Room Parents
Two Secrets to Achieve100% Parent Engagement!
Room parents, it’s finally here! After nearly a year and a half of being apart, we finally get to come back together. If you’re anything like us, you’re incredibly excited - and pretty dang anxious too.
Think Sunday evening scaries are bad? Just wait till you start feeling the back-to-school scaries!
Waking up at the crack of dawn, packing lunches, organizing plans and events, remembering to wear pants, scheduling out all the details - and dear lord we have to see Ashlee again?! (Just kidding, we love you Ashlee!)
Room Parents-The Unsung and Underappreciated HEROES of the Classroom
You and I know it too well - room parents take on a heck of a lot of responsibility. Room parents orchestrate almost everything behind the scenes to make a classroom succeed!
Room Parents
- Organize activities like classroom parties
- Coordinate teacher gifts, supplies &timely treats
- Attend PTA meetings
- Schedule events
- Manage fundraisers
- Send parent reminders
- Act as a main point of contact between parents and teachers
- Recruit volunteers
- Purchase classroom materials
- And (this one is crucial) set the snack schedule
Let’s be honest - this is hard work and time consuming. Not to mention, once room parents have made their way home, they need to take care of their own stuff, families, kids and home life. After the day is done we’re like, “Ashlee, please pass the wine.”
Truly, room parents are some of the most important figures in our schools. While managing a boatload of responsibilities and dealing with the many pressures of the classroom, room parents often go underappreciated. So THANK YOU room parents! We recognize your effort and we’re extremely grateful for what you do.
Truly, room parents are some of the most important figures in our schools. While managing a boatload of responsibilities and dealing with the many pressures of the classroom, room parents often go underappreciated. So THANK YOU room parents! We recognize your effort and we’re extremely grateful for what you do.
Be Prepared!2021 Challenges for Room Parents
"Preparation, I have often said, is rightly two-thirds of any venture." - Amelia Earhart
We expect 2021 to be a challenging year for room parents.
We expect 2021 to be a challenging year for room parents.
Readjusting back to school
Readjusting back to school
When was the last time you wore work pants anyways? Room parents, after a year away it’s time to get back into the swing of things! So be prepared to have to get up, get dressed, get the kids ready and to be out the door on time everyday. Then of course, taking care of your daily responsibilities and added roles in the classroom.
When was the last time you wore work pants anyways? Room parents, after a year away it’s time to get back into the swing of things! So be prepared to have to get up, get dressed, get the kids ready and to be out the door on time everyday. Then of course, taking care of your daily responsibilities and added roles in the classroom.
Loss of contact
Loss of contact
We’re going from seeing each other on the computer to seeing each other in person - every day! For room parents, reestablishing and bolstering relationships with your teacher and class parents will be an important step to creating a comfortable and productive learning environment. So get ready to talk, listen and work together face-to-face for the first time in forever!
We’re going from seeing each other on the computer to seeing each other in person - every day! For room parents, reestablishing and bolstering relationships with your teacher and class parents will be an important step to creating a comfortable and productive learning environment. So get ready to talk, listen and work together face-to-face for the first time in forever!
Create a welcoming environment
Create a welcoming environment
It's safe to say that many of us have established deeply seated comfort zones over the past year. Leaving your safe zone to be around everyone at school again might seem like a nightmare. But as a room parent, you have the opportunity to create an environment for your class students and parents that’s welcoming, comforting and inclusive. Do your best to help students feel at home and make parents feel heard. This appreciation will go miles for helping students, parents, teachers and yourself readjust to the classroom.
It's safe to say that many of us have established deeply seated comfort zones over the past year. Leaving your safe zone to be around everyone at school again might seem like a nightmare. But as a room parent, you have the opportunity to create an environment for your class students and parents that’s welcoming, comforting and inclusive. Do your best to help students feel at home and make parents feel heard. This appreciation will go miles for helping students, parents, teachers and yourself readjust to the classroom.
The Two Secrets to 100% Parental Engagement
It’s simple:rather than working tirelessly to pick up “the slack” for non-engaged parents, have parents sign up to work together with you! Sounds crazy, right? It may seem impossible, but we swear that it’s actually simple and easy.These two secrets are going to redefine your relationships with your students’ parents in 2021. All it takes is consistent practice and refinement of these two important skills - and the way you interact with parents will change forever!
It’s simple:rather than working tirelessly to pick up “the slack” for non-engaged parents, have parents sign up to work together with you! Sounds crazy, right? It may seem impossible, but we swear that it’s actually simple and easy.
Pssst Pssst Secret #1:Communication
Communication is KEY to boosting parent engagement. Clear, concise and frequent communication helps parents understand what’s going on with their child and the needs of the classroom.Parents often feel very confused about the many different things going on in the classroom. Many parental anxieties and confusion revolve around questions like these:
Communication is KEY to boosting parent engagement. Clear, concise and frequent communication helps parents understand what’s going on with their child and the needs of the classroom.
Effective parent communication for room parents:
Effective parent communication for room parents:
Set a good first impression
Set a good first impression
Be welcoming, learn about your class students and parents, make them feel comfortable, and share things about yourself. Starting the year off on a positive tone will be extremely beneficial to everyone.
Be welcoming, learn about your class students and parents, make them feel comfortable, and share things about yourself. Starting the year off on a positive tone will be extremely beneficial to everyone.
Set expectations
Set expectations
Be empathetic yet clear about your expectations for positive behavior and responsibilities. Make it clear that you intend to follow your own rules for respecting others. It’s impossible to know what’s happening in other people’s lives at work and in the home - participation or pitching in isn’t possible for everyone.
Be empathetic yet clear about your expectations for positive behavior and responsibilities. Make it clear that you intend to follow your own rules for respecting others. It’s impossible to know what’s happening in other people’s lives at work and in the home - participation or pitching in isn’t possible for everyone.
Why Parental Engagement Matters
Want to know the one thing successful students have in common?That’s right - their parents are involved and engaged!
Scientific studies, personal anecdotes and just about any school staff evidence suggest that students achieve more when their parents take part in their education. This success is recognized regardless of economic status, background or the parents education level.The bottom line is students are happier, perform better, and achieve more when their parents are involved. As room parents it’s important to develop full parental engagement.
Scientific studies, personal anecdotes and just about any school staff evidence suggest that students achieve more when their parents take part in their education. This success is recognized regardless of economic status, background or the parents education level.
Now the question:How do we get ALL parents involved?
Pssst Pssst Secret #2:Organization
Like communication, organization is vital to get parents involved and engaged! Whether you’re organizing volunteers, parties, carpooling, snacks, chaperones, or anything else (What am I missing Ashlee?!) - you NEED to be the boss!
Your Mission:seamlessly schedule parents to accomplish what needs to be done...and you’ll be a ROCKSTAR! Just follow these easy steps to effectively organize your parents.
Your Mission:seamlessly schedule parents to accomplish what needs to be done...and you’ll be a ROCKSTAR! Just follow these easy steps to effectively organize your parents.
Assign simple tasks
Assign simple tasks
Delegate simple, easy to understand instructions to achieve the goals you want. Long-winded complex instructions are too confusing and never work as intended. Keep it short and sweet - it’ll pay off.
Delegate simple, easy to understand instructions to achieve the goals you want. Long-winded complex instructions are too confusing and never work as intended. Keep it short and sweet - it’ll pay off.
Keep schedules in order
Keep schedules in order
Make sure the parents you organize are available and can take on the delegated responsibility. Work around their schedules and try to make things convenient.
Make sure the parents you organize are available and can take on the delegated responsibility. Work around their schedules and try to make things convenient.
Send reminders
Send reminders
People forget stuff, period. It isn’t intentional, it’s just a part of human nature. Stay ahead and remind parents of their responsibilities often.
People forget stuff, period. It isn’t intentional, it’s just a part of human nature. Stay ahead and remind parents of their responsibilities often.
How SignUp Helps
Do you want to communicate clearly and organize your fellow classroom parents effectively without sinking hours of your life away everyday? Well we have an INCREDIBLE tool for you that makes organizing fast, easy, effective and fun!
SignUp is your all-in-one organizing assistant designed to make scheduling stress-free!
