Student Contributor: M. Foraker
A phone call home can be used for any student any time he or she has done something in the classroom that they deserve to be recognized for. The teacher will simply call home, ask for the student, recognize he or she for something they have done well or have been working hard at, and then say goodbye.
This tool should be used only at certain and specific times rather than often. This phone call home is done to personally take the time to call and recognize a specific student for anything great that they have done. The teacher needs to ask for the student on the phone specifically and will not tell the parents what they are calling for. This way, it gives students the opportunity to tell their families why the teacher called them so that it initiates the conversation of something the child has done well.
This tool is used in the supportive phase because it allows students to be recognized for great achievements or milestones they have reached in their educational learning experience in the classroom. Recognizing these accomplishments allows students to see their achievements and will motivate them to continue to work hard as well as creates a more personal relationship between the student and the teacher. This tool can fit into all theories of influence because rather the classroom is student centered, collaborative, or teacher centered, a phone call home can be used in any situation just to recognize a child's accomplishments.
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Tool Source: Gus Nollmeyer
I would like to share this with my faculty. I’ve found after so many years, that some parents are reluctant to even answer the phone because they dread what they think they’ll hear for the ump-teenth time. An occasional “good” call can really make their day and support communication, just in case you ever do have to make that “other” call.