In this episode, we’re breaking down how to make parent communication more strategic, sustainable, and supportive for everyone involved. We’ll talk about why it matters, what methods actually work, and how to set yourself up with realistic systems that won’t take over your week.
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If you’ve hit a hiccup this Back to School, I have the resources to get you back on track. From labels for all your teacher drawers, to relationship building cards, to a review of rules and the why behind them, or maybe just a pair and share tool to get you going faster each day. Check out my Back to School category on The Colorado Classroom at TPT to help you get on your way.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-colorado-classroom/category-back-to-school-1441616
Transcripts
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[00:00:32] Brittany: Yes. I can't believe we are approaching two years and almost a hundred episodes.
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[00:01:09] Brittany: Exactly. When it's done well, it builds trust. It strengthens student support and it reduces misunderstandings. But when it's reactive and scattered, it can lead to stress, miscommunication, and a whole lot of burnout.
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[00:01:35] Brittany: Hello.
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[00:01:52] Brittany: All right, so let's start with why this is worth talking about, why parent communication matters. Because this isn't just about appeasing parents or checking a box to say we did it.
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[00:02:39] decreased teacher redirection of students' attention by about 25%,
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[00:03:05] Brittany: Wow, that's interesting. Maybe for many students, just knowing that their parent or guardian and their teachers are in contact is enough to motivate them to pay attention and get the work done.
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[00:03:36] And staying proactive in communication can keep families in the loop and build a team mindset rather than an us versus them kind of feeling.
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[00:03:58] Ellie: Right,
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[00:04:03] Might not go as well as like, Hey, I just wanted to let you know that your student's doing a fantastic job.
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[00:04:10] Ellie: All right, so now we've got the why. Let's talk about the how. There are so many ways to communicate now. Email, phone calls, messaging apps, learning platforms, printed newsletters. The key is choosing methods that are effective and sustainable. When I first started teaching middle school, I don't think parents had access to online grades, so they couldn't be checking on that. So we sent a Friday folder every week with assessments, announcements, that type of thing. And students had to get that signed and return it on Monday. And actually even once grades were online, I still wanted parents to see the physical paper assessment to see what types of things students really understood, 'cause it was math, ?
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[00:05:06] And if you're new to middle school this year, check with your team members if you have them. They may already have established tools or systems in place..
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[00:05:30] Brittany: It's also worth thinking about accessibility. Do your families have internet access? Do they prefer text to email? You might offer a short text survey at the beginning of the year to see what works best for your community.
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[00:06:04] Brittany: Also, templates are your best friend.
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[00:06:30] And it includes a lot of different forms for behavior check-ins, missing work, and so on. And we'll link that in the show notes.
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[00:06:40] Brittany: So let's talk about the planning part that actually help save your sanity. You could start by setting your communication boundaries early. We mentioned this in our last episode. For example, let parents know your response hours and how quickly they can expect to hear back. That helps prevent late night emails or next day pressure.
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[00:07:07] Ellie: Mm-hmm. That's reasonable. Yeah. You might also build communication into your schedule, like setting aside 30 minutes every Friday to send positive notes home or respond to messages. Treat it like a recurring task, not an afterthoughts. If you schedule it, it's more likely to happen.
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[00:07:43] Ellie: Yeah. And when there's a problem, it's advantageous to contact parents before the child gets home and tells their version of the story. So if you've gotta make a call like that, you wanna get to contact the parents as soon as you can. You don't want parents surprised, with an offie, wacky, or half accurate account of what may have happened. So find some time to email or call parents before the end of the day when needed.
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[00:08:19] Ellie: Another great idea is to track your contacts, the times that you've contacted parents. A simple spreadsheet or communication log lets you see who you've talked to and when, and that helps to make sure no one is falling through the cracks.
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[00:08:54] Ellie: Mm-hmm. So whether you're brand new to teaching middle school this year, or just want a calmer communication strategy , think about building some systems that can support you, not stress you out.
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[00:09:18] Ellie: Yes, and it's all about having clarity, consistency, and care in your teaching toolbox, so everyone is working together for the students.
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[00:09:37] Ellie: And we'd love to hear your favorite tip or tool for parent communication. Leave it in a quick review so we can keep the conversation going. Have a great day.
