Comments on: How to get parents on board with your big changes

By: Teachers are Teachers Best Friends! – Miss Krystin Carroll

Teachers are Teachers Best Friends! – Miss Krystin Carroll — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 06:43:37 +0000

[…] The final blog I was able to really connect with was the blog Ditch That Textbook. I found this blog to be very encouraging, as it is talking about how to implement technology inside of the classroom. One of the blogposts I enjoyed the most was called How to get parents on Board for Big Changes. This blog post talks about how to get parents on board with what you are doing inside of the classroom. One area I am most concerned with handling as a future teacher is how to talk to parents of my students. The author talks all about how to need to share your vision with them, and show how you put your heart into what you are doing inside of the classroom. If you can let the parent see your passion for their children’s education, they will be more likely to share that vison. With that being said, he also says to not over sell what you are doing in the classroom, as there is always room for failure. If you tell parents about this fantastic new method you’re implementing inside of the classroom, and it turns out to be a total bust, you can lose your credibility in the parents mind. To learn more about this topic I would highly recommend you to read this post (which can be found at https://ditchthattextbook.com/2017/01/16/how-to-get-parents-on-board-with-your-big-changes.). […]

By: Matt Miller

Matt Miller — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 14:41:08 +0000

In reply to Sheila Bowman.

Hi Sheila —

There’s some research at this Google Plus community, run by my co-author Alice Keeler: https://plus.google.com/communities/113112787233071964999

We’ll be sharing some research in our book, Ditch That Homework. However, research about homework is a slippery slope we must tread with caution. So much of it is flawed (i.e. based on correlating data instead of causation), and another issue is how it defines homework (i.e. mindless worksheets vs. stimulating activities). There are other factors at play, too, including support at home (education of parents, importance of education at home) … which leads to the level of help students can get when they struggle on homework (and how much the parents end up doing). I can go on and on …

The bottom line, I think, is that we should know what research says but take a big-picture approach to homework where it’s one factor. Not everything that happens in a research study or a lab directly relates to the students we know well. And teachers need autonomy to do what they think is best. The focus of our book isn’t to bash homework, but to provide strategies teachers can use to reduce their reliance on homework until, at some point, they’ll hopefully be able to ditch it.

Thanks for your comment and for your kind words, Sheila!

By: Rachel Blackwell

Rachel Blackwell — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:52:50 +0000

Such a good article. I found in my classroom the more communication the better. I sent out a weekly email (every Friday) with what is going to be going on in my class in the upcoming week. This would give the parents time to prepare the conversations to have with their students over the weekend. Now with sites.google.com, I would have a website and still send out weekly email reminders but post my messages on my website so students and teachers could both be involved.

Not all parents will get on board but when one comes to me upset about their child’s grades, it simmered the fire when I would say, “Do you get my weekly updates?” Puts the ball in the parent’s court.

By: Sheila Bowman

Sheila Bowman — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:46:37 +0000

I really love this whole concept and completely agree with the fact that parents are going to want to see research behind the decision. Would you mind sharing recent studies you are using in your justification for “ditching the homework?”

Thanks so much! LOVE this blog BtW! We use it in our district constantly for relevant PD! You are our instructional & motivational heroes, Matt and Alice! Keep on inspiring!

By: Ben Domonkos

Ben Domonkos — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 18:05:40 +0000

Stick with it!

When parents heard of how my class was not going to have 3rd grade people described a mutiny. I had told the students on the first day of school, but did not communicate to the parents until Parent Information Night the following week. I had several people tell me there were lots of families in my class who were very worried about my no homework policy. Before the actual meeting I had conversations with some parents I know were behind the so-called “mutiny”.

These conversations cleared the runway for the actual meeting where we were talking about No Homework. During and after the meeting I (as well as the worried parents) was surprised by the excitement and support we had from the group as whole. If I would have backed down for some parents I would not have heard the voices of several parents who were in support of the policy.

Worried parents came to me at the 1st Quarter Conferences telling me how shocked they are about how well the no homework policy has worked. One student is researching about the Big Bang and listening to talks by Stephen Hawking. Another parent is sharing complaints of how they can’t get their child away from the math game we use in school. Others are just hoping their other children’s parents will take the same stance on homework.

I am extremely pleased with how the No Homework Policy has worked and I am looking forward to helping this movement push forward!

By: Isabel

Isabel — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 17:17:37 +0000

> Send a weekly newsletter that tells parents what you worked on this week in class. This helps them have conversations with their students. Parents out there know that if you ask a kid what they did at school that day, you’ll often get, “Nothing much” or “I don’t remember.” Give parents some talking points.