Running head: COMMUNICATION LOGS AND REFLECTIONS

Constance Reid

Communication Logs and Reflections

Old Dominion University

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Abstract:

For effective instruction, effective communication is necessary; communication to the students

and their parents of content, progress, and behavior patterns are three important fragments in

maintaining an efficient classroom. With the amount of content that students have to effectively

learn, their progress must be tracked both for their benefit to better their study patterns, their

parent’s knowledge to help find the resources to better their child’s performance, and for mine as

their educator to help mend my instruction to help better their understanding. A student’s

academic success can be heavily reinforced by satisfactory classroom behavior, which makes

this another necessary aspect of the classroom to be communicated. This reflection will go over

three tools to aid in necessary communication in order to help better the referenced aspects of the

classroom.

Key words: communication, behavior, progress, log, survey

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Family behavior communication log and plan

I intend to teach at the high school level, so any kind of family communication has the

potential to be less effective than it would be in comparison to middle or elementary school aged

students. This could boil down to the independent mindset that high school milestones like a first

car or a first job instills. The independence does not take away the importance of their parents or

guardians being aware of their child’s behavior, positive or negative, in the classroom. If a

student shows any kind of habitually negative behavior that proves to be disruptive to the class

environment or disrespectful to their peers or to me, it would result in me contacting home. I

know that families don’t always have access to phones or to the internet, so while I would

probably try to call home or email with the parents initially, I would always mail a letter to the

student’s home, too. Regardless of the medium in which I contact the parent, I will keep track of

it with a log similar to the one below. I found this log in a folder provided to me by my

Classroom Management and Discipline professor, Dr. Jori Beck (personal communication,

2019). It makes the most sense because it allows me to reference the date and time that I

contacted home, the method in which I used to contact home, and the notes section which can be

used as I see fit. I would probably use it to elaborate on the behavior causing me to contact home

and on the follow up or reaction I received from the parent.

Type Date/Time Parent/Student Phone/Email

Notes:
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Depending on the school I end up teaching at, I would love to send home praise for the

well-behaved students on their progress reports. I had a teacher in high school who took the

comment section on our progress reports very seriously, and he would put a great amount of

detail in the reports concerning both positive and negative behaviors. While I would love to be

able to do more, I’m setting this as a realistic goal for first-year-teacher Marie to not let the well-

mannered students and their parents feel as though their behaviors aren’t recognized and

appreciated. After my first year, I hope to be able to effectively gauge how much more I can do

to communicate with the exceptionally behaved students’ parents.

Student behavior log and plan

When I was a student, I was my own worst critic. If I was ever given a survey about my

performance by a teacher, I would tend to fill out the worst answer across the survey even though

I rationally knew it couldn’t be that bad. We were given a lot of surveys to complete, but none

that I remember that would hold us accountable for our behavior in the classroom. While I was

always very well behaved, there were some students who were looked at as ‘problems,’ and

because of the label they wore, they didn’t seem to want to change their behavior no matter the

punishment. I tweaked this survey from the same folder provided from my professor (J. Beck,

personal communication, 2019).

WORK HABITS Never Always

1. I ask for help when needed. 1 2 3 4 5
If I don’t understand directions I am comfortable asking a teacher for clarification or a
question. If I do not receive a paper I know where to go to get one.

2. I participate in class discussions and 1 2 3 4 5

activities.
I often raise my hand with a comment or opinion during class discussion. When the teacher
calls on me, I usually know what the question is, even if I don’t know what the answer is.

3. I can complete work by myself. 1 2 3 4 5

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When asked, I can complete an assignment by myself.

4. I listen and follow directions. 1 2 3 4 5

After a teacher gives instructions, I know what I should do. I know where to hand in papers. I
don’t have to ask the teacher for information that he or she has already given to the class.

COMMENTS:

I feel this survey gives students a broad enough set of expectations from me as their instructor,

including participation and the ability to follow directions. My response to them would include if

I agree with their ratings, explanations on suggestions I might have for their ratings if I don’t

agree with them, and a response to their comments. The students would understand that this stays

between the two of us, so I would encourage students to utilize the comment section to tell me

whatever they would like to tell me concerning their behavior, my expectations of them, etc.

Their potential critiques of me as their teacher and the enforcer of discipline in the classroom

would hold me accountable in areas that I could improve on. My response to the students would

hold them accountable in a private way that wouldn’t draw attention away from instruction. For

the students who were like me and gave themselves the hardest time for no reason, my response

to their survey could serve as a morale booster. It can also be a preventative measure against

contacting home if done frequently enough. More personal, open-ended, and approachable

communication with the student like this may be all it takes for their behavior to turn around.

Family homework, classwork, and grade communication log or plan

I like the idea of Edmodo when it comes to communication of assignments, a place to

post relevant videos or pictures that pertain to the content of the course that I didn’t think to
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share during class, and for it serving as a more open medium of communication between me and

the students or the parents who are on the page. Depending on the school’s policy and timing on

progress reports, the private communication that Edmodo provides could serve as a medium of

checking on the students’ grades with me for either student or parent. I would make joining the

page mandatory for the students unless their family has some kind of stipulation against social

media or the student is unable to join due to lack of resources. The parents can join if they feel

like they would like to. For the students who are not able to join, I would always have hard

copies of assignment descriptions or posts that would be posted on the class Edmodo page which

they could discretely pick up from my desk or a folder hanging somewhere in my room. If any

additional content that I didn’t think to share in class is posted on Edmodo, I would make it a

point to go over it the next class period as a class to include the students who aren’t able to be on

the page. Those students who are not able to join would know that they can come to me during

appropriate class times or during my planning period to discuss their grades if they are curious

before progress reports are given. With Edmodo having a social media-esque feel to it, I think

the students would enjoy this more so than traditional email communication or no

communication outside of the classroom at all. The notifications can be sent right to their phones

from the Edmodo app, so any reminders or additional content posted would be readily available

to most students.