Keeping in touch with parents is so important! I always keep a communication log for every time I contact home. One school required this as part of our Title I services, but I also just find it’s a good habit to get into. Student documentation is vitally important, and parents love to know what is going on with their child!
- Reason #1 is because it lets me see which parents I need to get in touch with if I haven’t had contact in awhile.
- Reason #2 is because I feel my log can act as a safety net if I ever have an upset parent come in to complain that I don’t keep in touch with them. (Thankfully this has never happened to me, but I like to be prepared!)
Click here to get the communication log I use.
You will be prompted to make a copy. It is compatible with Google Slides, or simply print it out and write on it (which is the low tech way I used it for years!).
I have set my log up in two different ways in the past. First, I just kept a three-ring binder with numerous sheets. Then each time I contacted a parent, I would write the information down. BUT – that made it difficult for me to go back and quickly see how often I had talked to _______’s family.
The thing I have found to work best for me is to again keep a three-ring binder, but this time with a tab for each student. I keep these tabs in alphabetical order. It doesn’t take me long to see that if I haven’t contacted a parent in a month – I’d better get in gear!
At the back of this binder I also keep the original copy of all the newsletters I’ve sent home. That is the way I communicate with all families weekly. I also have one blank sheet where I can keep a log of communication that has gone out to ALL parents – such as an email, Christmas concert, or another time I know that EVERY child’s parents/guardians were persent.
I find this system works great for me!
Love this communication log and want even more documentation ideas? Check out this blog post!
Thanks for sharing!
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Layla
Fancy Free in Fourth
This is great! I used a form last year that allowed several student's names to be on the same page. Like you, I couldn't tell how often I contacted ______'s family.
I Love this communication log so much, but its not letting me download it :(! Google is saying the file doesn’t exist. I have tried for the past 4 days to download it. im so sad! Ive searched for a communication log the past week and this is my favorite by far!
I am so sorry for the delayed response. I’m not sure how, but the original link was deleted. It is fixed now. I appreciate your patience and understanding! Thank you for your interest. =) ~Heather aka HoJo~