As the new academic year begins, like many of you I'm filled with excitement and anticipation for the months ahead. However, again like many of you, I'm also acutely aware of the challenges coming my way, particularly when it comes to managing time and maintaining high standards in the classroom. Over the past 10 years I’ve always been on the lookout for ways to improve my practice, get the most out of my students and improve the quality of what my school can provide to each and every pupil that walks through the door in the next few weeks.
One big frustration of mine has always been how inefficient many of our systems are, I was convinced that there had to be more efficient ways to do many things. The search for improvement ultimately led me on the journey to design my own app. It’s an app that will save me over 2 days of teaching this year and also improve the quality of the feedback that I can provide. So, before the new year starts as you’re backing your new display boards and sitting in staff development days, why not have a think about how you could use Equipple to raise standards and save time doing it.
The Importance of Effective Parent-Teacher Communication
We all know the impact that effective communication with parents has on student outcomes. Research has consistently shown that students whose parents are actively involved in their education perform better academically and have fewer behavioural issues. Regular updates and meaningful dialogue between teachers and parents can bridge gaps and create a supportive environment for students to thrive. (Source).
Challenges with Traditional Parent-Teacher Meetings
For me though, as a senior teacher in a large school, the time that teachers in my school spend preparing for their communication with parents has been disproportionate. Traditionally, organising parent-teacher meetings has been a logistical nightmare with coordinating schedules, analysing data and preparing discussion points all taking up a significant amount of time and energy. This is time that I have always felt could be better spent on lesson planning, marking or one-on-one student support.
Enter Equipple
This is why we decided to create Equipple; to streamline the entire process of parent-teacher meetings. Equipple is an app designed to simplify and enhance parent-teacher meetings, by automating the scheduling and the creation of teacher notes by syncing the key pupil data.
The Impact on Teaching and Learning
Equipple saves teachers valuable time that frees them up to do what they actually want to…teach! We’ve found that the streamlined process has not only reduced teachers’ administrative burden but also improved the quality of teachers' interactions with parents which, in turn, has positively impacted the performance and well-being of the kids in their classes.
Conclusion
Starting the new academic year with the right tools can make a significant difference. Equipple has proven to be an invaluable resource in helping manage time more effectively and maintain high standards in the classroom. If you’re like me and are constantly looking for ways to save time and drive standards then I would encourage you to explore the benefits that Equipple could bring to you and your school by streamlining parent-teacher communication. Together, we can create a more efficient and supportive educational environment for our students.
For more information on how Equipple can help you streamline your classroom management, please get in touch.