Many times, folks will say that communication is a two-way street. I think nowadays, it's more of a highway interchange. We have so many different ways to communicate with each other and receive information!
As an adult, how do you prefer to get your information? Do you listen to the radio, watch the news, or read the newspaper? Do you log on to your social media accounts and scroll through your feed? Do you have a designated phone call with a family member each week? Do you text message with your friends throughout the day? How many times per day do you check an email account- and how many email accounts do you have?
Everyone has different communication styles, depending on the purpose or even timing. For example, there are certain seasons of life where I'm only available through cell phone because I simply can't get to my email quickly enough.
As we prep for the school year, we discuss fun and innovative ways to get to know our students. Let's also do a brainstorm of how we can get to know the families we serve! One simple way to do this is to ask the families & caregivers that we serve how they'd like to get their information this school year.
By clicking here, you will have access to a few sample templates, as well as a few letters you may wish to send home with students. Simply Make a Copy so that you can edit the template to better meet your needs as well as your communication styles & preferences, etc.
I think it's really important to also give families a starting point of conversation entry points. For example, instead of saying "Contact me for anything you need," be more specific and give them examples of WHY they may wish to contact you and/or the school. Again, feel free to Make a Copy/Edit to better meet your needs.
About the Author
Carly Spina
Twitter: @MrsSpinasClass
Instagram: @MrsSpinasClass
Carly Spina has 15 years of experience in Multilingual Education, including her service as an EL teacher, a third-grade bilingual classroom teacher, and a district-wide Multilingual Instructional Coach. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center, providing professional learning opportunities and technical assistance support to educators and leaders across the state and beyond. Spina enjoys connecting with other educators and leaders across the country and beyond and is an active member of the multilingual education professional learning community. Her first book, Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners, was published in November 2021 by EduMatch Publishing and is available on Amazon.