In a previous post, I mentioned that communications plans can be a great tool for educators who want to set and maintain clear lines of communication with learners and their support networks. These plans don’t need to be complex. They’re just tools to help you clarify your message and ensure it’s delivered consistently. While these plans can certainly be elaborate, I typically recommend taking a straightforward who, what, when, where, why, how approach.

Who: Name your audience.

What: List the key topics you must address.

When: Provide dates for your intended communication.

Where: Include the platform or tool you will be using to convey your message.

Why: Articulate the importance of this communication.

How: When will you draft your message? What type of info do you need? Does anyone else need to be involved? What support or challenges can you anticipate?

In practice, your plan may look something like the following.

Who: Third grade students and their support networks.

What: Recap of class highlights from the week (2-3 images), Questions to extend learning at home, Assignments/Homework, Important dates to remember, Other important reminders.

When: Communication to be scheduled for every Friday night.

Where: Content to be posted to Classroom Blog. Parents to be reminded by push notification.

Why: To keep students and guardians in the loop and to cut down on repetitive, non-essential email inquiries.

How: Time blocked on Thursday (during student’s free reading period) to compile info. Keep school calendar on hand to ensure correct dates. Check in periodically with administration to ensure messaging remains appropriate. Pre-identify photo opportunities and questions to extend learning while lesson planning. Book secondary block of time on Fridays for finishing communication just in case Thursday’s writing time is disrupted.

Once you have this info in hand, you can go about setting up the systems you’ve identified above. This can take a bit of work, but for regular communications, ones which look the same each week, the process is actually very formulaic. If you’ve done it once, you can typically duplicate it regularly with minimal effort.