Tips for making your parent board a successful communication tool in your classroom
As you prepare for a new school year, you may be considering a parent board. Here are a few tips of what you might want to consider for your parent board.
Let me begin by saying that the most important things about a parent board are…
- Location:Â The parent board needs to be placed where it can easily be seen and accessed or your parents will easily overlook it. Keep it in a location where it is at parent’s eye level and within parent reach.
- Updates:Â If you want parents to actually look at the parent board, then you have to be committed to keeping the parent board updated with the most recent information.
- Useful:Â You have to plan ahead and put things on the board that are useful and informative to the parent like extra copies of newsletters, the menu, or field trip forms.
- Commitment: This may seem like an odd word choice, but if you throw up a board and title it “Parent Board” but never think about it again, then parents will lose interest and not get into the habit of looking at the board. You have to be committed to making the parent board a regular part of your communication strategy.
- Time:Â Take the time to remind your parents to view the parent board for the most recent updates and classroom happenings, but make sure you have taken the time to add those updates!
What you might include on the parent board
A Clear Label
A sign that clearly labels the board as a parent board…
Food Menu
A copy of your weekly menu outlining meal options for the week.
Class Schedule
A copy of your class schedule that outlines daily routines.
Class Roster
It is always nice for parents to know children by name. A list of students that are in your class helps parents become familiar with the other children.
Lesson Plan
An overview of your weekly lesson plan outlining activities for the week.
Important Announcements
The parent board is a wonderful communication tool. This is a great way to keep parents up-to-date with current classroom happenings such as field trip forms, newsletter, pictures/documentation of students in action, or other special important announcements.
Important Documents
A pocket folder with extra copies of field trip forms and newsletters for those that didn’t quite make it home in their back packs!
Getting to Know You
Add a personal touch to your parent board with photo of yourself and any other teachers and include your names! A short bio is a great way to share your background with parents, too.
Another Helpful Tip
Be sure to keep your parent board attractive and well organized! Parents will be eager to reference the parent board when it is thoughtfully designed and relevant to what is happening in the classroom.Â