Home-School Communication Can You Hear Me Now? Presented by The Department of Family and Community Outreach

Prince George’s County Public Schools The Department of Family and Community Outreach

Warm-up Activity Intended and Perceived Meanings Objective: To become aware that intended meanings may not be the same as perceived meanings Pair off into groups of two. Stand back-to-back. One person will give verbal directions to the other person in order to have that person complete a drawing. Only verbal directions can be provided, questions cannot be asked or answered. Allow 5-10 minutes to complete the warm-up. Have pairs turn face-to-face and share the results of their communication exercise Have the person giving directions show the “drawer” the original document from which he/she was giving directions to draw. Compare the duplicate to the original, how accurate is the duplicate to the original? How clear were the directions given by the director? Process questions: How does this experience illustrate the differences between intended and perceived messages?

Communicating with Parents Objectives At the end of this workshop participants will: Be aware of different means of communication Be able to utilize resources in the school to enhance home-school communication Recognize how different communication approaches can strengthen or weaken teacher-family relationships and impact student achievement Gain practice in using different communication approaches under various circumstances

Communication What does “communication” mean to you? As a classroom teacher, what comes to mind when you think of communicating with parents?

Communication Defined The imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs – (Webster’s College Dictionary) Communication may involve impressions created or words expressed Communication involves one or two way exchanges (Berger, 1991) Communication is a message sent and a message received Communication is a process Let’s take a look at some formal definitions of “communication” and relate the definitions to actual experiences in the classroom Read Webster’s definition. When communicating with parents, what kinds of opinions, thoughts, or information do you share and how is it shared? How many of you have heard the saying We only have one chance to make a first impression? What kinds of impressions do we create as classroom teachers? What type of first impression do you want to portray to your parents? How will you create that impression? Communication can travel in two directions. One way communication is linear and limited because it occurs in a straight line from the sender to the receiver and basically serves to inform, persuade or command. Two way communication always includes feedback from the receiver to the sender and lets the sender know the message has been received accurately. Both the sender and receiver listen to each other and dialogue together in order to gather information. Two way communication promotes trust and appreciation of contrasting perspectives. Conversants are open to working together with the intent of having a mutually satisfactory situation Go to next slide, present and then return to this slide Communication is a message sent and a message received, as a teacher, when you send a message, how can you ensure that it is received in the manner you intended? How do you define communication? As a classroom teacher, when you think of communicating with parents, what does it mean, what does it entail?

One-way vs. Two-way Communication Newsletters Bulletin boards School handbooks Progress notes Report cards Two-way Surveys Focus groups Informal conversations Progress reports with request for parent response Let’s look at some examples of one and two-way communications used in schools? Can you think of other examples to add to this list? Return to previous slide and continue with the next definition

Resources to engage families in home-school communication Activities/Events First day of school Back to school night Parents observing classrooms Parents Assisting Teachers Parent/Family workshops People Parent Liaisons P-Team Parent Organizations PTA/PTO Principal/Administrator In every school, there are people and scheduled events that teachers can use as mechanisms to communicate with parents/families. Talk a bit about each activity listed and then talk about each of the human resources available in schools and how they help with communicating with parents

Research on Home-School Communication Benefits of Home-School Communication Parents and teachers consider communication the number one factor in establishing and maintaining trust (Adams & Christenson, 2000) Strong communication can encourage higher and realistic parental expectations (Drake, 2000; James, Jurich & Estes, 2001) Communication serves as the first step to other types of parent involvement (Elman,1999) Parental insight can provide additional information to help meet the needs of students (Kronowitz, 2008) In thinking about the importance of home-school communication, let’s consider some recent research findings Effective two-way communication establishes trust by creating a sense of openness and willingness to hear one’s perspective, opinions, or feelings When schools/teachers communicate openly with parents, parents gain a real understanding of instruction, expectations, rules/guidelines, and how the school operates A review of national data indicated reaching out t parents by schools affected parent attendance and volunteering more than other variables such as gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status (Simon, 2001) Parents have first-hand information about the development, strengths, and needs of their children that can enable us to create better and appropriate programs of instruction

Home-School Communication Standards Framework for Teaching: Domain 4- Professional Responsibilities: Component 4C-Communicating with Families National PTA- National Standards for Family-School Partnerships: Standard 2: Communicating Effectively PGCPS Master Plan-Goal 7: Strengthen relationships with family, school, business, community, and institutions of higher education to support improved student achievement PGCPS Core Beliefs & Commitments: # 2 Parents are our Partners We commit to increasing family engagement in the education process through communication and outreach MSDE Goal 5: School systems and schools will communicate more frequently with families and communities Joyce Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Family Involvement: Type 2-Communicating The importance of home-school communication is reflected in the standards of many educational organizations, school districts, and family involvement models. Discuss each listed on the slide.

Topics of Home-School Communications Formal and Informal Student Progress Information about school & community events Information about school’s overall performance Goals & strategies of instructional programs Teacher expectations Parenting information Needs & strengths of students Needs & strengths of parents/families Family issues that may impact learning Expectations of parents/guardians Family ability to volunteer and/or support school Take a few minutes and review this slide. At your tables or in small groups, select two to three of topics and jot down some strategies you can use to communicate with parents, ex: how can you share a report on student progress with a parent? How would you inquire about the availability or ability of a parent to volunteer?

Methods of Home-School Communications Personal Face-to-Face Telephone Home visits Writing Notes Letters Report cards/Progress reports Newsletters Student portfolios Student agenda books, logs Looking at some methods of home-school communication, let’s talk about some common things to keep in mind when communicating with parents, whether it is via in person, in writing, or electronically Use chart paper to record responses Ex: Speak or write clearly and concisely, avoid using education jargon, check message before saying/sending for spelling and grammatical errors, be professional

Methods of Home-School Communications (Continued) Electronic/Technological Internet Websites E-mail School Communication System School Information System Video technology

Process for Communication Identify the goal and reason for the communication Consider the audience Choose a communication approach that opens a two-way conversation

Six Approaches to Open Home-School Communication Instructing Following up Asking for help Revealing Informally exchanging Active listening There are 6 approaches you can use to establish an open conversation or communication with parents Review the list. Let’s look at each approach and discuss what it means and how we can use it in the school

Instructing Definition Example Explicating and elaborating Providing an explanation of how to help a student with a homework assignment Review definition and example Ask participants to provide other examples

Remind parent about due date for a project Following up Definition Reminding and monitoring Example Remind parent about due date for a project Review definition and example Ask participants to provide other examples

Asking for Help Definition Example Looking for assistance Example Asking parent to share information about their child (strengths and needs) Review definition and example Ask participants to provide other examples

Revealing Definition Example Sharing information openly Informing parents of your class goals and expectations Review definition and example Ask participants to provide other examples

Informally Exchanging Definition Having a reciprocal dialogue Example Taking time to sit and chat with no formal agenda Review definition and example Ask participants to provide other examples

Actively listening to a parent express their concerns, opinions, etc. Active Listening Definition Listening and paying attention Examples Actively listening to a parent express their concerns, opinions, etc. Review definition and example Ask participants to provide other examples

Challenges to Home-School Communication Pragmatic Economic Time Transportation Logistics Technological Cultural Language difference Ethnic difference Gender difference Non-verbal cues Institutional School climate Teacher/Staff attitude Economic: work schedules of parents may prevent them from attending school meetings & events Time: the time that meetings & events are held may not be convenient for parents Transportation: parents may not have transportation or money to take public transportation Logistics: lack of childcare may preclude attendance Technological: parents may not have computers in the home or may not be computer savvy to use the web Cultural: Our schools are very multicultural, Language and ethnic differences may impede communication. Cultural factors can be physical, social or psychological. How many of you have heard of the book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? That speaks about the differences between men and women, gender differences may have an influence on communication. Non verbal cues such as proximity how close you stand next to a person, or movement (facial expressions or hand/body gestures) may impact communication Institutional: Is the school welcoming to parents? In your classroom, do you have a conference area that is physically pleasing and conducive to open communication? Are you prepared for the meeting?

8 Tips for Communicating with a Person from a Different Culture Take personal responsibility to make the communication effective Clarify the communication, seek feedback, ask questions Recognize that some persons may not be comfortable discussing certain issues. Try to empathize. Avoid being judgmental. Respect differences and accept the person as an individual. Observe verbal and non verbal behaviors Pay attention to personal space Be aware of different uses of eye contact. Indirect eye contact is the norm in many cultures, especially in male-female communications If the person is non-English speaking, try to learn the language and/or use an interpreter

Strategies to Overcome Home-School Communication Challenges Language differences Time limitations of teachers & parents Perceptions of teachers & parents Teacher preparation & lack of knowledge Strategies 1A Use of interpreters 1B Correspond in the language of families 2A Establish a schedule 2B Establish mutually agreed upon times & venues 3A “Seek first to understand” 4A Pre-service training 4B Professional development

Case Study Activity Tim Kelly: A Teacher Responds to a Family in Need

Closing, Evaluation & Next Steps Review of Objectives and Q & A Evaluation of workshop Next Steps Continued professional development opportunities Read chapter 7 in The Teacher’s Guide to Success (Ellen Kronowitz) and pages 92-96 in Enhancing Professional Practice-A Framework for Teaching (Charlotte Danielson)