Making parent phone calls part of your arsenal is one of the smartest things you can do your first year as a teacher. You should have the proper strategy down when making these calls. Don't just swing blindly. Follow these few steps and you'll have a much easier time resolving any situations that arise in your classroom:
Get there first. If there is a situation in class that the student can spin his or her way, you'll want to race to the phone as soon as class is over. You know full well that the student is going to do their best to get their story in first. Once they do that, it's like they're playing on the home field. Your story will have to overcome their story. If, however, you get to the parent first, and provide a detailed explanation of the story with corroborating evidence, the parent will be able to pick out the inconsistencies and flat out lies their child is dishing out.
Call at first signs of trouble. If you notice a change of attitude in an otherwise well-behaved student, you'll want to make an exploratory call home. Try to find out what is going on in their lives, if they've had any recent or major changes, or if anything has been bothering them. A change in attitude usually precedes a change for the worse in behavior and you don't want a small fixable problem to balloon into something you can't control.
Log all calls. Keep an accurate record of calls you make to parents. Include as many details as you can about the situation and leave a special space to log your follow up call. This will also help you keep important matters on your mind, so that students don't fall through the cracks, and situations aren't forgotten. You'll also want to record your call attempts, so that if a parent tries to say you never told them about a problem, you will be able to show that you've been trying but that they are unreachable.
Call with good news too. Don't just call every time there's a problem. Students to praiseworthy things every day. Pick one and make a note to call home with the good news. It can be a quick call and you can even leave a message if you don't get an answer. Everyone likes to have a happy message every now and then.
Limit phone time. Some parents are needy, or just plain difficult on the phone. Don't let them monopolize your precious time. Get down to business, get the problem out in the open, offer your solution, and get off the phone.
Don't give your home number. No explanation necessary on this one. Unless you want calls at all hours from obsessive or difficult parents keep your private number private.
Get there first. If there is a situation in class that the student can spin his or her way, you'll want to race to the phone as soon as class is over. You know full well that the student is going to do their best to get their story in first. Once they do that, it's like they're playing on the home field. Your story will have to overcome their story. If, however, you get to the parent first, and provide a detailed explanation of the story with corroborating evidence, the parent will be able to pick out the inconsistencies and flat out lies their child is dishing out.
Call at first signs of trouble. If you notice a change of attitude in an otherwise well-behaved student, you'll want to make an exploratory call home. Try to find out what is going on in their lives, if they've had any recent or major changes, or if anything has been bothering them. A change in attitude usually precedes a change for the worse in behavior and you don't want a small fixable problem to balloon into something you can't control.
Log all calls. Keep an accurate record of calls you make to parents. Include as many details as you can about the situation and leave a special space to log your follow up call. This will also help you keep important matters on your mind, so that students don't fall through the cracks, and situations aren't forgotten. You'll also want to record your call attempts, so that if a parent tries to say you never told them about a problem, you will be able to show that you've been trying but that they are unreachable.
Call with good news too. Don't just call every time there's a problem. Students to praiseworthy things every day. Pick one and make a note to call home with the good news. It can be a quick call and you can even leave a message if you don't get an answer. Everyone likes to have a happy message every now and then.
Limit phone time. Some parents are needy, or just plain difficult on the phone. Don't let them monopolize your precious time. Get down to business, get the problem out in the open, offer your solution, and get off the phone.
Don't give your home number. No explanation necessary on this one. Unless you want calls at all hours from obsessive or difficult parents keep your private number private.
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