How to Engage Families in Distance Learning
Engaging students’ families during distance learning can be a challenge. Various work schedules, learning systems, and means of communication can make it difficult to connect with parents and guardians.
However, there are a few simple ways to encourage family involvement even while teaching virtually.
I’ve invited Emily Levine, a third grade teacher, to share her ways of boosting parent involvement during distance learning. As always, I encourage you to choose one that works best for you and your particular students.
Parent involvement during the pandemic has been crucial. My particular third grade students selected to be fully virtual, while the other third graders in our school chose to engage in a hybrid model. Regardless of how you are delivering instruction, engaging with students’ parents and families will help with the success of your students.
Five ways to increase family involvement
Host a Virtual Parent Meeting
Families are stakeholders in your classroom. It’s important to make them feel that their input matters. Every few weeks, I host a parents/guardians meeting. I solicit feedback on what is going well, and what they would like to see improved upon. After the meeting, I type up notes, and send them out. This way, parents know that I was an active listener. They also know this when I implement some of their ideas. This makes them feel validated, just like our students.
Utilize Daily Agendas
Every afternoon, I post the next day’s agenda in the Google Classroom™. This simple tool allows families to see what times their students need to log into Zoom, what materials are needed, and what the assignments are for the evening. This is especially helpful for working families, or for those who have other caretakers during the day. During one of the feedback sessions, the parents all said they found this to be extremely helpful.
Take Advantage of Mass Messaging Systems
If your district provides a method for you to send mass messages, I would encourage sending one nightly. I send a brief message informing families what we did in class, and what the homework is for the evening. I also include any announcements that are important. This is just one more way for the families to get the necessary information.
Supply Pick-ups
Whether you teach in an affluent area or one with low socio-economics, families greatly appreciate any supplies you can offer them to make schooling easier during the pandemic. For example, I don’t expect my students or their families to print any materials. Therefore, I have to think ahead, and have all materials ready in advance. I print off worksheets, and have families come to school every few weeks to collect them.
In addition to paper materials, I provide the students and their families with scissors, glue, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, construction paper, whiteboard, marker, and a pencil pouch. Even if some of the students were able to secure these supplies on their own, many were unable to, and I did not want a student to feel left out. Many families have been without work for the past several months, and greatly appreciate the supplies. They also appreciate that each student has access to the same materials, which keeps the playing field even.
Engage Parents in the Learning Process
If there were ever a time to take advantage of teachable moments it would be now! When lessons come up in the curriculum, or topics of discussion are on something that you don’t feel you are the expert on, invite a parent/guardian into your Zoom space. I have found that offering the option to pre-record a message/lesson/read aloud has been viewed as a positive. If parents are still working, they can still participate by submitting their video to you by the requested date. Students always love seeing their families in school, so this would be no exception!
Bio information
My name is Dr. Emily Levine. I have been teaching for 17 years! Fifteen of those years have been spent in third grade, and the other two years were in fourth. I love what I do. Teaching during the pandemic has made me a stronger teacher. It has presented me with challenges, and allowed me to appreciate what I do on a daily basis.
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