The importance of forming relationships with families

I really enjoyed chapter 11 in the Grant and Ray book because it talked a lot about the importance of forming a relationship with the families of the students you teach. As a teacher, it is so important to keep in touch with your students' families. Teachers need to continuously update families on their child's progress within the classroom. At times, it may not be easy to meet with families for a formal conference, so informal conferences such as a quick chat with the mom or dad as they drop off or pick up their child from school are still very helpful. Also, a conversation through email may work almost as well as a face to face conversation if parents have a hard time getting off wrok to meet for a formal conference. If a formal conference can be held however, it is important that the teacher have documents to show of the students work that can help the teacher provide families with evidence of the students progress, or lack of progression. Another great way to keep in touch with families is to regulary make home phone calls.Reasons for making phone calls to students families need to be for both positive and negative reasons. I know that Ms. Patte makes phone calls to her students' parents to let them know that their child ate all of hi/her veggies at lunch. So, it is important to keep in contact with students' families on a regular basis in order to ensure that the students will have the greatest amount of succes both inside and outside of the classroom.