Communication

I am starting to feel a little like this fellow...

This week, I have 22 students who have not returned their signed notes indicating that parents have seen their graded homework packets -- over half! That means that I will spend class time again tomorrow checking with those students and trying to get them to bring in those signed notes. I hope a few more will be returned. And likely more on Thursday, and probably, I will end up assigning some sort of "penalty" assignment because some significant number of them will not ever return those notes that I so diligiently produce every single week.

I think it is important for me to keep parents informed of the work that their students are doing in my classes. I think it is important for parents to be able to see what students are turning in -- or not turning in. I think it is a valuable thing for parents to be informed about upcoming tests and classroom events. That is why I try to be so consistent with those weekly packets. Clearly, though, some students do not feel any particular pressure at home to PRODUCE that weekly packet of graded work and the note from me that accompanies it.

Sigh. That is a significant tool for me to communicate with parents. If it doesn't get home on a regular basis, the loop is broken. I can't be sure that parents know what's happening with their students. In fact, I become pretty suspicious that parents probably really don't know what their student is doing in my class. Otherwise, I'd be getting those notes back -- every week. Without fail.