Comments on: My No-Bunk Letter to Parents http://www.middleweb.com/2194/my-no-bunk-parent-letter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-no-bunk-parent-letter All About the Middle Grades Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:19:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Barbara Cervone http://www.middleweb.com/2194/my-no-bunk-parent-letter/#comment-223 Barbara Cervone Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:22:52 +0000 http://www.middleweb.com/?p=2194#comment-223 Three cheers for these three points. They strike the right tone to me: straightforward and cautionary while supportive. The only thing I might add (but not to these letter) is the seeming magic that happens when a teacher starts off the school year by sending home to the parent/guardian of each of their students a “good news” note about their child–about a small triumph, a positive attitude, a thoughtful gesture, something they tried hard at, a winning smile…In my experience, these good new notes win parents, especially those we deem “hard to reach,” to your side. Parents are so used to hearing from teachers/schools only when their kid has done something bad.

A teacher’s good news note can also encourage parents to share with you good news they may have about their kid–perhaps something you did in the classroom that their child talked about at home, with enthusiasm; perhaps an accomplishment or upbeat event at home or in the neighborhood, with relatives, at church.

It’s amazing how much these small, positive, informal exchanges can change the dynamic between parents and teachers.

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