It's 8:30 on a Wednesday... #txed time! Tweet all you friends and get them to join us! This is Paul, an ITS from Richmond, TX. Who else is joining us tonight?
It's 8:30 on a Wednesday... #txed time! Tweet all you friends and get them to join us! This is Paul, an ITS from Richmond, TX. Who else is joining us tonight?
#txed It's the eve of Friday eve and it's 8:30 PM, that means it's time for #txed ! Jerry Toups HS Math teacher from Lamar CISD Richmond / Rosenberg TX Been teaching my Ss to #AlwaysBelieve since 1990.
A1 Many of our Ts are using Remind. We have a paper newsletter that goes out once a week, but I don't think that is enough. I just started connecting my literacy Parents on #Seesaw . #txed
A1: my teachers have a weekly newsletter that is emailed every Friday. The school communicates through our school messenger, school Twitter acct, school Instagram and the school Facebook page. #txed
A1- Seesaw lets parents pretty much see what is going on in real time. With the picture, video, and voice record functions they see what their child is doing, and with the messaging feature I can give them extension activities to do at home. #TxEd
A1: We have to find where our parents are ... try using a Google Form to see which social media outlets they prefer and meet them there. Maybe texts or emails work better so we use those methods. #txed
So they want to provide (and pay for I’m assuming) training and guns for teachers, but not be able to fund or provide them with:
• pensions
• text books
• insurance
• professional development
• copier ink
• paper
• adequate pay
• help they need
#ParklandStudentsSpeak
Open, honest & data backed. People can argue with feelings & emotions all day long, but you can’t argue with numbers. But be careful, cause numbers too can be subject to interpretation. They tell part of the story. Finally, make convos face to face. There’s power in that. #txed
A1 I communicate with parents daily between our class FB page, weekly newsletters, and @Seesaw as our eportfolio. The parents love seeing what we do in class each day! #txed
A1: Knowing your parents/audience is important. Some campuses might have some very tech savvy parents who can roll with new #edtech. Some might just be able to do email. #txed
We have to build relationships with our parents. This takes time but we must keep the communication lines open. Face to face meetings are so important! #TXed
#txed A1 I try to make as many POSITIVE parent contacts as I do negative. This evening I made DOZENS of positive emails. I have had parents tell me this was the only teacher contact they have had all year. Make the effort to praise the kids to their parents.
A1 Persistence...&starting communication early in the year has helped build the relationship between student, parent and teacher, it makes tough conversations later on in the year so much easier, also communicate with parents through #seesaw#txed
Q2: Schools should be a place where parents are encouraged to be part of the culture. How can you include parents in more of your school activities? #TXed
You know... #Twitterchat Stuff! :-)
From the Book of Twitter the 2nd Chapter verse 3... As an #educator you shall participate in many Twitter Chats! LOL #txed#CFISDPrinchat
Tomorrow's meeting of the TX Commission on Public School Finance will feature ATPE Exec. Director Gary Godsey as an invited panelist.
Watch a livestream starting at 9 am on 2/22/18 at https://t.co/bbw4jeN9IY. For the agenda & more, visit https://t.co/8iU0XMsJDI. #txed
A1 I’m really big on face to face & mentioning positives first before we dive into the nitty gritty. A quick email and following up with in person/phone call hit home. #txed
A1: Get your BRAND on! Weekly email blasts for consistent communication, Facebook and Twitter are my favorite! Remind for urgent or last minute updates! Get your story out there! #txed
A1- Seesaw lets parents pretty much see what is going on in real time. With the picture, video, and voice record functions they see what their child is doing, and with the messaging feature I can give them extension activities to do at home. #TxEd
#txed A2- just read in Black Ants & Buddhists some great ideas-inviting parents in to be morning helpers--learn a lot from and about them--make them part of the culture
A2-Make them feel welcome the first moment they walk into the door. Treat them like long lost cousin you have not seen in a long time. Parents want to be part of something positive too. #TXed
A2 Our school has “first Fridays” every first Friday of the month parents are encouraged to come sit in class with their child for the first part of the day. #txed
A1: I'm hoping to increase our "quality" by having more LIVE videos on our Facebook page to really capture the environment and authentic communication. We want to be more than typed words and still photos. #txed
A2: we have daily volunteers in the library, Watch Dog Dads almost daily, weekly parent readers..any opportunity that we have to open our doors we do. #txed
A1: Get your BRAND on! Weekly email blasts for consistent communication, Facebook and Twitter are my favorite! Remind for urgent or last minute updates! Get your story out there! #txed
A1 Persistence...&starting communication early in the year has helped build the relationship between student, parent and teacher, it makes tough conversations later on in the year so much easier, also communicate with parents through #seesaw#txed
A2 We have really tried to do this more by inviting parents to be apart of our room transformations and asking for donations and help. They often want to help they just don’t always know how! #txed
A2 That is getting harder while we are trying to make our schools more safe and secure for our Ss! Ps can eat lunch w/ their child on Fridays. We have Daddy door openers that volunteer to help Ss out of cars in morning. #txed
Q2: Schools should be a place where parents are encouraged to be part of the culture. How can you include parents in more of your school activities? #TXed
Q2: Schools should be a place where parents are encouraged to be part of the culture. How can you include parents in more of your school activities? #TXed
A2: we have WatchDogs and MOMS in our district where parents sign up and get to be in different rooms throughout the building all day. It’s so fun and the kids love it! #txed
All our Wildcats in the house should share about Fun Friday’s and Cafecito with the Principal! #txed come and get your hands dirty with your kids. Afterwards come visit with me to answer any questions you might have. We do it every month. NO EXCEPTIONS! #txed
Q2: Schools should be a place where parents are encouraged to be part of the culture. How can you include parents in more of your school activities? #TXed
A2: Ps are generally more involved in the lower grades. As a P, I was too. Once my kiddos were in middle school and beyond, there was less contact from Ts. #TXed
A2: Invite to class celebrations (End of Units), family engagement nights, volunteer opportunities, student presentations, @Seesaw is also great to invite them in even if not in person #TXed
A2: this is something I’m always trying to get better at. Our school hosts First Friday where parents come in and see what’s going on for the first hour of the day. @vhsaldana and I were talking about bringing pre-k families in early to help parents transition into school. #TxEd
A2: WatchDOGS has been amazing this year. Love having parents join us for our events. Making sure we plan for their presence and even allow them to partake in activities/tables at our content nights (science night/carnivals). #txed
Another great thing to do is to go meet them in their environment. Go to a game, approach them in the store. Personalize the relationship. That will get them coming in and feeling comfortable. #txed
A2: We invite Dad’s daily to be WATCH Dogs, teachers invite parent readers, and writing publishing helpers in lower grades. We also have special events like math and reading nights and spirit nights at restaurants to build relationships and community #txed
Q2: Schools should be a place where parents are encouraged to be part of the culture. How can you include parents in more of your school activities? #TXed
A2 I have tried to get many to help out with the school garden. It's relaxing and the parents work right next to the teachers, admin, their own kids. It gives me the warm fuzzies. Our campus also does WatchDog Dads. They put together our tower garden last week. #txed
A2: Invite them in! Your twitter and Facebook pages are great windows...but there is nothing better than having them “experiencing” the magic with their kiddos! You might get spoiled later..candy bar for staff! #txed
Q3: Informing parents of a struggling student is difficult. What are some ways you handle talking about grades, behavior, etc. that have worked for you. #TXed
All our Wildcats in the house should share about Fun Friday’s and Cafecito with the Principal! #txed come and get your hands dirty with your kids. Afterwards come visit with me to answer any questions you might have. We do it every month. NO EXCEPTIONS! #txed
Q2: Schools should be a place where parents are encouraged to be part of the culture. How can you include parents in more of your school activities? #TXed
A3 Start with the positives and what the Ss does well in. Have work samples and data to share. Listen to what the parent says, and create a plan for moving forward. #txed
A2. Some of our schools are inviting pre-school students and parents to school library for story time once a month. Starting the partnership early! #txed
A2: this is something I’m always trying to get better at. Our school hosts First Friday where parents come in and see what’s going on for the first hour of the day. @vhsaldana and I were talking about bringing pre-k families in early to help parents transition into school. #TxEd
A2 We have really tried to do this more by inviting parents to be apart of our room transformations and asking for donations and help. They often want to help they just don’t always know how! #txed
A3: honesty is the best policy. Always. Seeing all points of view and validating differences between home and school as well as proving your caring heart have all been a help to me. Walk in their shoes! #txed
A3 Open lines of communication all year long, good and bad is very important. Build those relationships so that those conversations are less stressful. #txed
Q3: Informing parents of a struggling student is difficult. What are some ways you handle talking about grades, behavior, etc. that have worked for you. #TXed
Q3: We go to each students house at the beginning of the year to meet them and then call home for first week to praise their child. Much easier to have those difficult conversations when it isn’t your first communication #txed
A3: compassion. I put my mom hat on and talk to them how I would want to be talked to. Always with plenty of positives and always ready with a plan. No one wants to hear that about their kids. Always keep them updated too #txed
A3: I prefer to talk about struggles in person whenever possible. Always want to ensure parents we want the same things and to work together. Then I listen, listen, listen. There's usually always something behind the behavior/struggle. #txed
A3. Always be proactive. Don't wait until the situation is out of control. Also, always invite parent to work as a team with you to help student. #txed
A3: Remaining consistent with communication rather than waiting until grading cycle comes or the final straw behavior act. Celebrate the successes-big and small. If you develop a relationship with the parent and student early, the communication won't be awkward.#txed
A3: ALWAYS start by communicating your love for the student and strengths you see. Then choose the most important couple of things the parent needs to know the child is struggling with and share what you’re doing to help and suggestions for how they could help #txed
Q3: Informing parents of a struggling student is difficult. What are some ways you handle talking about grades, behavior, etc. that have worked for you. #TXed
A3: Capitalize on strengths. They are always good at something. Have a plan for the struggles and parents are much more apt to jump on board when they know you see the positives too. #txed
Start message on a positive and end by asking parents to help in creating a successful school year for Student. Plus send emails to celebrate positives too. So messages home aren’t always negative #TXED
Did I mention data and actual work samples. Also being@able to demonstrate what the child does in comparison to peers or grade level expectations? It’s an eye opener for parents. #txed
Q3: Informing parents of a struggling student is difficult. What are some ways you handle talking about grades, behavior, etc. that have worked for you. #TXed
#txed A3 ALWAYS try to say something POSITIVE about the St that is struggling. Refer to often "WE need to... help "Johnny" succeed." Make sure you let the parent know that BOTH of us make the educational team for the St.
A3: I've found that parents are caught off guard but happy to hear me ask if they have ideas/suggestions. We're not in this alone. We are a team in building each child's potential. ❤️ #txed
A3: being honest with parents and telling whrm sooner rather than later. Start with a positive then state your concern then discusss a plan you have in place. Parents are often receptive if you know what you are planning to do to help fix the problem. #TXed
A3: Positive Parent contact in the first six weeks..start building that communication bridge early! Catch those at risk kiddos doing something great...all kids have greatness! #txed
A3 Imp to have the student present, along with your evidence, so the parent can address the student directly about what's being shared. Less he said she said stuff, then. Offer solutions where students can share responsibility. Advocate for the student even in the adversity #txed
Q3: Informing parents of a struggling student is difficult. What are some ways you handle talking about grades, behavior, etc. that have worked for you. #TXed
A3: There should always be positive contact first! Build the relationship first! Then the difficult conversations are easier to have.
On top of that, Ps also need to know that you genuinely care about their child. That needs to be real! #txed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
A3: before year starts, send welcome letter/post card inviting them to "Meet the Teacher" (open house before school starts), within first 3 weeks, positive call home, est positive relationship- Ps knows you care for Ss, much easier convos! #TXed
A2: From day 1, work to build positive relationships with parents. Always make them feel welcome by personally greeting them and smiling! Invite them to assist with clasaroim activities as often as possible! #txed
A3: Never easy, but it can be easier if you have made that connection already. Don't wait until last minute. Keep them involved with updates. Ask for ideas. INVOLVE them...don't just inform them. #txed
Did I mention data and actual work samples. Also being@able to demonstrate what the child does in comparison to peers or grade level expectations? It’s an eye opener for parents. #txed
Q3: Informing parents of a struggling student is difficult. What are some ways you handle talking about grades, behavior, etc. that have worked for you. #TXed
A4: We have many teachers who post the amazing things happening in their classrooms on Twitter. So on Friday I try to save at least 20-30 of them and then post to our Facebook page (where more of our parents are). #txed
A4 We have shared a video weekly newsletter in the past. Also try to tweet out great things going on in our school. #Seesaw is great on keeping Ps up to date on their own S. #txed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
A3: I always build a relationship first...without that nothing is easy. Then I praise the positives and the I’m honest direct and sincere. I understand that I’m talking about their baby and I try to relate how I would feel if the roles were reversed. #TXed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
We have a recording booth in my room where kids use @seesaw or @Flipgrid to #tellourstory . I also have a class job whose job is to post all week to seesaw the things we are doing. My Admin send out a weekly newsletter and now we use twitter! #txed
This is reckless behavior by Gov Abbott. Releasing the names of schools could jeopardize the safety of students and staff by showing weaknesses. #disappointed#txed#txlegehttps://t.co/2cnPs1xfrI
A4: Our principal does Pull Back the Curtain once a month where parents visit several classrooms across the school. We also have Watchdog Dads, volunteer opportunities, and ask parents to help with big events. #txed
A2 Foster an enviorment where parent involvement seems like a necessity for success, have events where parents can volunteer and share their skills they have, to add to the growth atmosphere on campus. #TXed
I get to go on many home visits. Need to work with some of my teachers to come with me so they can get a better idea of where their kids are coming from #txed
Please feel free to follow us on Facebook at West Avenue Elementary School-NEISD. It’s nice to have more followers than we have enrollment. It’s also neat to have followers in Germany. We’re like Pitbull. #mrworldwide#txed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
A4: I share lots of pics on #estudiantesdelfc and our schools all share tons of info on their websites. Plus once in a while I email “class happenings” #TXed
A4: Leveraging social media is a must! Reach parents through PTO and Wednesday Folders. Every kid takes home a Wednesday Folder supplied by the school informing parents of what's to come, how to be involved, etc. #txed
A4: EVERYTHING! Teambuilders, house parties, Exploratory clubs, magic days, learning, lunching, playing, laughing....the whole experience! Transparency is key! If your kids can’t tell you what’s happing at school...it’s not happening! #txed
A4 We have shared a video weekly newsletter in the past. Also try to tweet out great things going on in our school. #Seesaw is great on keeping Ps up to date on their own S. #txed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
We currently just use a business page that's also monitored alongside district personnel. Since the group had a cap on it we kept it open with unlimited followers but so stay I vigilant in not posting kid faces. #txed
A4: Something new we recently started @AultElem to give parents a window into what students are learning is the #LearnItLeadIt video challenge where we post videos that Ss submit to our social media of explaining something they’ve learned so well they can lead it! #txed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
A3. I always tried to do this on the phone. I wanted my parents to hear I cared for their child even when I was calling with not so great news. Email and paper cab never do this as well as your voice. I also believe in giving good calls early and often to create deposits #txed
A2: parents are a vital part of the culture. We have to invite them and encourage their participation in activities. Give parents a voice in the activities they are interested in and then follow through. #txed
A4: Try sticking QR codes that link to classroom galleries near the front office. Fun, interactive, and it gives parents something to do while waiting on their kids! #TXed
A3: Start off building AUTHENTIC, strong, positive, personal bonds with parents! If parents truly believe you care about their child, any conversation is possible! #txed
A few of our 5th graders helped create it with the sponsor acting as newscasters. We ended each video with a picture montage of great things happening in several classrooms. #txed
A4: Something new we recently started @AultElem to give parents a window into what students are learning is the #LearnItLeadIt video challenge where we post videos that Ss submit to our social media of explaining something they’ve learned so well they can lead it! #txed
Q4: Involving parents with the interesting things going on at school can be engaging and fun! What are some things you do to let parents see all the learning going on at school? #TXed
A2: this spring we are working with the North Texas Food Bank as they are offering cooking classes for our parents and then parents who attend are going to be educating other parents on what they learned. #servicelearning#txed
A5: Pencil in time to make positive phone calls a few times a week. Too often, we only call when things are bad. We have to get parents excited about learning, too! #TXed
#txed A5 Respond quickly to parent emails. Make sure the parents know they are part of the educational team that involves their student. Tell the parent's when their Ss do good, not just bad. #AlwaysBeleive
#txed A5 Respond quickly to parent emails. Make sure the parents know they are part of the educational team that involves their student. Tell the parent's when their Ss do good, not just bad. #AlwaysBeleive
A5: Have a diverse staff that represents school community population, address their kids by name, provide communication, materials and resources in their native language. #txed
A5 Make sure that communication lines are open both ways! Don't just send out information, but encourage Ps to share, comment, participate when an opportunity presents itself! #txed
A5: We must always make time and take time for parents. Listen. Validate. Don’t rush or blow off. Show you genuinely care with words, actions, and body language. #txed
A2: the first two Fridays of the month we host @AllProDad mornings and the follow up with Mornings w/ Mom. It’s an intentional time each month parents can count on coming together and spending time with their children. #txed
I have heard good things from my teachers about the communication. Seems to vary from year to year though. As parents are engaged so goes the communication. #txed
A5: Empathy. Letting parents know that you understand their feelings, even if you may not agree with them. It’s hard to hear things about your kids without becoming defensive. We have to remember that it’s their babies we’re talking to them about. #TxEd
We need to stop working in isolation and break down our own walls. We need to give ourselves more credit for the work we do. We need to have more self confidence and encourage parents to come in and be partners with us. We NEED to be a team. The job is too hard alone. #txed
O.M.G you are INCREDIBLE at doing this in your classroom. The contact you provide to parents is the best I've ever seen. I especially love the hand-written notes to each student and parents. You go WAY above and beyond. Lucky to have you in @BrenhamISD#txed
A5-You reap what you sow. If your culture is one of negativity, then parents will see this and be negative too. Be positive and proactive. Be the school/class you would want your child to be in. #TXed
A5 keep ongoing communications thru emails and social media. Ask parents to be involved in determining what to include- Manet do a Google Form questionnaire to get parents input #TXED
A5: 24 hour rule...return all parent phone calls or emails within 24 business hours! Nips 90% of issues in the bud! Also, if something happens at school...reach out to the parent...saves you hours later! #TXed
A3: these conversations require a sensitive approach and require knowing your parents. This can’t be the first conversation. I’d recommend this happen F2F and if that isn’t possible, be sure a F2F convo has taken place before you address these concerns. #txed
A5: welcome them, listen to them, inform them, respect them. Allow them the grace to understand what we are teaching our 21st learners and never take their frustration personally. #txed
A5: if you model it in the classroom, Ps will hear about it. Also, I end most emails with “as always, please let me know if you have any qs or concerns.” #TXed
A5 Make sure that communication lines are open both ways! Don't just send out information, but encourage Ps to share, comment, participate when an opportunity presents itself! #txed
Q6: There's always room for improving your communication. Share one thing you can commit to doing in the next week to better your parent communication! #TXed
A4: I ♥️ using Flipgrid to involve parents in learning. I try to tweet and post on Facebook on a daily basis to give parents a glimpse into our classroom happenings. I also stay connected with parents by texting special accomplishments and/or allowing kiddos to call home!#txed
A4: we have to share! If parents can’t be in school during the day, take school to them. This year we started weekly @SmorePages titled #SiglerVoice. It highlights ways we amplify voices in the classrooms. Goal is more than just images. We aim to share what’s been created. #txed
A5 With our LMS @schoology parents and teachers can be in direct communication, and parents can see exactly how we're supporting students and their learning through it. Questions about assignments, grades, resources, etc. can be asked there #txed
Q6: There's always room for improving your communication. Share one thing you can commit to doing in the next week to better your parent communication! #TXed
Q6: There's always room for improving your communication. Share one thing you can commit to doing in the next week to better your parent communication! #TXed
A6 I commit to posting more to my Community page next week, and buying a pack of blank note cards to send more positive notes home. The pack must be gone by weeks end!! #txed
This is so important to remember. Even when it feels personal it usually has nothing to do with you and everything to do with advocating for their child. Remember parents don’t get a book with all the right ways to do things. They are trying to do the best they can. #txed
A6: I promise to call a parent who only hears bad things, and tell them something good! (But I'll probably have to leave a message because they stopped answering the phone when the school calls!😂) #TXed
A6: I'm sad I won't be able to participate in 100 positive phone calls on the 100th day of school so maybe I'll do my own challenge once I get all the Benchmark scores in! Would love to call all the families of our most improved and successful. #txed
I don’t know. They were kinda playing around having fun with their friends. Until and I asked them to go get their homework and we got to it. Hehe. #txed
A5: as ldrs we model the culture we expect. Smile, shake hands and give high fives to parents and make them feel welcome! If u are wondering if parents feel welcomed, ask them. They will tell you the truth. #txed
A6 - sometimes we get so busy and don’t keep up sending out positive kudos about our students- I want to send Status of The Class Celebration emails each month #TXED
There were a lot of great ideas flowing tonight! Thanks to @vhsaldana for the perfect chat topic to get us talking. Don't forget to give your new friends a follow. See you next week! #txed
A5 We follow 24 hour rule for all communication. If an email is more than a paragraph pick up the phone and call. Say hi with a smile in the office and at drop off and pick up. Remember the Ss are the reason you are there and work to provide them with the best every day #txed
Please take a moment to visit the https://t.co/1bsKTfRZp5 site tonight. If you have an idea for a chat topic, fill out the form you can find there. @Toups_J put one in and we will be doing his idea March 7! #txed
A6: create a bucket list of parent phone calls on kids that NEED that positive outreach! Have them present for the call! 🤗
I've got a particular student in mind that I want to make a call on next week!!!
#iknowwecaniknowwecan
📝 #txed
A6: Although I communicate with my non-English speaking parents, having to do it through a translator seems to take away some of the genuineness of that relationship. I would like to explore ways to make those conversations more personal. #txed
A6. Make at least 2 positive phone calls a day to my parents. It could be for some of my frequent fliers or for some GT kids who never get called #txed
I’ve been a part of a newspaper staff for more than 20 years. And nothing has been more enjoyable than the past 13 years in the D115 newsroom with the amazing Sidekick journalists. #WorkHappyWednesday#SJW2018
