by California Casualty | Educators |
Communication with the parents of students is one of the most important, if not THE most important components of student success. However, in between grading, paperwork, planning, copying, instructing, meetings, and tackling academic and behavior difficulties of students, I find it difficult to even squeeze in a restroom break! So where on Earth am I supposed to find the time to contact parents?
Communication with parents does not have to be formal or time consuming. It can be meaningful without you spending an entire plan period composing a perfectly-worded email or having a lengthy phone conversation.
Keep it brief. In many instances, parents are inundated with communication from teachers, school, and the school district. In my experience, for general school and classroom information, parents appreciate succinct messages from teachers. Get to the point and do it quickly. KISS (keep it simple stupid).
Printable, easy-to-fill-out forms are one of my favorite ways to communicate with parents when a phone call or email isn’t necessary. When a student has a minor behavior issue, consider using a form like this Behavior Alert from Floating Down the River. My favorite part of parent communication is when I can send a positive note home about a student. This editable positive note home from Classroom Freebies is easy to fill out. A Note From My Teacher from The Brown Bag Teacher can be used to communicate student accomplishments or struggles.
If you must contact parents by email or phone, keep the conversation focused on the area in which the student has the greatest need for improvement. Discussing multiple areas of need in one conversation can overwhelm parents and the teacher. Some questions to use when deciding what to say to parents: In what area do I want the student to improve? What am I doing in class to help the student improve? What are some resources I can share with parents to help the student at home? If you have additional concerns, you can save them for another conversation. Update parents as needed with concise messages.
Preparing templates for written notes or emails can speed up the process. Throughout the months of September and January I send home detailed, positive messages to the parents of each of my students. These are composed using a template of my own creation. I spend less than 10 minutes per student composing meaningful letters to parents. If this sounds like too much work, choose students worthy of praise.
Effective and efficient parent communication can be a powerful tool in achieving student success. How do you communicate efficiently with parents?
Author: Erin Randolph has taught elementary school for ten years. She lives in Olathe, KS with her husband, four-year-old son, and two-year-old daughter.
by California Casualty | Educators |
By Matt Davis, Freelance Contributor at Edutopia
Edutopia contributor Matt Davis has collected and shares some of the best resources for parents, teachers and students to prepare for the first face-to-face meeting of the school year.
We’ve all been there; that awkward moment when parents and teachers meet for the first time to discuss the progress of their children. How can you prepare, what should you say and what’s the best course of action if there’s a problem?
From ideas for highlighting student progress, to questions every parent should ask, these are some of our favorite articles and resources that cover parent-teacher conferencing. Enjoy the rest of the school year!
- Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheets for Principals, Teachers, and Parents: The Harvard Family Research Project produced these tip sheets with English and Spanish versions. Each sheet has sections written specifically for parents, teachers, and principals, and is available as a free PDF download. Two other insightful resources from the Family Research Project are Academic Parent-Teacher Teams: Reorganizing Parent-Teacher Conferences Around Data and Reimagining the Parent-Teacher Conference.
- Guide to Parent-Teacher Conferences From Scholastic: This collection of resources for educators focuses on measuring student progress and conducting meaningful conferences with parents. Scholastic also features a great parent-specific resource, Make the Most of Your Teacher Conference, which offers ideas for what to do before, during, and after conferences.
- Parent-Teacher Conference Resources From Reading Rockets: This Reading Rockets article highlights literacy questions parents should ask, from suggestions for getting students reading at home to understanding your student’s reading level. There are also some great links to other Reading Rockets resources, including PTC tips for parents of English-language learners on sister site ¡Colorín Colorado!
- TeacherVision’s Parent-Teacher Conference Resources: TeacherVision hosts a wealth of resources for parent-teacher conferences. There are conference forms, curated resources for getting parents involved, and a list of some of the best articles on parent-teacher conferences. One favorite is Parent-Teacher Conferences: Before, During, and After. Another great round-up to check out is the National Education Association’s Parent-Teacher Conference page, which features practical articles and tips for parents and teachers.
- New Teacher Survival Guide Video: The Parent-Teacher Conference: This Teaching Channel video offers preparation ideas, a first-hand look at conducting a conference, and some great tips and strategies from parent-relationship expert Diane Feinstein. There are plenty of interesting tidbits packed into this ten-minute video, making it a perfect resource for educators of any experience level. Teaching Channel’s blog post, Beyond Parent-Teacher Conferences: Building Connections That Last, by Lily Jones, also provides useful advice for using conferences to springboard into continued dialogues with parents.
Inviting Students to Lead Conferences
Student-led conferences empower learners to take ownership of their accomplishments and their classroom goals. Yet, for many teachers, it can be a challenge figuring out how to best facilitate them. In 2015, Edutopia examined how one school in Chicago uses student-led conferences to create opportunities for reflection, engagement, and agency.
You’ll find some wonderful resources in that collection. Here are a few more ideas, guides, and tips for letting students take the lead during parent-teacher conferences:
Parent-Teacher Conference Reading List
The article can be found here.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Eduardo Niebla’s passion for teaching high school science is getting a boost with a $2,500 Academic Award from California Casualty. Eduardo was shocked when he was announced as the winner during a recent staff meeting.
“It was such a surprise because I have never won anything before,” he said. “I thought I was in trouble when they called my name.”
The anxiety turned out to be a blessing for Mr. Niebla, who will be able to purchase much needed equipment for his chemistry and forensic science classes; technology that will enhance the high-level learning he provides for the students at Calexico High School in Calexico, California.
“Budgets are always tight,” Mr. Niebla said, “This will help ensure that our students have the supplies and materials they need to succeed.”
The Academic Award was created to ease the economic impact felt by educators who often spend their own money to outfit their classrooms with essential supplies and materials. This is the 11th Academic Award from California Casualty since the program began in 2012.
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This award is a reflection of the proud 65 year relationship we have with educators,” said Sr. VP Mike McCormick. “We are committed to serving them and helping them make a difference for children.”
“I am very glad to have the support of a company like California Casualty who believes in investing in education and the future. I see the results when students get into universities and colleges, and when they come back to show me their diplomas and tell me they decided to go into the science field because of what they learned here,’” he said. Mr. Niebla is proud that Calexico High School has such a high level of students who are accepted into University of California and California State University colleges.
Mr. Niebla said that he developed his love of learning from his parents, who were both chemists. After working as a chemist himself, he decided he wanted to teach others instead. He has taught for 18 years, the past 12 at Calexico High School. He and his wife have a daughter who works as a graphic designer and a son who is a sophomore at Calexico High School.
Entries for the next California Casualty $2,500 Academic Award are now being taken at www.calcasacademicaward.com. The entry deadline is December 4, 2016, with a winner announced after the New Year.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Let’s face it; noise is part of the classroom. Whether it’s kids working on a project or coming in from recess, excited students can sometimes raise a ruckus. If you’ve tried the three fingers “stop, look and listen” trick and are at your wits end trying to quell the noise, thanks to Edutopia here are some other techniques you can employ to hush the bedlam and return to a learning environment. We’ve broken them down by age groups.
Kindergarten and early elementary
- Flick the light switch
- Capture attention with a wind chime or rain stick
- Pop pretend marshmallows into the mouth until they are full
- Fill a spray bottle with water infused with essential oils and call it a “quiet spray”
- Blow magical “hush-bubbles”
Late elementary and middle school
- Employ the “silent 20” – each time students return to seats and are quiet within 20 seconds following an activity, a token is advanced on a game board. When the final square is reached (in about a month) the class gets a popcorn party
- Engage students at the door before they enter the classroom to reinforce that learning is about to begin
- Utilize minimally invasive hand gestures and other non-confrontational techniques as shown in the Teach Like a Champion video
- Incorporate a content “word of the week” (such as integer, Freud, renaissance) to signal that it is time for silence
High school students
- Write a note that reads: “If you wish to continue talking during my lesson, I will have to take time from you at the break. By the time I’ve written the title on the board you need to be sitting in silence; anyone still talking will be kept behind for five minutes.”
- Play soothing classical music on low volume when students enter to create a professional tone.
Some instructors find that call and response sayings are useful, such as:
- Holy…..macaroni
- 1,2,3, eyes on me…..1,2, eyes on you
- I’m incredible…..like the Hulk (everyone gives a grrrrr and flexes their muscles)
- Ayyyy…..macarena
- I get knocked down…..but I get up again
For those who like high tech options, there are:
- “Too Noisy,” an app that shows a colorful graph with a digital noise meter to alert you and your students when the class has exceeded acceptable noise levels
- Traffic Light, that allows you to show when the levels are too loud and the remedy
- ClassDojo, which rewards students for successes and keeps parents apprised on how their students are doing
We know we’ve barely scratched the surface of great classroom/teacher ideas and we’d love to hear about some that you use.
Here are two more resources from California Casualty that can help educators:
- Let us help make setting up your classroom a little easier on your wallet with a $2,500 Academic Award at www.calcasacademicaward.com.
- Apply for a $200 Help Your Classroom grant at www.calcas.com/help-your-classroom.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Free, Quality Educational Websites
Looking for quality, free, educational websites? Here are several FREE websites some educators enjoy using. Get your browser’s bookmarking tool ready!
Brain Breaks
GoNoOdle
www.gonoodle.com
A variety of short, no-prep, desk-side physical activities.
HOPSports – Brain Breaks
https://brain-breaks.com/
Brain Breaks® are web-based 2-5 minute activity breaks designed for the individual classroom setting.
Spelling
SpellingCity
www.spellingcity.com
An award-winning, game-based learning program for vocabulary, spelling, phonics, writing, and language arts.
AAASpell
www.aaaspell.com
AAASpell features a comprehensive set of interactive spelling lessons, games, and exercises.
Reading
ReadWorks
https://www.readworks.org/
ReadWorks provides research-based units, lessons, and authentic, leveled non-fiction and literary passages directly to educators online, for free, to be shared broadly.
The ReadWorks curriculum is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and the standards of all 50 states. Most importantly, ReadWorks is faithful to the most effective research-proven instructional practices in reading comprehension.
Science/Health
KidsHealth
www.kidshealth.org
If you’re looking for information you can trust about kids and teens that’s free of “doctor speak,” you’ve come to the right place. KidsHealth is the most-visited site on the Web for information about health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years.
On a typical weekday, KidsHealth gets as many as a million visits. One of the things that make KidsHealth special is that it’s really four sites in one: with sections for parents, for kids, for teens, and for educators.
Scholastic Science World
https://scienceworld.scholastic.com/
Science World connects current science news with essential biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics concepts. With dynamic digital learning features like videos, lesson plans, and games, Science World is your complete print & online science nonfiction program.
Current Events
CNN Student News
https://www.cnn.com/studentnews
CNN Student News is a ten-minute, commercial-free, daily news program designed for middle and high school classes. It is produced by the journalists at CNN. This award-winning show and its companion website are available free of charge throughout the school year.
Teacher Websites/Social Media
WIX
www.wix.com
Create a free website with Wix.com. Customize with Wix’ free website builder, no coding skills needed. Choose a design, begin customizing and be online today!
Weebly
https://education.weebly.com/
Weebly is a San Francisco, California based company that was founded in 2006 with the mission to help people put their information online quickly and easily. We now enable 3 million people to easily create personal sites and blogs or establish web presences for businesses, weddings, classrooms, churches, artistic portfolios, and more.
Edmodo
www.edmodo.com
Edmodo is an easy way to get your students connected so they can safely collaborate, get and stay organized, and access assignments, grades, and school information.
ClassJump
www.classjump.com
ClassJump.com provides teachers web sites free of charge, where multiple classes can be managed and updated using an easy to understand interface.
All Subjects
ABCya!
www.abcya.com
Online games for kids in K-5 sorted by grade level. Games incorporate areas such as math and language arts while introducing basic computer skills.
FunBrain
www.funbrain.com
FunBrain is the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages. (math, grammar, science, spelling, history)
Sheppard Software Online Games
https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/
Educational shareware, choose from our Prediction, subject learning, or math software.
KidsKnowIt
www.kidsknowit.com
Making education fun and free. Free educational Websites For the young, and the young at heart.
Khan Academy
www.khanacademy.org
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Subjects include math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more.
LearnZillion
www.learnzillion.com
See visual, conceptual explanations of the Common Core State Standards. 4000+ videos tailored for grades 2-12.
BrainPop!
www.brainpop.com
BrainPopJr!
https://jr.brainpop.com/
In classrooms, on mobile devices, and at home, BrainPOP engages students through animated movies, learning games, interactive quizzes, primary source activities, concept mapping, and more. Our award-winning resources include BrainPOP Jr. (K-3), BrainPOP,BrainPOP Español, and, for English language learners, BrainPOP ESL. They cover topics within Science, Math, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Music, Health, Reading, and Writing. Content is carefully mapped to the Common Core, aligned to academic standards, and searchable with our online Standards Tool.
And, for educators looking for personal learning networks that offer great resources at NO Cost, check out these four recommendations from Graphite:
- The Teaching Channel, teachingchannel.org – Chock full of video resources on classroom practices as well as ways to provide feedback
- Digital Is, digitalis.nwp.org – Created by the National Writing Project to provide grassroots professional development for teachers
- KQED Education, https://blogs.kqed.org/education/ – full of resources to help teachers share best practices for teaching and learning with public media resources and New Media Storytelling on line courses
- Twitter, https://twitter.com/education_com or https://twitter.com/education – which teachers can use to tap into personal learning networks and participate in education-focused chats and find resources to further their classroom practices
California Casualty has been standing with teachers and educators for over 60 years. We understand the hard work you do and we want to be a resource you can count on. That’s why we created the $2,500 Academic Award, to help you pay for the classroom supplies and materials you need. Give your wallet a break and apply today at www.calcasacademicaward.com.
While you are at it, don’t miss the chance to have your school lounge turned into a soothing, desirable area with California Casualty’s $7,500 School Lounge Makeover® contest at www.schoolloungemakeover.com.
