Communicating with parents is one of the most challenging parts of being a teacher. Many of us can work with children all day long, but informing parents of their progress, having meetings, and making phone calls can be quite intimidating. Alleviate some of that stress by using digital newsletters to communicate with parents. Here are some tips to get you started!
Use a template.
Don’t spend a lot of time creating weekly newsletters on your email from scratch. Pre-made templates make sending out classroom digital newsletters a breeze. Don’t worry about choosing something with a complicated theme and lots of information. A simple black and white Google Slide template that you can send as a PDF (or a viewable slide link) with reminders, important information, classroom news, and what your class is learning is ideal!
Send out on your time.
Even though I mentioned weekly newsletters, monthly are usually sufficient! You may have a few more points such as upcoming events under important information or reminders. Classroom news may include teacher or classroom wishlists. Most parents will appreciate the communication through a monthly newsletter even just nine times a year! You can send out additional updates as needed, but don’t let it take up too much of your time.
Ask for help.
Parents love to volunteer in the classroom, but emails with requests for help often get lost in the inbox. Newsletters are great places to ask for donations of time and supplies. Since your newsletter is digital, you may want to share your Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, Dollar General, or Donors Choose wishlist. All these companies allow teachers to make wishlists for their classrooms!
You may have a parent volunteer that would put together your newsletter for you! You can send out the email, but if you give them editing access on the Google Slide template, many parents would love to help and save you even more time!
Include images.
The nice thing about digital newsletters is that you can share images of what students are doing in the classroom without multiple email attachments or printing out photos. Change them out each month from the Google Slide template, and showcase the great work your students are doing in the classroom. Make sure that you have permission from parents to share their child’s photo. Otherwise, keep faces out of the images you send out.
Save your voice.
Before most of my families had email, I used to spend so much time on the phone with parents! With digital newsletters, you save even more time and your voice. Most of the information parents call about can be included in your newsletter. Save your phone call time for when you really need to talk about major classroom issues or pile on the praise!
Using digital newsletters to communicate with parents is fast, easy, and fun! A simple newsletter template saves you time and makes your message clear and concise for parents. Try a digital newsletter in your classroom this year! Check out my newsletter templates by clicking on the image below!
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