Communication 2.1.2 Communication Guidelines

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An effective communication plan is at the root of a positive and supportive experience in any learning setting.  This is even more true in the virtual environment.  So as I pursue my own classroom in the cloud, it is imperative that I create an Individual Communication Plan as a virtual teacher.

I. Welcome Email
An excellent practice for a virtual teacher is making a phone contact with students and parents within the first week of a course's start.  To continue to establish the foundation for open communication, teachers should also send an email welcoming students and parents to the course.

Below is a sample welcome message to parents:

Mr. & Mrs. __________,

I wanted to take a moment to share with you how pleased I am that Christopher is enrolled in Advanced Placement US History and I wanted to give you an idea of what to expect as the course unfolds.  This course is designed to develop an authentic college atmosphere and many students find the pace and workload more demanding at first.  Please keep this in mind as you establish expectations for Christopher's performance.  It is my hope that you continue to have high expectations while being supportive and understanding of the fact that he is being asked to perform at a much higher level than most students in a regular curriculum.  If the need arises, please contact me with any questions or concerns.  I am looking forward to a successful term.

Sincerely,

Cricket Butler
AP United States History Teacher


II. Personal notes versus mass communication to stakeholders
It may be my Southern roots or my hobby collecting stationery, but I prefer a personal note over mass communication any day.  While there is certainly a time for mass communication- course updates, assignment submission requirements, pertinent EOC information; I believe a personal note to stakeholders makes a lasting impression.  An email sent to parents praising their child's achievements in class or a handwritten postcard welcoming a student to the course are excellent examples of how personal notes encourage a personable environment within the virtual classroom.

III. Stakeholders
There are two major stakeholder groups that a virtual teacher must be in constant communication with: students and parents.  As a high school teacher, the obvious goal is to help students become more autonomous in their online learning experience, including the initiation of communication with their teachers.  However, it is a helpful practice for virtual teachers to contact a certain number of students (and parents) each week.  Both phone and email contacts should be included in this weekly quota.

IV. School Policies regarding Communication
To piggy back off of the weekly contact goal above, it is an extremely important policy to log all contacts.  Emails should be organized and phone conversation notes should be filed for easy access.  Some schools may even require a digital contact log.  No matter what the policy, a virtual teacher must have a system set up for keeping accurate contact records.

V.  Tools available for effective Communication
As mentioned above, there is a time and a place for mass communication and I use a variety of tools to communicate important messages and reminders to my students.  Two of the most valuable tools are twitter and remind.  In my experience, students are both familiar with and appreciative of my communication using these two mediums and even initiate conversation with their peers and myself on twitter.