Way to Go
A research-based strategy for establishing a positive relationship between parents and teachers
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
"In my nearly thirty years of educational travels, I specifically remember one of my psychology professors making the point about waht determines a problem. He said the difference between the expectation and the reality constitutes the problem. So, if you have a parent that never voiced the expectation, and a a teacher who is skeptical or even a bit frightened about sharing the reality of how the student is achieving or behaving, we really do have a problem- a big one! The problem comes in when we as a aschool aren't coming across as clearly as we should or when things aren't humming along and perfectly as as parant may expect. We need to change both the expectation and the reality. If the way we are currently doing things isn't improving, then why are we continuing to do the same thing? Let's find a better WAY TO GO!"
"Nothing concerns me more as a school administrator or causes me more angst as the fear of unhappy parents. Very early in my career as an early childhood administrator, I vividly remember a mommy physically backing me up to the wall with her jabbing words and bullying attitude. It seemed there had to be more going on than her discontent with a teacehr who "wasn't loving enough" toward her child. My deeper concern was how to prevent a parent from getting this angry in the first place."
"The research shows that parents who are pleased with the schools' attempts at good communcation, were also pleased with the way the school year was going also. The statistics show a very strong correlation between parent satisfaction and the perception of the school's communication practices."
"of course, we would be somewhat superhuman (or subhuman?) creatures should we feel delivering bad news about a student were made easier. It's the fact that we already have an idea about how the parents are, how and waht they want communicated and that we are partners in the education of their child that really matters."
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Is there anything out there that can help us to communicate more effectively with parents? Nothing concerns me more as a school administrator or causes me more angst as the fear of unhappy parents. Very early in my career as an early childhood administrator, I vivdly remember a mommy physically backing me up to the wall with her jabbing words and bullying attitude. It seemed there had to be more going on than her discontent with a teacher who wasn't "loving enough" to her child. My deeper concern was how to prevent a parent from getting this angry in the first place.
After finding a startegy to forge positive communciation between parents and teachers, I employed the strategy, in serviced teachers, and replicated the research for two years. Parents who are satisfied with the school's attempt at good communication were also pleased with the way the school was going. There is a strong correlation between parent satisfaction and school communication practices.
The book details the "tell the teacher more" strategy, the training of school personnel, the research, and the comments from the teachers themselves how one strategy at the beginning of the school year can have major impact on the positive communication that happens all year long! If you want to make a major impact in the communcation with your school parents, grab the book and read about the "Way to Go!"
About the Author
Educator and administrator for over thirty years, both in public and private education, from early childhood through the universtity level. I have served in the Alief, Aldine, Spring, and Magnolia public school districts, the local community college system and Sam Houston State University as an adjunct professor as well as an administrator at St. Matthew Lutheran School, Spring, and currently serving as Director of Educational Minstries in my 25th year at Salem Lutheran School, Tomball, Texas.
Formal education includes a bachelor's degree in pseech pathology and audiology from the University of Hosuton, a master's degree in elementary eduation from Sam Houston State university and a doctorate in educational administration from Californina Coast University.
Salem Lutheran School became a National Blue Ribbon School in 2007 and is 157 years old!
Using this book, my desire is to help other schools achieve positive communication between parents and teachers using a very simple research based method that really works! Other how-to books provide advice, but this one shares the "way to go" along with authentic comments from the teachers themselves as to how much the process helped them throughout the rest of the year to continue great communication with their parents!
"Way to Go" provides the philsophy and educational research behind the strategy for the positive communication model, the necessay ingredients for the successful implementation of "Tell the Teacher More Day" as well as the follow through.
I live in Magnolia, Texas, with my husband, Dean. We have two married daughters and four grandchildren.