Comments on: Let’s Be Careful Out There http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/09/02/lets-be-careful-out-there/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:59:33 -0600 hourly 1 By: Babbie http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/09/02/lets-be-careful-out-there/comment-page-1/#comment-4514 Babbie Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:06:21 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=899#comment-4514 From one who has spent decades in the high school classroom, I applaud your sound advice to new teachers. Let me add that your last paragraph should be engraved on the portal to every teacher's college. From one who has spent decades in the high school classroom, I applaud your sound advice to new teachers. Let me add that your last paragraph should be engraved on the portal to every teacher’s college.

]]> By: Redkudu http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/09/02/lets-be-careful-out-there/comment-page-1/#comment-4510 Redkudu Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:12:42 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=899#comment-4510 At my new school, none of the teachers have phones in their classrooms, and there is no secluded office for us to make calls from. Since many calls tend to fall under confidential (discussing discipline, BIPs, IEPs, etc), it's difficult to decide what to do. I've been told to use the phone in the tiny, overcrowded staff break room which also contains the lone copy machine on our wing (constantly in use), or my personal cell phone. Fine, except I don't have one. I've only run across two students so far whose parents offered up email addresses. I already tried to make one home phone call last week (first week of school). Not only were the phone numbers incorrect, they apparently had simply been pulled out of the directory. One was for a local medical center (the parent did not work there - I wonder if that wasn't left as the emergency number), and one was for a Walgreens (parent had never worked there). That parent also left an email address, but the email was never responded to. (Generic Yahoo account.) Mailing letters is fine, except in cases where information about the student needs to be given immediately. It's not always a matter of convincing teachers to contact parents, or training them how to. I love to talk with parents, especially to heap praise on my students. Sometimes, it's a matter of finding them, and I know that's not always the parents' fault. Last year, at my old school, I had a parent tell me, "When she's at school, she's your problem. Don't call me at home with problems about school." Too often, though I would wish it otherwise, this is the path I have to take. At my new school, none of the teachers have phones in their classrooms, and there is no secluded office for us to make calls from. Since many calls tend to fall under confidential (discussing discipline, BIPs, IEPs, etc), it’s difficult to decide what to do. I’ve been told to use the phone in the tiny, overcrowded staff break room which also contains the lone copy machine on our wing (constantly in use), or my personal cell phone. Fine, except I don’t have one. I’ve only run across two students so far whose parents offered up email addresses.

I already tried to make one home phone call last week (first week of school). Not only were the phone numbers incorrect, they apparently had simply been pulled out of the directory. One was for a local medical center (the parent did not work there – I wonder if that wasn’t left as the emergency number), and one was for a Walgreens (parent had never worked there). That parent also left an email address, but the email was never responded to. (Generic Yahoo account.) Mailing letters is fine, except in cases where information about the student needs to be given immediately.

It’s not always a matter of convincing teachers to contact parents, or training them how to. I love to talk with parents, especially to heap praise on my students. Sometimes, it’s a matter of finding them, and I know that’s not always the parents’ fault.

Last year, at my old school, I had a parent tell me, “When she’s at school, she’s your problem. Don’t call me at home with problems about school.” Too often, though I would wish it otherwise, this is the path I have to take.

]]> By: Travis A. Wittwer http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2008/09/02/lets-be-careful-out-there/comment-page-1/#comment-4508 Travis A. Wittwer Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:43:36 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=899#comment-4508 I concur on the best practice being frequent home contact. I am unsure why it is not used as often as it could be. Perhaps there needs to be a class in the education undergraduate program called "How to Talk with Parents and Make Them Valuable Resources". If a teacher starts the rapport early, there is very little that will ever be an issue. (Great blog by the way.) I concur on the best practice being frequent home contact. I am unsure why it is not used as often as it could be. Perhaps there needs to be a class in the education undergraduate program called “How to Talk with Parents and Make Them Valuable Resources”. If a teacher starts the rapport early, there is very little that will ever be an issue. (Great blog by the way.)

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