Connecting with Students!

 Can an Instagram Feed be food for thought?

One form of communication I am looking forward to is a social media feed in which I post extra resources, study tips, and reminders for my students. Whereas apps like Gmail or Google Chat are an effective way for students to approach me and ask questions, having an Instagram/TikTok/Facebook account solely for my classroom allows me to post resources in a platform that is easily accessible to students, many of whom already have such apps downloaded on their phones. How would a social media feed be different from something like Google Classroom? I would use tech like Google Classroom to primarily focus on the learning occurring in the classroom. I think sites like Classroom are as great as they are because of their straightforwardness. However, I want to go above and beyond for my students and provide them with study methods, motivational posts, scholarly opportunities outside the classroom, and/or additional material that fuels their understanding and enthusiasm for learning. It's only realistic to think that while some students have access to those resources, many do not and are, therefore, unable to realize their full academic potential. I hope that, using technology as the aforementioned, I can level the playing field for students and uplift all those in my classroom.

Connecting with Parents

Parental involvement and parent-teacher communication should be a two-way form of communication. As a teacher, I must hear from parents. Yes, teachers informing parents of what goes on in the classroom or of how well a student is doing in school is integral to achieving parent involvement. Still, I  want to establish an "open-door policy" with parents, welcoming them to speak to me whenever they feel it necessary. If a parent has concerns about their child's work, worries about not being clued in to the lessons in my classroom, or any other questions and comments, they can feel relieved that it is simple and straightforward to connect with me. And if need be, my conflict resolution skills can assist in further alleviating any stress the parent or student faces.

After reading and viewing all sorts of different methods for communicating with parents and using technology to accomplish that, I've decided that the one that is most applicable to a high school English classroom is using e-mail or an app, like Remind, to remind parents of deadlines and upcoming assignments. Elementary students receive those charming weekly/monthly newsletters from school, but as kids grow up, they gradually stop receiving that communication. It's unfortunate that parents of high school students are not as informed as the parents of elementary kiddos. High schoolers are still only teenagers, who benefit from the guidance and motivation that comes from parents. For some kids more than others, meeting deadlines and getting work done is difficult or not a priority, so I hope communicating deadlines and assignments through technology helps those kids stay on track and not lag behind.