429 Teacher Work Sample

Communication & Collaboration

There are many ways that a teacher can communicate with parents/ guardians and others
professionals in concern of students in a school. As an elementary fine arts teacher, I will
probably only see the students once a week for about 50 minutes. So, the first thing I will do to
communicate with the parents of my students would be to send a brief letter home introducing
myself and giving the parents a few different ways to contact me: email, phone calls,
conferences, etc. I will attach a sheet for the student to bring back with their parents information
(email, phone numbers, etc) as well, just in case I need to get in touch with them concerning their
child during the school year. I think that having a website for the classroom would be a great
resource, too. On the class website, I could list my contact information, dates of concerts, extra
rehearsal times and maybe videos or recordings of what we are doing in class for the parents to
be able to see. I think this would be a very effective form of communication. It would also allow
the administrators and other professionals in the school to see what we are doing in the music
classroom as well.
If I teach in a secondary environment, along with the ideas listed above, I would have
some type of booster club to support the music/chorus program. This will allow direct emails to
parents who sign up at the beginning of the school year to let them know of things coming up. In
a secondary setting, there are more fundraising opportunities, outside activities, concerts and
things like that that go on than in an elementary school and this would be a successful way to
communicate with parents. All parents will be open to be a part of the booster club and to help
with any event that we have, so having a direct email list will help me communicate with parents
instead of sending papers that might not even make it home, with the students.
As a fine arts teacher, I will not be any of the students main teacher. Like I have
mentioned, I will only have the students for a short amount of time per week, so communication

429 Teacher Work Sample

Communication & Collaboration

with the general teachers will be very important for me if there are any issues with the students. I
will communicate with these teachers in whatever form suits them best. I think the best way to
communicate with other teachers in your school is to meet with them face to face, so I will set
aside time after school when the students are gone to meet with any of the teachers in regards to
issues or problems I am having with the students of their class in my classroom. I think it is
important to communicate with colleges to better the students and to share ideas and different
ways to teach certain things. I will make myself available via phone, email and meetings for the
teachers to contact me as well.