Parent communication for music teachers is not an easy feat. As an elementary music teacher, you teach every child in the school. Sometimes you’ll need to communicate with every parent in your school, sometimes only to a grade level, and sometimes to one child’s parent. There are great ways you can communicate with parents without feeling overwhelmed.
Communicating with every parent in the school
There are times you’ll need to communicate to every parent in the school. The first time this happens is at the beginning of the school year. Send home a newsletter to let them know what their child will be learning in music, the dates of the music programs, and what your rules and expectations are.
If your school has a Facebook page, this is another great way to communicate with parents. Or, you might even have your own teacher website to share the latest news.
Whichever means you decide to communicate, making sure parents know how to get ahold of you is important. In the beginning of the year newsletter, include your email address and also what time your planning period is.
At back to school night, make yourself available in your classroom or in the hallway for parents to meet you. Have a friendly smile on your face and let them know you’re glad to be their child’s music teacher. A lot of times, a great first impression goes a long way.
Another great way to communicate with every parent is by simply having notes on your bulletin board for them to see. Obviously every parent won’t see these, but parents are in the school more than you think. Having your procedures and “what we do in music” posters right in the hallway for all to see is a great way to communicate.
Communicating with some parents
There are times you’ll need to communicate with only some parents. For example, there might be a program coming up, an honors choir performance, or a grade level field trip (yeah right ha). Obviously, you wouldn’t need to communicate with every parent in the school.
Just as you communicated with every parent, you’ll use some of the same strategies to communicate with some parents. If you have an honors choir, you can collect the parents email addresses and communicate with them that way.
For an upcoming performance, program, or field trip, you could still send home an old fashioned newsletter. Another way to do this is when the regular classroom teachers send home their weekly newsletters, you could include a blurb at the bottom of the newsletter. Or, there’s sometimes a section for upcoming events and you could include the event on that.
Just like when you post the other things on your hallway bulletin board, you could have a “what’s coming up” section for parents to view.
Communicating with one child’s parent
There are times you’ll need to communicate with one child’s parent. This child may be causing disruptions in class and it’s time to talk to his/her parent. While on the phone, explain the tactics you’ve tried in your classroom and with school wide procedures to get the child to participate. This will let the parent know that you’ve been proactive and that calling them is a necessary step.
Another way to communicate with a child’s parent is at parent/teacher conferences. Conference times are usually around 15 minutes long. Let the classroom teacher talk first, then you can take your turn. You may sit in on a conference if you need to talk to a parent about a child’s behavior problems or to tell the parent something good about their child’s musical ability.
If you’ve developed a relationship with the parents throughout the school year, then when you need to have a one on one conversation with them, it will be better received. Most parents want to know how their child is doing in every class, so don’t be afraid to contact them if you need to.
What ways do you communication with your students parents? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post.
Also, I’d love for you to share this post or any of the resources on my website with a friend or colleague who you know NEEDS to see it.
P.S. Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher? Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!
