Parent Contact

Recently our principal sent us out an email that encouraged us to email or make phone contact with some of our students parents. I had already done this from time to time, but I needed a little "oh yeah" trigger in me to do it again. So I took about a half hour and sent emails to a dozen or so parents. A lot of times, as teachers, we think, oh boy, one more thing to do. We try to find the time to do it. I know when I do find the time, I always feel good after. I don't write much. Just a couple sentences. I always wonder what the parents think when they see that email sitting there in their inbox. Their child's name as the subject and from a school address. I wonder if there is a shock factor. I wonder if they think, "what have they done now..." Monday I got one of those emails with the subject box that read simply "Ali."

So, even though I know I have a pretty good kid, I still thought, "Oh crap." And then I read the email. It was from one of Ali's 8th grade teachers and her words were just what I needed to start my Monday. It was a short note, only a couple sentences. But what she said in those few sentences made me the proudest mom EVER. To get a note from someone that I don't know well, letting me know as a parent that I am doing something right and so is my daughter is a really, really good feeling.

So every time I hear a fellow teacher sigh when we are asked to give a few minutes of our time and our words, I think I will smile inside. They will never know what an impact in a parent's life those few small words, in a short little paragraph mean to them.