As the school year begins, building strong communication between schools and families is a good way for teachers to lay the foundation for a successful year. Being in regular contact with families can help create a positive relationship between schools and families and may help teachers stay up-to-date on their students’ lives and help ease potential tough conversations later in the school year. For military-connected families, in particular, clear and consistent communication between teachers and family members can create a sense of stability and trust that could be particularly helpful for a group that tends to experience frequent disruptions. Some of these disruptions, such as geographic relocations and deployments, can create unique challenges for students as they adapt to changes at home, and schools should be proactive in their responses to these stressors. When teachers and other school professionals establish good relationships with families, teachers receive better information about their students sooner, which can lead to more responsive services and better outcomes.
However, developing positive relationships with families may not be easy. A new school year can offer an opportunity for teachers, school professionals, and families to start new habits. As a teacher or school professional, you may want to consider adopting a few of the following tips to improve your relationships with families this year.
Use Tools to Strengthen Communication
Keeping in touch with families doesn’t need to be a time-consuming event. You don’t have to set aside 2 hours after school once a week to make a personalized call home. There are many faster ways to keep in touch:
- Home–School Notes: A simple daily or weekly note that travels between school and home can be especially helpful for families adjusting to a new school or routine. These notes can highlight successes, share concerns, and keep absent parents in the loop.
- Communication Apps: Using apps, such as ClassDojo, Remind, and Seesaw, can help teachers share real-time updates, photos, or reminders with families. These platforms are often accessible from mobile devices, which makes it easier for deployed or traveling parents to stay engaged. Check with your technology team to determine if your school or district has any preferred or designated apps.
- Classroom Websites or Newsletters: A regularly updated classroom site or digital newsletter provides families with consistent access to schedules, assignments, and announcements. This can reduce anxiety for families managing multiple transitions.
- Face-to-Face Meetings: Offering in-person conferences once per quarter can be helpful and can allow the teacher and families to review progress and discuss any problem areas. For military families, being intentional about including both parents when possible, such as by scheduling virtual meetings for a deployed parent, can foster trust.
Reduce Barriers to Stay Connected
Even in the best circumstances, school-home communication can be tricky. Families may juggle demanding schedules, shift work, or limited access to technology. Offering a variety of ways for parents to contact you or receive information about assignments can be helpful to ensure everyone is supported. Consider using these tips to help reduce barriers: offer resources online, when possible, so families can access them any time or from any location; provide virtual meeting options; and reduce paper information traveling home with students (schedules, permission slips, announcements), as these could be lost.
Consider Timing and Tone
Just as students tend to receive more negative than positive attention, families tend to get more information from school when something is going wrong. Teachers are busy and may not get a chance to write home every time a student has a breakthrough; however, they do find time to write home when a student has a breakdown. As a result, families may come to dread communications with the school and may ask themselves, “What now?” when they get a notification. To counter this, teachers can try two strategies. First, they can share a positive experience a child has had with families as soon as possible during the start of the school year in order to start communications on a positive note. Second, when teachers have to share less-than-ideal news, they can try to frame it in a “positive sandwich”: share one positive note, then the important news, then another positive note. For example: “Ceilidh continues to share such creative ideas, and we all really appreciate that. However, I wanted to let you know that we’re still seeing a lot of calling out in class. I think the strategy we’ve talked about has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to hear more of her stories as we figure this situation out.”
Closing Thoughts
Strong school–home communication lays the foundation for student success for all families, including military-connected families. By intentionally choosing strategies that are flexible, inclusive, and proactive, educators can ensure every family feels informed, respected, and connected to their child’s learning. Building these partnerships early in the school year can help to create a foundation of stability and collaboration that can support students all year long.
For more information about communicating with families, please visit our School Supports series of trainings, or you can explore one of our other training series for more ideas on how to support Military-connected students.