Having desks next to one another rather than across allowed for a more comfortable, approachable environment.
Artifacts that reflect my interaction, communication, and collaboration with parents/guardians.
Class Dojo-Have you heard of Class Dojo? This is an awesome way for teachers and parents to stay connected and stay updated on student behavior.
Emails Home-Communication with parents is huge, and when one of my eighth graders was gone for a week, I made sure to get involved with not only him, but his parents to catch him up on things he missed.
Introductory Letter to Parents/Guardians-Just like I did in my first student teaching placement at Mason City High School, I wanted to introduce myself to students and parents and send them something that would help us get to know one another before I began full-time teaching.
FCHS Conferences – Round 2!-Since I had started my placement in the middle of the year, I had less of a head role in these conferences than I had at the high school. I will still very excited to be a part of all of them, chiming in with information, ideas, notes, and positives about each of my cooperating teacher's ten students.
Concerns from the Community – Standards-Based Grading-"When I think about my school experience, I think of multiple choice and true-false and fill-in-the-blank. I think of a score at the top of the page. What kind of feedback is that?"
MCHS Conferences – Round 1!-At Mason City High School, conferences are split into two days, two Tuesdays. The first night was October 6th, and I was thrilled to be a part of it!
Emailing with Parents-In one of my English 10 classes, I have a student with a 504 Plan. He struggles, and sometimes I'm worried that he isn't grasping concepts, despite me working one-on-one with him during class time as much as I can.
Back to School Night-Tonight was Back to School Night, a night for parents to visit with teachers, walk student schedules, learn a little about classes, and share information about their children.
Involving Parents-I know that students do better in the classroom when there is parent involvement; this is why I am going to communicate effectively with the parents of my students.
