I really like having Parent Contact and Student Info EASILY accessible. Buried on a form in a file is not a great place when you need to get your hands on the info fast. It has really come in handy for me to have that quick and easy access. I have had to grab it quick a few times trying to catch mom or dad before they leave the parking lot in the morning.
Last year, I printed some pretty cool parent contact logs and kept them in a binder. I filled in important contact info, and it had spots to keep record of convo’s and emails with parents. It was a great concept, and it worked pretty well for accessing the contact info, but not ONCE all year did I take the time to write down details of a phone or email communication.
Yup.
So this year, I created a Parent Info Card that I will ask them to fill out during our Back to School Open House. Then I will laminate them, punch a hole in the corner and keep them on a ring by my desk or by the phone.
Another thing this accomplishes for me is that it lets Parents tell me which email addresses to send my Weekly Newsletter to. Last year, I sent it out on Sundays, and sometimes it only went to a parent’s work email which they didn’t get until Monday morning.
Not cool when I was reminding them of something happening on Monday.
It also has an allergy spot which is also helpful for quick access when I want to double check a food allergy question. Even fourth graders sometimes give me ambiguous answers about whether they can have something or not. :)
I can’t believe how quickly the summer is passing! I have about 3 weeks until I have to report back. I have felt quite torn because I want to be able to play the summer away with the kids and just go to the pool or library or meet friends, but I have SO much I want to GET DONE!
As crazy busy as we are as soon as the year starts, I know my only chance for getting some of this stuff accomplished is by doing it now.
Dilemma.
How do the rest of you type a mama teachers like me do it?
Here’s the file for you on Teachers Pay Teachers just for you!
What are your tricks for keeping up with Parent Info? Are you good at recording parent communication?
Linking up at Weekend Bloggy Link up, House of Hepworths, Monday Made It with Tara, andFun in Room 4B.
My summer ends next week! Boo! Especially since we have a birthday in our house those first few days back. So, no, I have zero insight and only sympathy to offer.
Thanks for the cute student information cards. I try and do most of my communications through email and then I have a file in the email system called “Parents” and I drag and drop all parent communications in there. That way if I need to refer back to it, I have it, but it isn’t sitting in my inbox clogging things up. For phone calls I grab a note/scratch paper and quickly write name of student, date, and what the call was regarding. Depending on depth of conversation, will depend how much I write. I have 1 folder (not one per child, just one) that I keep in front of all others in file cabinet right by my desk. I throw the note in there along with all other written communications from parents. Like you, I rarely have the need to look back at the documentation, but it is there if I need to. I don’t file by student name so it is a quick way to jot down basic and stick out of the way. Good luck on your upcoming school year!
Great idea for teachers, indeed! Got you from Serenity weekend bloggy reading link up.