I’m sure many DLC coaches have a classroom website where they keep the parents informed of classroom activities and upcoming events; but to me, a website can be more than that. It is a place where parents can become more involved with their children’s learning. Not only do I post upcoming events, I also keep them connected by posting interesting things that we did in the classroom. It is a great conversation starter with students (especially pre-teens). As kids get older, they have a tendency to give one-word, conversation-stopping answers. By knowing what goes on in the classroom, the parents have something more to open up dialogue with their reluctant conversationalists.
In addition, on my website I let the parents know how I will meet each outcome, and I invite them to ask questions. I like being transparent about what I will teach each term as this builds trust between the teacher and the parents. Of course, I make it clear that some objectives may change through the course of the term depending on how quickly the students learn and other external factors, but I would do my best to meet these learning outcomes.
By organizing my learning objectives to share, it really helps me untangle the new outcomes. One of the benefits of putting my curricular goals on the website is that it encouraged me to think about the new curriculum from a parent’s point of view – how can I make it clear enough for a non-teacher to understand? I had to take a thorough look at the government website to figure out how exactly the new outcomes will match the needs of my students. In doing so, I gained more understanding of how to interpret the new outcome format as well. Moreover, I have a clear vision of how I will deliver these outcomes for the term.
In a time when usually both parents have to work, a classroom website really is a fantastic tool for parents who would like to know more about their kids’ lives at school. I will encourage all the teachers at my school to have a website, especially as sites like Weebly make it so user-friendly. In the spirit of closing the gap between parents and teachers, I hope you will encourage teachers at your school to make their own website too!
Here’s my humble website. Please click on the “Outcomes” tab to see how I’ve interpreted the new outcomes.