Making a Parent Phone Call
Throughout the school year, we all need to be reminded of the importance of communicating with our students’ parents regarding student progress. In our district, we have variety of electronic ways to communicate with our parents, but we should not forget about picking up the phone and having a two-way conversation. To some of us, this sounds like a great idea and is easy to do, but for others, we struggle with what to say to the student’s parent. Here are a few tips you should remember when making a parent phone call.
1. Parents want early communication. Don’t wait until the end of the quarter to call a parent and inform them that their child is going to fail your class.
2. Documentation helps. Parents want details of how their child is doing in your class. Give them specific areas that need improvement and tell them the strategies/interventions you have tried to improve these areas.
3. Listen as much as you talk. Always remember that your student is their child, and they may have some ideas as to what has worked in the past or what motivates him/her.
Are you still unsure of what to say on the phone? Below is a script of how a conversation with a parent can go.
“Hi Mr./Mrs ____________. This is ____________ calling from McHenry High School. Is this a good time to talk? (If you can, add a positive about their student prior to informing them of your concerns). A few weeks ago I noticed that your son/daughter _________ was struggling with _____________. I tried ___________. That seems to have worked and now your son/daughter is doing a great job in that area. OR That seems to not be working so I would like to try __________ or do you have any suggestions of what we could do to help ___________ improve.”
Would you like more ideas/suggestions? Check out this website.
http://theeducatorsroom.com/2013/01/scripting-a-parent-phone-call-a-skill-all-teachers-need/
1. Parents want early communication. Don’t wait until the end of the quarter to call a parent and inform them that their child is going to fail your class.
2. Documentation helps. Parents want details of how their child is doing in your class. Give them specific areas that need improvement and tell them the strategies/interventions you have tried to improve these areas.
3. Listen as much as you talk. Always remember that your student is their child, and they may have some ideas as to what has worked in the past or what motivates him/her.
Are you still unsure of what to say on the phone? Below is a script of how a conversation with a parent can go.
“Hi Mr./Mrs ____________. This is ____________ calling from McHenry High School. Is this a good time to talk? (If you can, add a positive about their student prior to informing them of your concerns). A few weeks ago I noticed that your son/daughter _________ was struggling with _____________. I tried ___________. That seems to have worked and now your son/daughter is doing a great job in that area. OR That seems to not be working so I would like to try __________ or do you have any suggestions of what we could do to help ___________ improve.”
Would you like more ideas/suggestions? Check out this website.
http://theeducatorsroom.com/2013/01/scripting-a-parent-phone-call-a-skill-all-teachers-need/