Teamwork makes the dream work. Your school’s team consists of your students, school administrators, teachers, and other faculty and support staff. But it’s important to have every teammate in the bullpen. Don’t forget who needs to be included: your students’ families. It can be challenging at times to get families
Candra Morris is the Vice President of Professional Learning here at Waterford.org. She recently sat down with us to talk about family engagement, student success, and building relationships. We like to say she wrote the book on family engagement in schools—because she did! What makes you so passionate about family
One of the best ways to promote positive learning outcomes on an individual and school-wide level is involving families in their child’s educational journey. The earlier in the school year educators begin to collaborate with families, the more likely their strategies are to be effective.[3] From back-to-school nights to parent-teacher
Regular family-teacher communication is a meaningful step to long-term family engagement. As Candra Morris, VP of Professional Learning at Waterford.org, notes in a recent article, “Academic success for students requires a partnership between educators and families.” Read on to learn how to communicate more effectively with the families in your
On both the classroom and schoolwide level, family involvement in education can make a profound difference in early learning outcomes. When educators build strong relationships, families can reinforce what their students are learning in the classroom as they set their own routines and expectations at home. As an educator, it’s
Time and time again, studies show that students who learn to love reading are more likely to develop strong reading skills—not the other way around. Libraries can be powerful tools—in your classroom, school, and community—to encourage a love of reading and engage students in learning. Read on to learn about
Maintaining the attention of an entire class can often be a challenge. The brains of children are still developing, making their attention spans much shorter than those of adults. Rather than letting that be a problem, you can structure your lesson plans based on your knowledge of the average student’s
What do monitoring screen time usage, practicing internet safety, and preventing cyberbullying have in common? These topics all fall under the umbrella of digital citizenship. Digital Citizenship Week is an annual event held by the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media. This year, it will be held from October 17 to
When we think of modern-day heroes to teach about in class, it’s often people who made a difference when they were well into their adult years. But young people can—and often do—make a serious impact on the world. Teaching your students about young heroes can remind them that they have
The first day of school is right around the corner! Creating a positive classroom experience for your students can shape the rest of their academic year. By preparing in advance, you can help your students return to school excited and ready to learn. So, how do you make the most
