LOTS 113 - Communication with Student & Families

We Introduced ourselves w/ the Question: Would you rather live where it only snows or the temperature never falls below 100 degrees?

Ryan: where the temp never falls below 100. I have island genes and can’t stand the cold.

Lee: definitely where the temp never falls below 100 since I break out into hives when I’m exposed to cold for any length of time. It super sucks. Also I’m used to 100+ temps, I live in Texas!

Tanea: I’d prefer to live where temp never falls below 100. It would be like living in Thailand again.

Aaron: Only Yankee in the group. I’ll deal with the snow.

What are your primary ways that you communicate with students about assignments, expectations, and other important details?

Lee: verbally, Canvas, announcements in Canvas, sometimes I use Skyward mass emails, also my daily schedule board (digital and analog)

Tanea: Canvas, announcements, and email, and in class reminders

Ryan: verbally, Canvas, emails, and the BAND app. For my community college students, I use Google Voice so that they can text me, since I’m an off-campus adjunct without office hours.

Aaron: Mostly through google classroom & shared planning docs + weekly preview videos. I also make in-class announcements and have weekly zoom office hours.

Do you have any guidelines so you are not answering questions 24/7? Do you communicate these to your students?

Tanea: No, I encourage kids to ask questions and get clarification often. I’m not sure this is effective, but I encourage it. I’m actually working with some other teachers to examine the process for different departments.

Ryan: Not really. I’d rather them ask their question and get an answer than just guess. Generally I don’t answer emails on the weekend, but if it’s a pressing question that can’t wait, I don’t mind answering

Lee: absolutely. You have to set boundaries or you are working 24/7. I tell kids during school hours, I’m really good about answering emails, usually immediately. But once I leave the building, I don’t check my email, and I don’t check it until Sunday night. So if it’s urgent, it won’t get seen until the next day or Monday if it comes over the weekend.

Aaron: I carry my phone when I am awake so If I get a student message, I just reply. I’m not very firm with guidelines.

How much and in what ways do you communicate directly with parents?

Ryan: I communicate with parents quite often, especially with IEP students. My preferred method is via email so that I have a written record of what I said, but I also use the BAND app (again, so that I have a written record of what I said). Everything gets logged in our student information system so that administration can see how much contact I’ve made.

Lee: not gonna lie, this is something I have always struggled with. But I do contact parents when kids are failing, and that’s not often. I usually email and when I can’t get a hold of them that way, or they ask for a phone conference, I’ll call them. If I catch your kid engaged in academic dishonesty, I contact you, ALWAYS. I also try to send positive notes to parents about their kids because I think it’s just as important that parents hear about the good things their kids do or how awesome their kids are to have in class.

Tanea: I answer their direct questions, do PTC, meet the teacher night, etc. Every now and again you have to reach out to parents via email about grades, but not often.

Aaron: This is a weak spot for me as well. I don’t want to escalate things too quickly when a kid is struggling. I usually contact councilors or special educators first to see if there is a broader issue going on, and then proceed from there.

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