With everything going on during the school year, especially the beginning of the year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Add to that communicating with parents. We do stay pretty busy with the students, after all. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve written a note to send home and either forgot to send it or found that a student dropped it on their way out the door. I’m going to share with you how using ClassTag as my parent communication has helped me.
This is my 3rd year using ClassTag and I absolutely love it! Going into this school year had a completely different feel since school, as we had known it, has drastically changed due to Covid. As I got my classroom set up and prepped for the first day, I didn’t realize it at the time but I was mentally unprepared for kids returning to the classroom. With the year and a half that we just had, it was almost impossible to be prepared.
Teacher Tired
Don’t get me wrong, it was an amazing day! My students were so excited and happy to be at school. They walked into my classroom with wide, twinkling eyes. They made their way in with heavy backpacks weighing them down with supplies. Many of them already trying to hand me lysol wipes and Kleenex boxes. This group was ready to get this day rolling.
I had everything ready, name tags, end of the day transportation bracelets, first day picture props – I was ready! What I wasn’t ready for was the fact that this group hadn’t been to school in a year and a half. This group of 2nd graders came to me with 7 months of Kindergarten under their belts. They were amazed with the desks, ready to touch everything, and 100% ready to tell me every thought that popped into their heads…even if I wasn’t even listening. It didn’t matter. Rewind to the end of the day and I am exhausted from literally talking all day because if I wasn’t going over a routine, direction, reading a story or repeatedly answering the “when’s lunch” question, I was answering every other question my little inquiring minds just had to know.
First Day Note Home
Fast forward to the end of the day and I’m in my quiet, empty classroom. I’m beat. I’m tired from my head to my toes and all I can think about is my head hitting the pillow for what I know is not going to be a quick cat nap. I was ready to leave all the tasks undone except for one. I needed to get my class set up on ClassTag and send out a welcome/first day letter. I signed into the website, entered the email address the parents supplied the day before and wrote about our fabulous day together! I hit send, closed my computer and went home for the day.
No sooner than I sent out the message, I got a ClassTag notification from a parent saying their child had a great day with a thank you!
To a non-teacher, this might not sound like a big deal, but in my exhausted state this was just what I needed to hear in that very moment. No sooner had I put my phone down, I got more messages just like the one before. Had I not had ClassTag, I absolutely would not have had the time or energy to get a note out. Looking back at the week, it would have been days before I would have been able to send anything home at all.
Making A Difference
ClassTag has made an extreme difference in my parent communication. I’ve always valued parent relationships and have worked hard to build that school home connection. Having ClassTag has made it so much easier and even taken it a step further.
Here are the more reasons I love ClassTag and why I recommend every teacher use it as well.
It’s so easy to get started! Simply type in each student’s name or copy your class list from a spread sheet. Once names are entered, you can choose the best option that works for you. Choose to invite through email, phone, or send a printable invitation home with each student.
Any communication at any time of year is covered with a click of a button. Schedule events which automatically send reminders making you seem super organized! Round up volunteers and request items for a class party or special activity. You can even open up a parent teacher conference schedule. Parents can sign up and ClassTag will send an automatic reminder so you don’t have to do a thing…except get report cards ready!
ClassTag funds allows teachers to accept community contributions from parents, grandparents and the community. Teachers can get supplies for their classrooms throughout the year.
