Thrive in Action Blog Series: Class Community, GPS 9 - Family Engagement

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The Thrive In Action blog series highlights practical applications for Great Pedagogy Strategies (GPS) within the EdConnective Thrive Framework, summarized here. The EdConnective Thrive Framework is unique in that it can be applied to teaching actions seamlessly whether learning is in-person or remote. This week we get more familiar with:

Class Community, GPS 9 - Family Engagement: Teacher consistently seeks to be in meaningful relationships with students’ families and communities through opportunities to engage with students in their learning. This could include positive phone calls home, input through surveys or advisory council, and visits to students homes, communities or non-school related events.

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Now, more than ever, families are looking for supportive strategies from educators on how to best support their children. In the scope of a busy teacher’s day, family communication might not always be high on one’s list of priorities. And at times, it can feel intimidating to reach out to parents as a newer teacher. But, the effort usually pays off. Research shows that family engagement can often increase student achievement in the classroom. Whether supporting student socio-emotional development or academic progress, in many cases, taking time to connect with families can save you time addressing issues in the long run. Family communication is most effective when it’s collaborative and consistent. And in today’s world, there’s many ways to connect whether your school is remote or in-person. 

If you find it challenging to remember to reach out to families, take time to pre-plan this in your schedule. At the beginning of each week, pick 3-5 families to reach out to. Keep track of your communication. Try to be strategic about who you connect with and why. Which students have made strong progress? Who might need additional support this week? Which families haven’t heard from you in a while and would benefit from an update? Does anyone need a quick “thank you” for helping out? Providing a questionnaire to families can also help to give you good information on the best methods of communication (e.g. Do they prefer text or emails over phone calls? Do they prefer morning or afternoon calls? What goals do they have for their child?). Gathering such information can make family communication easier and more efficient.

If reaching out to families seems daunting to you, try to plan your conversation in advance. Think: what do you want to achieve in your conversation and how can you build a relationship? Sometimes just leading with something not related to school like, “How was your weekend?” is a good place to start. When communicating updates about their child, regardless of the purpose of the call, lead with positives. When appropriate, allow for space for parents to ask questions and provide feedback on suggestions you share. This is often a gateway to deeper conversation and next steps that you can both agree on. Lastly, consider the form of communication you use for what you wish to address. More serious conversations may warrant in person, or in virtual environments, a video call. Quick reminders might be best delivered via email, flyers or parent communication apps. When you’re proactive and planned, parent engagement can be a fantastic tool to build strong student outcomes!

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Download a summary of the EdConnective Thrive Framework here. EdConnective provides 1:1, personalized non-evaluative coaching to teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators, as well as small group coaching and large group training.

Portia Jones