Tell Me Something Good
What can a positive phone call home significantly boost in a student?
Self-esteem, self-confidence and motivation.
Myth or Fact: "Parents don't want to hear from me; they're too busy."
Myth or Fact: "Parents don't want to hear from me; they're too busy."
The parent you are calling immediately sounds anxious or defensive. What should you do?
Immediately put the parent at ease by saying something positive about the student and then go into the reason for calling.
Parent involvement is proven to increase what for students in school?
Higher grades, better attendance, or lower dropout rates.
When the parent begins to use language that is not professional nor productive, what is the best thing to do?
The teacher should inform the parent that the language is inappropriate and then excuse themselves from the conversation if the parent does not stop.
According to Harvard research, teacher-family communication increases the odds of students completing homework by what percentage?
40 percent
Myth or Fact: "Phone calls take too much time, so email is always better."
Myth. While emails are quick, phone calls build better rapport and allow for hearing tone and nuance, which can save time on future, more complex issues.
A parent begins to complain about another teacher or school policy during your call. How do you respond professionally?
Gently redirect the conversation back to their child's progress or suggest they contact the appropriate person for that issue.
Communication can help a teacher gain a better understanding of a student's background, which can lead to more effective what?
When the staff member making the phone call, is not being heard by the parent, what should happen?
The staff member should remain quiet and let the parent vent. Once the parent has finished, restate why the phone call was initiated in a calm voice.
What does a positive call help build between the teacher and parent, making later difficult conversations easier?
What does a positive call help build between the teacher and parent, making later difficult conversations easier?
Myth or Fact: "If I call a parent, they might get angry or defensive."
Fact (sometimes), but making proactive, positive calls first can change the dynamic and make difficult conversations less tense.
You have a student who rarely gets positive attention and is challenging. How do you approach the first positive call?
Find even a small positive gain or moment of good behavior to praise, as this can start to turn the tide for the student
What specific social-emotional benefit comes from building strong parent-teacher relationships?
Strong social-emotional development for the student.
Is it okay for a teacher to not make the phone call home if they know what the parent will not do anything.
No, the teacher should always try and keep record of the conversation.
A positive call can help prevent a negative behavior from continuing by internalizing what kind of feedback?
Positive feedback
Myth or Fact: "Only students with issues need their parents called."
Myth. All students benefit from home-school collaboration and positive reinforcement.
You need to make a call about a behavior issue. You've already made several positive calls to this parent. How might the conversation be different?
The parent may be more receptive and collaborative because a foundation of trust has already been established.
When parents feel the teacher sees the good qualities of their child, they feel the teacher is an ______ at school.
Ally.
At what time in the conversation is it time for the teacher to let the parent know exactly how they are feeling about them and their child?
The teacher should always keep it professional.
Beyond academics and behavior, what can a positive call help you learn about a student's life outside of school?
Side anecdotes about their home life, hobbies, or language spoken at home.
Myth or Fact: Making contact with a parent is not necessary as long as the child is passing the course.
Myth: The expectation is that each student needs to have a phone call from their teacher at least once each 9 weeks.
You want to ensure consistent limits between school and home. What can the phone call facilitate?
Establishing and maintaining consistent behavioral expectations and consequences between the two environments.
Consistent communication reminds all parties (students and parents) that the home and school are on the same what?
Team.
What happens to staff who uses unprofessional language (curses) towards other staff, parents and students?
That is a Principal situation.