One size does not fit all!

Today, when we were talking about different generations and how each group prefers to communicate differently, it struck me that we really need to make an effort to get to know, not only our students, but our parents as well.  Communication is going to be a major factor in the relationships we form with our students and their families.  Being a Gen X-er, my preferred method of communication isn't necessarily going to be the same as the majority of my students' parents and I am going to need to make some adjustments which may force me out of my comfort zone a bit.

The typical parents of my students will be Millennials.  These are generalities, but the majority of them will prefer texting to emails or phone calls.  This isn't necessarily my favorite means of communication as there is too much room for miscommunication and misunderstandings, but I need to respect that this may be their norm.  Otherwise, I will never make contact with them.  Other parents will be Gen X-ers, like myself,  and may prefer emails and we can't forget that a lot of kids are being raised by grandparents now too, so we will be working with Boomers as well.  They may prefer a phone call.  There isn't going to be one method that will work for all, nor will these generalities always apply.

The comment made today, in regards to communication preference due to socio-economic status was interesting and I never really thought about the potential call coming from an evicting landlord.  Also, some people don't have a smart phone, nor do they have internet access.  They may not have access to text or email.  It is all so prevalent now that we sometimes forget that not everyone has these means to communicate.

In order to determine what works best for who, will be to send home a survey at the beginning of the year asking how they prefer to communicate.  This will be manageable as I will be teaching 30 elementary kids each year, rather than 120+ secondary students.  This method wouldn't be appropriate for secondary.  The questionnaire can include other information as well, including things they would like for me to know about their child, special interests, etc.  Again, forming relationships is key to keeping parents on your side.  Making positive contact with parents within the first couple weeks via this preferred method will go a long way in developing our relationships and we need to make it clear to our parents that we are working for the success of their child.

Also, class newsletters showcasing what we are learning and upcoming events, apps like Dojo and closed Facebook pages are important too, not to communicate to an individual parent, but as a class in general are usually well received.  Parents like to see pictures of their kids working together and enjoying school and these are fun updates to receive throughout the day.