Starting your NQT year can be daunting enough. There’s lessons to plan, books to mark, meetings to attend and not to mention your extra portions of NQT specific training. This is all on top of that difficult year nine class that seemingly occupy 90% of your weekly mental capacity. All in all it’s a difficult job that, for teachers of all stripes, can sometimes seem like a long hard slog.
One area that you are going to need to venture in is that of the phone-call to parents. Picture the scene. That troublesome year nine class had seemed to have calmed down this week, but suddenly the dreaded Cthulhu of bad behaviour has sprouted many more fascinatingly hideous tentacles. You’ve issued sanctions, as per your school’s policy, but nothing seems to stick. It’s time to call home.
Picking up the phone for the first time is a nerve-jangling experience, but remember that your reasons are fundamentally positive. A child whose behaviour is good is much more likely to learn in your classroom. Still, calling home is not an easy thing to do at first (if ever), so here are a few top tips.
Start with the positives
This may seem simple, but it is genuinely worth it. No child is irredeemable and each and every one of them have an infinite capacity to improve.
Focus on your classroom rules
Rather than steaming in with all the egregious actions that little Johnny has committed today instead start off with how your classroom operates. Emphasise that clear routines, a calm atmosphere and an onus on personal responsibility are the key tenets of your classroom.
Relate your rules to the pupil
While little Johnny may have been quite naughty, saying this outright to a parent may not win you a favourable ear. Instead refer back to your clear classroom rules/routine and highlight where the child fell short of them.
Emphasise the path to future success
End the conversation with your clear conviction that there is a route forward for the pupil, that you believe in them, and that you know they can achieve highly. You may have your doubts, but rock solid confidence in your ability, and in the child’s ability to improve, will help close the conversation on a positive.
So there you go. 100% guaranteed to work eh? Ok, so not quite. You will encounter many difficult conversations, both on the phone and face to face. However, after each one you get a little better every time. Conversations with parents can feel like a difficult hill to climb for a new teacher, but that link with home will prove absolutely vital in the long run.