“A Million Words”

A Wonderful Tool to Connect with Parents

The Million Words tool basically works this way: In the first month or so of school, the teacher asks parents to tell you about their child, in “a million words or less.”

Sounds simple – and it can be very powerful – but as you’ll see in this MiddleWeb Classic conversation, there are many permutations. Fortunately for all of us who want to try this idea, this particular MiddleWeb listserv chat was populated by a group of insightful folks, many of whom had tried the Million Words tool — and in a variety of different school settings and contexts.

We’ve captured the conversation in this MiddleWeb Million Words Resource file (PDF). Feel free to download it, check out the links, look at the sample teacher letter at the end, and visit the Education World page where our chat and other related activities are considered.

What teachers need to know about students is still generating discussion in 2012.  In “When to Brief the Teacher, and When to Bite Your Tongue,” the NYT’s Motherlode posts experiences and recommendations from both parents and teachers. Some comments may make you smile while others may trigger a furrowed brow.