This month we went a different route than we planned. We met and discussed communication with families and how to handle parents that require more time and attention. With normal communication we send home a bi-weekly (Hartman) or monthly (Borgen) newsletter to keep parents informed about curriculum and upcoming events in the classroom. We also update our website so parents get all the information they need. Needless to say we offer parents multiple resources to get their information. We have both found that parents use email frequently before checking the newsletter and/or website.
One problem we have been trying to figure out is how to handle parents who type literally 2 page emails. We have been given the advice to go through and highlight questions and respond only to the questions in the email. We are both big communicators and we drowning in emails from parents this year more than ever. It has gotten to the point that we don't check our emails over the weekend because of the time it takes to respond to all the requests, updates, and issues. Has anyone else had this problem this year? If so, do you have any more advice on how to deal with these issues? We understand that email is an effective way to communicate but it has been taking time away from planning and preparing well thought out lessons for our students.
I remember Sarah mentioning this to me a couple of times! I think avoiding email over the weekend, or at least leaving parent emails unread, is a very wise decision. It can be hard for teachers, especially newer teachers, to set those kind of boundaries between our professional and personal lives.
ReplyDeleteI have been getting a lot of emails or parent questions since the end of last quarter questioning my grading. I have found that I have had to be a lot more meticulous this year about noting the EXACT issue from my performance rubric for each student (the rubric may read "doesn't match pitch", but I am also needing to note whether they were too high or too low) so I have something to respond to families about. Is anyone experiencing this struggle?
I can't say that I have had this problem this year. I write a weekly newsletter giving a detailed description of each subject area as well as idea for practice at home. It is sent home in my red folder and is posted on my website.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, though, I don't think it always has to do with the amount of communication or type of communication you are doing. It is largely a random selection of the families in your class in a given year. Some are more vocal/concerned while others keep to themselves. It sounds like you guys are doing what you can to preemptively address their questions.
When I have had long parent emails, I will often respond with a phone call instead. In my mind, it seems more taxing than just email back, but in reality, it usually takes me far less time. I jot down a couple of things I want to make sure to say, or even type out a "script" if it is a particularly touchy topic, but I find that parents are much more apt to listen when they are talking with me.
I hope you find something that works for you. Sounds exhausting!
Along the lines of what Erin are ready highlighted, calling or returning emails with phone calls can save you time and energy. I know when I read a "heated" email from a parent, or an email with a dozen questions, it always takes me a ton of time to write the email, make sure I answered all their questions, and then to double check again that I am sounding professional and not speaking too bluntly. I know sometimes emails can be hard to decipher or the question might not be as demanding as you think. Phone calls, and short meetings with parents face to face helps answer their questions. Sometimes, parents can go off on their proverbial soap box, when they sit behind their desks, but when you talk to them it can be a different story as well. I as well send a weekly email to my parents at the beginning of each week. It is less cumbersome with information that they might not remember two weeks down the road. I have had two completely different classes the last two years. This year parents are extremely hands off and I only field 2-3 emails a week. Last year I was dealing with 2-3 emails a day, all at the 1-2 page length. I hope you feel more comfortable that your communication with parents will be different each year.
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