#Ntchat Archive
New Teacher Chat was created to provide weekly mentoring and focus on the needs of new, new to the profession and pre-service teachers. The chat is supportive and practitioner focused.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
OMGoodness! Thank you for that and for joining me on tonight! https://t.co/eiDFLs7w2V
I'm ready and I am bringing a friend! So excited!
For the next hour my tweets are dedicated to talking about working with with everyone at .
Welcome to all! I'm the founder and moderator of New Teacher Chat . Join me for this time of learning and collaboration!
I'll be participating in for the next hour--join us!
I'll be talking about for the next hour in tonights
To join the chat use Tweetdeck,Tweetchat, or other client with columns. Use the hashtag to join the convo!
Yay! Many thanks for joining me tonight on https://t.co/adWsxZd53n
I'll be talking about for the next hour in tonights
Excited for my first twitter chat!
thank you!! It is my first so I am very excited to experience this :)
starting now…talking …join!!
Oh how cool is that!! I'm honored that you are taking the time to join me.
We’re a small, but mighty chat...dedicated to being practitioner focused and supportive to new teachers! https://t.co/YdjDV3utqy
. this is a conversation I’ve been having a lot around school lately…excited!!
Welcome! is a great pick for starting.
Excellent! I just feel it's so important.
Let's take a minute to introduce ourselves. Share who you are and where you’re from! Thanks
in Sara, a grade 1 student teacher from British Columbia, canada :)
You are so lucky!! Thanks for joining us. I so appreciate your great insights.
Hello again ! My name is Tristan, I am a French teacher in British Columbia, Canada.
I'm Katie, 5th Grade Teacher from Northern Virginia
hi i'm katelyn! This is my first year teaching. I am a 5th grade teacher in Washington State. Excited about my first twitter chat :)
I'm Mary and I'm an instructional coach in western Washington.
Hello and thanks for joinig us! So great to have you here. :)
, Upper School AP in Quito Ecuador…in and out of earthquakes today, hoping the tremors stop! Excited for this chat, so important!
Sounds like a great place to be in over your head!
Lisa Dabbs Founder from So Cal. Radio Show Host, Consultant, blogger, speaker, author, Adjunct Prof & former principal. :)
Lisa Dabbs Founder from So Cal. Radio Show Host, Consultant, blogger, speaker, author, Adjunct Prof & former principal. :)
Hello Jamie from KY joining a bit late. Been awhile since I could stop by to chat
Hi my name is Maleno. I'm from California, and I am currently a 9th grade English student teacher.
I've met so many amazing teachers from Canada--great things are happening there! Thx for sharing w/us tonight.
Oh no! I feel ya. When we rock and roll in So Cal it aint fun. Hope you all are safe.
welcome to Twitter! Finishing my 1st year in 4th grad. Twitter has been a GREAT resource for my teaching/ideas
Welcome to you both! So awesome to have you with us!
New Twitter chatters: format is Q1: “question here”. You replay with A1: "your response". Don't forget to include :)
Question 1 on our working with will be up on deck in 3,2,1
I am learning that it's an amazing place to get ideas & collaborate with such a wide variety of people!
A1:I’m planning individual mtgs w/ Parents & Ss to start the year (small school, 40 Ss/grade)…hoping to build + relationships early
So great to meet student teachers who are passionate about continuing their learning and sharing their ideas!
I like that...you are connecting right away. Building relationships early. So great!
it really is a great place to connect, share and learn Chats a great starting point
A1: I encourage (& model) sending + notes/phone calls home. Email to Ss w/ + message, CC parents and me…such a great tool to engage
A1: A quick phone call as the school year starts to praise their child. 5 parents a day for a few weeks can do the trick.
A1: Reporting at end of day - use sandwich method. Bad news is in between two good things. It forces you to be positive.
A1: At BTSN, I really try to lay out how my classroom looks on a daily basis so parents know what their kids' days will be like
A1: Reach out to them early in the days prior to school if you can. Make a phone call, send a postcard or email. Let them know u.
You got it! Love this strategy. https://t.co/QrtUBeNDiU
A1: A quick phone call as the school year starts to praise their child. 5 parents a day for a few weeks can do the trick.
My wife mails postcards directly to students in Summer.
So good. Let them in. Let them see how you will be building your community.
. that’s perfect…now, how do I convince the Ts at my school to do that same??? https://t.co/JkjoNDoD0g
A1: A quick phone call as the school year starts to praise their child. 5 parents a day for a few weeks can do the trick.
A1 parent relations were hard to establish in whirlwind yr 1. This is area to grow next yr great parents:I could've reached out more
A1 : Lay a foundation with positive first communications to build the classroom culture and family relationships you want.
So lovely! I think this is such a good way to nurture the relationship with parents.
A1: I send out a welcome email that details when I can meet with parents and how to get in touch with me.
Need to meet in a fun PD session with them and share the value added aspect of this connection!
Yes...but look how far you've come. Woot!
A1:Usually anything that is hard or takes effort is worth it…building a + culture takes time & effort but it’s important for success
Hi Everyone, joining late...
Dawn from Indy, I teach K-5 Science
Boom! This is an immediate positive connection. Love it!
Only 8 days left :::::sadness:::::
I’d love to hear what that looks like…I’m collecting data to show Ts that this works, not an easy sell
A1: One T visits Ss at home in the summer, gives each a puzzle piece. Ss bring to school 1st day & "build the puzzle of the clssrm."
Welcome...and no worries! Jump right in! We will be on Q2 in a second. :)
i LOVE that idea with the puzzle pieces!!! amazing for kids and parents!
Such great ideas you are all sharing! Let's get ready for Q2... :)
Home visits can be a very powerful tool, especially in a low SE community! Used to do these in Houston, awesome!
A1. As a student teacher, introducing myself, saying something pos. about their child/asking Qs about their child.
Right on, start w/ the positive…build credit in case you need to draw on that later!
A1: Rick Lavoie of Fat City likens kids to bank accounts. You can't draw out what you haven't put in first.
I agree--such a powerful and eye-opening experience for Ts to see the place and space their Ss belong to.
I'd be happy to connect on a GHO to chat about it. As a former principal I know the challenges.
A2: Parents not responding to multiple attempts at communication
A2: Language barrier, incorrect contact info, and time are all barriers at our school. For Ts it’s TIME that always comes up
A2. Some work and can't come to chat before/after school. Sometimes face to face is better than email/phone.
A2: When I've had challenges with parents, it is usually because they are worn out and tired and just can't deal with it right now
A2: I don't get much contact time with parents, working part-time at 3 different schools and 10 different classes!
A1: I like starting my convos with parents by saying, we all have the same goal- to help your child. coming at it from different POV
building capital is imprtnt, parents need to trust u want what's best for their child u have to earn that
A2 getting parents to respond in a timely fashion.. trying to find the best form of communication for 27 different sets of parents.
A2: Language, time and feeling overwhelmed!
A2: Parents are just a busy as teachers--our challenge is to make every interaction meaningful.
Spot on, F2F is always better but anything is better than nothing if F2F isn’t possible…especially if it’s a + note :)
A2: My fear. Or Parents not on same page with each other. Or Being the one to see a disabilities for first time. Or...
definitely! I love a positive note in their planner. Esp if it's something child is struggling with and improving on
Ts assigned to multiple locations face so many challenges! 3 different schools--WOW!
So true. Love that our new ts ca see this. Gives them support for their work!
A2: I have a hard time learning which parent to call since many Ss come from broken homes. Some parents are more helpful than others
Celebrating growth…music to my ears :) Parents’ too!!
Good point. When you have to face a child's parent for the first time to share can be challenging indeed.
A2 sometimes parents talk to other parents & not to the T. Understandable that Ps talk, but sometimes it's best to go to source
Ask the S, if it’s for something + trust them, if it’s negative, call the opposite of what they say ;)
Oh yes...this is a great point you bring up. I had not thought about that in a long time.
Oh yes. Had this happen in the past many times. Good to know that it happens and we can turn it around.
A2 simply getting over the fact that I hate talking on the phone... (but realizing how important a phone call can be)
You all are so inspired tonight! Let's check out Q3 in 30 secs.
I've been phone phobic ever since i started really texting. hard to motivate for a phone call
I can relate! As a very young women I was very phonophobic. lol
so true! Different actions depending on the parent.
Have the kids make the call themselves w/ be there supporting/listening…then jump on at the end to confirm!
I hate the phone. Would rather arrange a f2f meeting than call.
Q3: How can you get support with a parent challenge? Do you ask a colleague to sit in? Thoughts? https://t.co/OPPpRW3kum
I use GroupMe. For us it's an emergency system. What does everyone else think? I'm not in a big/public school.
just getting into Ed Twitter accounts... thx for list of Insta accounts too!
what an interesting idea!! makes the kids take ownership as well! I will try this! the less phone time for me the better
“Mom, told me to call you b/c I had a really good day in class, she said I should be proud of myself & share w/ you!”
so happy that I am on the only one who is afraid of the phone!! Thanks for making me feel better everyone :) yay for support!
We will talk apps in a few but you know I LOVE :) Not phone call, but can leave voice clip.
used to be HOURS long phone talker w/ friends (world has changed) also i prefer to see someones face
used to be HOURS long phone talker w/ friends (world has changed) also i prefer to see someones face
I seriously love this! my goal before the end of the week is to try this! thank you!!
A3.never had this, but I would ask colleague/principal to sit in. Good to have extra pair of ears as well! + document Everything!
Love this positive example! So much better than forcing a phone call for missing HW!
A3: I always let the parents talk first!!! Let them get their thoughts out before having a true discussion!
The more I scratch, the more I itch. And the more I itch, the more I scratch. Read: BE PREPARED https://t.co/5eUXVZAhnT
Enjoy…and then when you get on the phone it’s all smiles and rainbows :) Makes the phone less scary!!
A3: Get admin informed asap. Tell them what's going on and that you don't want them to get blindsided by anything. Then ask them...
A3: I have asked Ps or other team members to sit in, for witness on what was said, if nothing else.
A3: If u have a challenging parent talk or issue...get support from a mentor first. Talk it out w/ them. Discuss different options.
you’ll have those too…but after a few + calls those are easy b/c the parents are totally on board!
A3: when dealing with a parent I haven't worked with or have difficulties with, I would ask a colleague (admin or mentor) to join.
This is a good one and I highly recommend it. https://t.co/YkxNSGiIO8
A3: I have asked Ps or other team members to sit in, for witness on what was said, if nothing else.
Yes! I have my middle school students do this for grades. Great idea to have them call home for a positive reason too.
A3 I spent 6 years in prison, so i'm pretty comfortable w/ conflict. For a sticky situation, best have someone sit it & inform admin
its a completely different mindset, but I can totally see how impactful this would be on all sides of the conversation!
Chances are you’ll even have someone who is happy to model these convos for you, like an AP :)
Amen! Agree and so important.
great list for college kids going into the profession, like me!
This is a great strategy--parents want to be heard.
You are rocking this! We may not get to all questions tongiht but let's go for Q4!
Good advice, important that we are on the same pg. Can't happen if we don't REALLY listen
A3 I definitely want to listen to the parent's concerns, but I also want a person there to be a neutral third party.
A4 students made a classroom twitter. parents can follow it if they want! they post what we do in our room
A4: email mostly. But once I get my own classroom, Remind and FreshGrade are gonna be best buddies.
A4: Have shared this before but can't say enough about the power of to connect us. I use it for my Uni class that I teach.
A4: GroupMe. Class Dojo. Texting.
we tried but didn't really get much parent response (only 2/74 signed up). May try to push it a bit more next year.
Ohhhhh...such a great idea! The power of Twitter in the classroom. Love it! https://t.co/fosE7B3UIz
A4 students made a classroom twitter. parents can follow it if they want! they post what we do in our room
A4: Email updates; I also keep my class website up to date with homework, tests, important events, etc.
Why my first year of teaching was my favorite. New teachers - soak it up! It may not last forever.. https://t.co/1gWptdzUif
Big for me is class Twitter acct. Will ask parents for feedback on if it was useful for them, if they felt connected/in the know
Oh no! I'd reach out to the team and see if they can guide you to some ideas. Their site is awesome too.
A4: One sided communication but photos of class in action is very powerful. Doesn't matter how you get it to them.
A class website? Bravo! I applaud you for doing this as a first year teacher. https://t.co/sQxdLrVf6l
A4: Email updates; I also keep my class website up to date with homework, tests, important events, etc.
Hysterical! I love that you ley them do that! lol
A4 classroom website, twitter and emails! looking into Remind for next year! Want to research the best 'texting' platform.
A4: Weebly, Twitter, remind app. Next year I'll use Instagram. Parents love to see student products.
I'm actually a third year teacher! But all teachers at our school have some sort of website! :)
i think we could've communicated it better (team hired right b4 school yr began, some disorg there)
Cool! I know there are a few similar to but be sure to reach out to them. Excellent support and resources.
I love to see the things that they want to tweet. working on creating positive digital footprints at a young age
Love that the Ss control the tweets! That makes it even more reflective of what they value in their learning!
I am a HUGE fan! I love that you are sharing that with your parents! https://t.co/6ElWXG0pK6
A4: Weebly, Twitter, remind app. Next year I'll use Instagram. Parents love to see student products.
Super supportive ideas tongiht, all! Let's squeeze one more Q in!
we are also required to have class/grade webpage
A4: I use an old-fashioned tech tool called the telephone :) I phone parents early on to establish rapport & positive relationship
Last one!==>>Q6:How do you invite parents in to be a part of the learning/team in your classroom? https://t.co/nqRRbRThEV
A5: I have parents come in and volunteer. Ss love it and I love having the help.
A6: Offer them opportunities to actually come to class and join you. Read alouds, career day, volunteering and field trips.
A6: check out how holds Coffee Sessions for parents at 7:45 am!! Awesome. She was tweeting pics about it last week!
Sorry that was A6
https://t.co/93GzmiUdvu
A5: I have parents come in and volunteer. Ss love it and I love having the help.
A6: once did an inquiry based lesson for her PARENTS (that she also did with the kids!) great experience
A6: Want to implement “showcase days” for diff subjects throughout the year. Need parents to see & hear LEARNING, not just grades
Q6: first by acknowledging that not all Ss have parents or live with them so I say families. It's inclusive & Language holds power
YES!!! So good. :) https://t.co/onYaFhI9JV
A5: I have parents come in and volunteer. Ss love it and I love having the help.
A6; Write thank you notes for gifts you get from the students to the Ss and Parents- goes a long way
A6 find out right away what Ps are interested in.. how they want to help out & go from there! Offer as many opportunities as you can
Always invite families to the classroom at every opportunity, acknowledging they are the 1st teacher in their child's life
I love all your ideas. So simple and yet impactful. Easy for a new teacher, you think? Do you have them on your blog?
Yes...meet them where they are. Good advice!
A6: Simple high-interest low-pressured non-graded projects. Keep it simple and fun. The parents will live the teacher who cares.
your ideas are fantastic! I am going to remember this next year! thank you for sharing
Woot!That's a wrap friends! A HUGE heart felt Thank You to all of you for stopping by tonight!
