1. Eric Langhorst
Liberty Public Schools
IMPROVING PARENT
COMMUNICATION

2. Eric Langhorst
speakingofhistory@gmail.com
Adjunct Graduate
Faculty Member
Doctoral Student
Teacher Leadership
8th
Grade American
History Teacher

3. Copy of presentation and
links available online
www.speakingofhistory.com
November 12, 2010

4. Please write some of your
successes with parent
communication on the index
card
The smartest person in the
room is THE ROOM

5. What do you want to
communicate to parents?

6. What do you want to
communicate to parents?
•Grade updates

7. What do you want to
communicate to parents?
•Grade updates
•Homework Assignments

8. What do you want to
communicate to parents?
•Grade updates
•Homework Assignments
•Lesson plans

9. What do you want to
communicate to parents?
•Grade updates
•Homework Assignments
•Lesson plans
•Extra Stuff

10. What do you want to
communicate to parents?
•Grade updates
•Homework Assignments
•Lesson plans
•Extra Stuff

11. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•List of what is happening
each day that week in class
•Homework
assignment
for each day

12. Week 13 Schedule - November 8 - 12, 2010
Monday - November 8, 2010 - Raven Day
- hand out Article of the Week #12 - Concussions in Youth Sports
- Notes - Factors which Led to American Victory
video "America Story of Us - Revolution“
- HOMEWORK - work on Article of the Week #12 for Friday, study the 8 factors which led to
an American victory for an essential question test on Wednesday/Thursday
Tuesday - November 9, 2010 - Raven Day
- Review for Essential Question #3 "Explain Factors Which Led to American Victory in
Revolutionary War"
- Notes "Yorktown and the Legacy of the War"
- HOMEWORK - work on Article of the Week #12 for Friday, study the 8 factors which led to
an American victory for an essential question test on Wednesday/Thursday
Wednesday - November 10, 2010 - Blue Day / Thursday - November 11, 2010 - Silver Day
- take Essential Question #3 "Explain Factors Which Led to American Victory in Revolutionary
War"
- Notes "The Articles of Confederation"
- Watch part 1 of video "Shays' Rebellion"
- HOMEWORK - work on Article of the Week #12 for Friday
Friday - November 12, 2010 - Raven Day
- hand in Article of the Week #12 - Concussions in Youth Sports
- Watch part 2 of video "Shays' Rebellion"
- HOMEWORK - none

13. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•Written on dry erase board
in front of my classroom
•Typed and added to my
online classroom
(BlackBoard)

14. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•Copy and pasted into an
email which is sent to:

15. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•Copy and pasted into an
email which is sent to:
•Parents

16. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•Copy and pasted into an
email which is sent to:
•Parents
•Principal, aides, other
teachers

17. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•Copy and pasted into an
email which is sent to:
•Parents
•Principal, aides, other
teachers
•Students

18. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•Copy and pasted into an
email which is sent to:
•Parents
•Principal, aides, other
teachers
•Students

19. Each week this takes
about 20 minutes on
Sunday night / Monday
morning

20. WEEKLY SCHEDULE

21. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•CONSISTENT

22. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•CONSISTENT
•CONCISE

23. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•CONSISTENT
•CONCISE
•CLEAR

24. WEEKLY SCHEDULE
•CONSISTENT
•CONCISE
•CLEAR

25. Send parents study
guides, copies of notes,
assignments

26. For the most part, parents
want to be able to help
their student
Need to know what is
happening in class to help

27. Let parents know about
fun things as well

28. Let parents know about
fun things as well
- Historical walks

29. Let parents know about
fun things as well
- Historical walks
- Events

30. Let parents know about
fun things as well
- Historical walks
- Events
- TV Shows

31. Let parents know about
fun things as well
- Historical walks
- Events
- TV Shows

32. Goal is to have our class
discussed at the dinner
table

33. Different approaches
based on grade and
content but still same
goal

34. November 9, 2010
Breakfast- Waffles or cereal (they picked) and apples
Bus stop- Beautiful!
Free play
Circle Time- Read/sang "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves", looked at the different
leaves we've collected and put them in order of size. We looked at the different textures of the edges and
the various colors. We read another Chester Raccoon book about Chester moving b/c his tree was being
cut down. Read "Apple Trouble". Talked about how apples are fall fruit and looked at our apple bite cards
and put them in order (whole, one bite, two bite, core). Sang "Apple Picking", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star".
Free Play
Snack- Whole grain crackers and pears
Went for a walk on the trail and crunched leaves at the resting spot at the end :)
Played outside at home for about 10 min.
Art- We made another kissing hand :)
Jungle Junction
Lunch- Black bean burgers, quesadillas and corn
Outside- About 25 minutes.
Read "Tinker Bell"/Naptime

35. GET THE E-MAIL!

36. GET THE E-MAIL!
•District

37. GET THE E-MAIL!
•District
•Student

38. GET THE E-MAIL!
•District
•Student
•Parent Directly

39. GET THE E-MAIL!
•District
•Student
•Parent Directly

40. Can use Google Forms
to collect online

42. Suggest some type of
presence on the web –
blog or site

43. Use both a push and pull
approach to getting
information to parents
Can be same content,
just different forms

44. Many possible
connections with parents
are not tech related

45. INCLUDE PARENTS
Have parents
included, not
helping, on
assignments

46. Ask your parents if they
have a skill or talent they
would like to share with
the class

47. Sending home hand
written notes via snail
mail

48. Your ideas for parent
communication

49. Eric Langhorst
Liberty Public Schools
IMPROVING PARENT
COMMUNICATION