only what you can handle. Because our school had a new reading skills focus that teachers had to implement each week, I chose to send home weekly newsletters so I could keep parents informed about the new reading skill we were focusing on. It wasn't overwhelming to keep up with at all and my students' parents really appreciated it. It helped them target that skill at home as well, and we all know that teamwork makes the dream work! The students' parents were more informed and involved with their student's classroom work and my expectations. I always included the math/reading/writing/s.s./science skills we were working on. You could even include the homework assignments. Sometimes I would include strategies, games, or just any information I thought they might find helpful. Class newsletters are a great way to remind parents about upcoming school events like picture day, birthdays, assemblies, and tests. I think it's important to think about what you truly want the parents to know and read. Don't just fill your newsletter with fluff. Here is an example of the newsletter that I used all year with my second grade class. If it's useful to you, you're welcome to try it for free! Click here to download this freebie!
This month I'm linking up to discuss parent communication. I will say my parents appreciate the systems I've put into place to keep them informed about their child's education. 1) Weekly Newsletter- every Monday students take home a newsletter in their folder. As you can see I let parents know what we're learning that week, important dates, notes and homework. 2) Classroom Website- every weekend I update the classroom website with the weekly newsletter above and important dates. I have information about our classroom (wish list, birthdays, classroom management plan), math study guides and links to practice pages, as well as Social Studies and Science study guides and study cards. 3) Parent Emails- In addition to the hard copy newsletter and classroom website. I occasionally send emails to the parents about items and events I feel need to be communicated directly and then I put it in the newsletter and on the website.
Learn how to create a successful parent teacher relationship throughout the school year and why it is important.
These written agreements are like prenups, but the assets are mom and dad's time. Here's what you need to know.
The Bible contains so many great stories! I enjoy creating fun activities and teaching my little learners of the good news God wants us to know about! Have you ever pulled up a bible lesson and realized that the assigned activity just wasn't relevant enough for your preschoolers? A friend of mine has the exciting task
I keep parents up-to-date with weekly newsletters! These are black and white and ink-friendly!
Guest post by Jennifer Gonzalez As the parent of three elementary students, I get a lot of classroom newsletters. And every time I get one, I fully intend to read it. I know how important it is to keep track of school activities, to know what my kids are learning, and to support their teachers. But I
Morning News Broadcast includes all the forms you need to get your elementary broadcast up and running smoothly! This is the packet I wish I'd had when I took my first position as a media specialist. You will find all of the letters/forms you need to communicate with both parents and students as well as tips on how to make your broadcast run efficiently. It includes the following: • Student Audtion Script • Broadcast Permission Slip (including student job preference) • Rubric for Scoring Auditions • After School Audition Permission Form • Congratulations Letter • Broadcast Sample Script (to help students write their scripts) • Student Sign-In Sheet (for attendance purposes) There are actually two sets of forms: one for broadcasts that require students to audition and one for broadcasts that allow anyone to participate. Please note that this packet does NOT contain any slides for use in the actual broadcast. Thank you for shopping in my TpT store!
Do Your Kids Believe Everything They Read on the Internet? Do They Know How to Find Reliable News Sources? Do You? Read These Tips.
Free phone monitoring app to make your child's online environment safer so that they can use technology to learn, explore and create the things they want.
The first museum exhibition exploring the influence of French avant-garde poet Tristan Tzara shows that he was more complex than he is ordinarily portrayed.
Before kids go back to school, police around the country are reminding parents about potentially dangerous apps.
Mom hack older kid nighttime bed wetting, a problem for kids so I’m sharing my experience and my mom hack solution to this very real problem.
Get a free editable classroom newsletter template that you can use to send home monthly newsletters to parents! You will love the ease and flexibility of this fully editable PowerPoint newsletter template. Help strengthen the bond between home and the classroom with this communication tool!
This Hamster Cause and Effect Worksheet is a great way for students to identify cause and effect after reading a story. This is a valuable skill for students to have as they begin to read more complex texts. Hamster Cause and Effect Worksheet
The news that Mom and Dad are separating hits a two-year-old and a 10-year-old differently. Here's how to help children handle it at any age.
