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The Engaging Station

Blog & Resources by Staci Lamb

Why You Should Call Their Parents

I could be wrong, but I don’t think that any of us LOVE calling parents. Sometimes those calls can be awkward or confrontational, but other times, they can be AMAZING!

Positive phone calls home are equally if not more important than the negative ones. I recently started using reward coupons in addition to lollipops. I assumed that my teenagers would always want the lollipops, but surprisingly, there have been two clear coupon winners: the option to listen to music while they work and positive calls home.
I started to wonder: why did so many of my students want positive phone calls home? I try to acknowledge their positive behaviors all the time in class, but they want more than just my recognition. I think we assume too often that their parents don’t care, but maybe that’s because we only call to discuss the negatives.
I have started calling home more, and I’ve had two students tell me their rewards for those calls:
1) One student told me that he was taken out to dinner because of his accomplishments in class.
2) Another student, just yesterday, told me that her mom took her out for ice cream because of the call home.
I plan to start devoting 30 minutes a week calling home to discuss positive behaviors in class. I’m excited to see the good news that my students bring to class.
See some of my reward coupons below! I use these whenever a student demonstrates positive behavior. If you’d like the template, please click here and make a copy. I used KG All of Me and KG Second Chances for my fonts, both of which are available on dafont.com and TpT.

What do you do to reward your students? Do you call home?

Comments

  1. Thanks for this post! I've tried to work in parent phone calls but I get so overwhelmed. This year I think I'll focus on my 6-8 grade students. I teach drama at a k-8. Can you share more about how your coupon system works? Do you sell the coupons in your tpt store?

  2. It is overwhelming, Angie, especially when we have so many students! I would try to just set a simple goal for yourself, one that won't overwhelm you. 🙂 If a student demonstrates positive vibes (including respect, responsibility, and more), I allow them to choose a coupon. I do not sell the coupons, but I'd be happy to send them to you! Send me an email at theengagingstation@gmail.com 🙂

  3. I would love to get a copy of the coupons you use. I checked your store but didn't see them there. I am switching from 4th grade to 6th grade, and would love to use your coupons. Is there anyway I can receive a copy?

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