How do you prioritize parent communication?

1 Assess your needs

The first step to prioritizing parent communication is to assess your own needs and goals as a teacher. What are the main purposes and outcomes of your communication with parents? How often and how much do you need to communicate with them? What are the best methods and tools to use for different types of communication? How do you track and document your communication efforts? By answering these questions, you can identify your priorities and focus areas, as well as the potential challenges and solutions.

2 Know your audience

The second step to prioritizing parent communication is to know your audience and their needs and preferences. Parents are not a homogeneous group; they have different backgrounds, cultures, languages, expectations, and levels of involvement in their children's education. Therefore, you need to tailor your communication style, tone, and content to suit each parent's situation and perspective. You can use surveys, interviews, or informal conversations to learn more about the parents' communication styles, availability, access to technology, and feedback.

3 Establish expectations

The third step to prioritizing parent communication is to establish clear and realistic expectations with both parents and students. You can use a communication plan or policy to outline the frequency, mode, and purpose of your communication with parents, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each party. You can also set boundaries and guidelines for respectful and constructive communication, such as the best times to contact you, the response time, and the topics to avoid or escalate. By setting expectations, you can avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and frustrations.

4 Be proactive and positive

The fourth step to prioritizing parent communication is to be proactive and positive in your outreach. Don't wait until there is a problem or a crisis to contact parents; instead, reach out regularly and share positive news, achievements, and praise for their children. You can also use proactive communication to inform parents about upcoming events, assignments, assessments, or changes in the curriculum or policies. By being proactive and positive, you can build trust, rapport, and collaboration with parents, as well as prevent or address potential issues.

5 Use multiple channels

The fifth step to prioritizing parent communication is to use multiple channels and formats to deliver your messages. Depending on your goals, audience, and resources, you can use various methods of communication, such as phone calls, emails, text messages, newsletters, websites, social media, apps, or video conferencing. You can also use different formats, such as text, audio, video, or images, to convey your information. By using multiple channels, you can increase the accessibility, reach, and impact of your communication with parents.

6 Evaluate and improve

The sixth step to prioritizing parent communication is to evaluate and improve your communication strategies. You can use feedback from parents, students, and colleagues, as well as data from your communication tools, to measure the effectiveness and outcomes of your communication efforts. You can also reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the challenges and opportunities you encountered. By evaluating and improving your communication strategies, you can learn from your experiences and make adjustments as needed.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?