Research shows that increased communication between parents and teachers can lead to higher student achievement, so what happens now that parents and educators have practically 24-hour access to each other?
These days, teachers and principals have a wide array of communication options for reaching parents—newsletters, emails, messaging apps, phone calls, and the classic flyer or paper notice.
Modern apps and platforms have allowed teachers to seamlessly share videos and images, show parents student progress, and provide live updates and announcements to all the families in their class.
Still, experts say teachers should be strategic about how they use tech tools to communicate with parents. For instance, they should be mindful of the fact that not every family has access to smartphones with internet access. And teachers should be clear with their expectations and boundaries for using the tools, so parents don’t always expect immediate responses after working hours.
Educators voted in an informal LinkedIn poll about how technology has affected their communication with parents. Half of the 510 respondents said technology has helped, while 5% said it hurts their communication. Forty-five percent said it has pros and cons.
In social media comments, educators shared more details about the effects of technology on communication. Here are some of their responses, edited lightly for clarity.
Some educators say communicating online provides accountability
Love it! Proof of documentation sent. If they choose not to read it or respond, not my problem. There's no more, 'he said, she said.' I also like being able to send mass reminders and updates.
I use Google Classroom as a form of transparency and accountability for me and my students. No more miscommunication or lost papers. It is all saved for parents, students, admin, and teachers. Yes, we had homework. Yes, they were given due date well in advance. Work was submitted? [Show] me on your computer.
I believe that any teacher or school that doesn’t use current technology to communicate with parents is still living in the good old days—the 90’s. Use of current technology to communicate with parents is a must.
Other teachers say parents reply to more traditional forms of communication
Parents still don’t read emails and still only read and respond to text messages. It’s amazing that we haven’t figured this out.
Google Voice text function. Adults read text messages.
I think my families pay more attention when I hand their child a bright colored piece of paper to give their parent at pick-up. I can send so many reminders electronically and still have parents not pay attention. We have alarms and calendars on our phones, and we avoid using them. The other issue is that as a parent of multiple kids, I get so many texts and emails from school and clubs.
