I believe that teacher/family communication is key for ensuring that both parties are on the same team and willing to collaborate effectively in order to ensure what is best for the child. However, I understand that families have different preferences for the form of communication that is most effective for them. Therefore, I have a vast range of communication techniques in order to accommodate individual preferences and keep families connected with myself and the classroom. I also make an effort to get to know the amazing people my students are outside of the classroom. This is crucial for establishing respectful and trusting relationships with my students, so they know I care about them as individuals. To the left, is pictured one of my students, Shyheed, winning MVP at his basketball game! |
Intro Letter/Parent SurveyIn the beginning of the year, I sent home a letter introducing myself and my classroom vision and goals to families along with a survey allowing parents to provide me with insight into their child's strengths, needs, interests, and expectations out of me for the school year. This also allowed me to get the parents preferred method and time to contact them. Click on the link to see a copy of the parent survey I sent home!
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Text/Picture UpdatesAs I got to know families better through the survey and individual phone calls introducing myself, I learned that many are very eager to be involved and updated daily/weekly about their child's progress and behavior. One way I have found that is efficient and preferred by many families is daily/weekly text/photo updates. Photos are a great way to not only tell families about the extraordinary accomplishments of their child, but to also show them their hard work and effort. Above is an example of a photo I sent to a parent with the caption, "________________'s subtraction skills have improved so much that he was the teacher today! The others learned so much from him! I'm so proud!"
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Community InvolvementBecause there is not yet a sports team for young ladies at the school, I volunteered to start the first Imani Education Circle cheerleading team, which will be cheering for the boy's basketball team. My goal is to get more involved in the community in which I teach and to get to know my students and their families better outside of the classroom. I also hope to instill teamwork and motivation in children through cheerleading, as this sport has taught me growing up. Furthermore, to remain on the team students must maintain a passing grade average and meet certain disciplinary requirements, which will in turn motivate them to do well in school!
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