When it comes to communicating with parents, timeliness and consistency are key. Sending an introduction letter to parents is great, but I would love to also initiate a conversation with parents as soon as possible with other letters, emails, quick phone calls, extended phone calls (15-30 minutes at least), and in-person conferences. I plan on writing into my syllabi a clause or statement that explicitly mentions I work to respond to parent communication as quick as possible. I think it is reasonable to state that I won't let emails, phone calls, or other attempts to communicate with me go unanswered for longer than a full business week. 

I value my time, on and off, but I also plan to value my students and their parents' time as well. I know some parents may have more availability during the weekends and/or after school hours. I take these type of things into account while I work on maintaining a healthy and sustainable boundary around my time. 

Below are a few ways I intend on reaching out to parents, focusing on different practices that help me identify preferred modes of communication for each parent. The intention and goal is always about their child's success. 

1. Asking the question: What is your preferred style of communication?/What is the best time and way to reach you?  

• Whenever I speak to parents for the first time (probably over the phone or in-person), I plan on asking for and documenting any other contact information that might not be available to me through Synergy. 

• Beside that, I want to note what parents prefer for communicating between email, phone calls and voicemails, in-person, other and/or some combination. Even if they say they wouldn't mind a combination of things, I would like for them to mention at least one preference for me to take note of.  

• Knowing when they are most available during the week is also worth asking and can save me a lot of time and effort.  

2. Letters home

• Letters are a lovely way to communicate with families. 

• They can be used like my introduction letter above, but they can also be used to inform parents of:

• Field trips 

• Classroom content and assessment

• Student behavior

• School events

• And other initiatives that students, myself, or the school are planning 

3. Phone calls 

•  If there is one thing I learned how to do well this past year, it's how to call and maintain communication with parents. I've learned that parents are often just as reluctant and afraid to talk to teachers as many teachers are to talk to parents.

• It is hard; lot's of missed calls, voicemails, games of phone-tag, incomplete conversations, and miscommunications. 

• It is worth it; moments to celebrate their kid/your student, on the fly strategizing and problem solving, laughs, cries, and so much more. 

• I am going to be working at a pretty small school (73 students as of 2020) so, realistically, I can make time to call each one of my student's parents within the first two weeks to a month of the school year. Of course, making time to call doesn't always mean you are going to get ahold of them, but the effort is always worth it.

4. School events 

•  Whenever the school has community events, it offers a great time for me to have conversations with families and get to know them and my students even more. 

• Eventually, I know I will get to the point where I feel confident in helping organize such events which also gives me room to think of how I can plan on reaching parents to let them know about events, as well as making space and time to authentically converse with them when they come into the school.

5. Emails 

• Apart from extended in-person discussions, emails and phone calls are probably the best way to engage in an ongoing conversation with parents. 

• Along with an introduction letter (which I can also email), I plan on sending out an email to each of my student's parents. The email can explicitly mention that I am reaching out to begin an ongoing conversation, but the point is really to just start a thread of communication as soon as possible.

• This is also helpful if the student's attendance and/or behavior begins to cause significant disruptions early on. 

• Sending early and consistent emails is almost like a Litmus test to gauge how often and how responsive parents are going to be. Of course, this "test" is completely dependent on the parent's availability, communication preference, access to technology, and more, but the point is worth mentioning.  

6. Student Lead Conferences, IEP meetings, and PTCs 

• My previous school did not have parent-teacher conferences, but rather, we had student-led conferences. This format, though they require more planning and guided instruction, is my preferred method for conference with parents. However, I realize that not every school does them. That being said, parent-teacher conferences are obviously an excellent opportunity to reach parents.

• My experience has been that the work of building relationships with a student makes these conferences and meetings much easier because I feel that al parties are coming in with an informed understanding of this person and having their best interest in mind.  

Applying Cultural Responsiveness with Parent and Student Equity in Mind