Quick and Easy Ways to Connect With Students and Their Parents, Grades K

Diane Mierzwik currently teaches seventh and eighth grade English at Parkview Middle School for the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District in California. In her 16 years of teaching, she has had experience with first- through 12th graders. She has been Gifted And Talented Education coordinator, Leadership team member, Department Head, a mentor teacher, completed the Inland Empire Writing Project, and served as a Language Arts consultant for the California Language Arts Project. She is also the author of Quick and Easy Ways to Connect With Students and Their Parents, available from Corwin Press, and Wishes in the Field, a middle grade historical fiction novel.

Preface About the Author Part I: Connecting With Students 1. Having Students Introduce Themselves 2. Greeting Students 3. Making the Most of Classroom Time 4. Congratulating Students With Certificates 5. Connecting With Your Students Through the Curriculum 6. Recognizing Your Students as Stars Part II: Connecting With Parents 7. Sending Home Your Introduction Letter 8. Learning About Your Students From Their Parents 9. Presenting at Back-to-School Night 10. Requesting Parent Suggestions 11. Conducting Parent-Teacher Conferences 12. Thanking Parents 13. Contacting Parents Using E-mail 14. Phoning Home 15. Mailing Home Good News Postcards 16. Inviting Parents to Visit 17. Getting Attention From the Media Resource: Sample Forms and Letters Index

"A novice teacher should find Mierzwik's book to be quite helpful as they face the many challenges of modern day classroom teaching." -- Kent Hayden, Field Supervisor, Student/Intern Teachers "As a veteran teacher, I wondered what this book could teach me. Well, it taught me valuable ideas, some new, some long forgotten. It resulted in my brain processing a deluge of new ways to look at old behavior problems." -- Linda Mercier, High School French Teacher "This book is an excellent resource for veteran and beginning teachers. It contains a number of simple, practical, useful, and effective ideas, suggestions, and practices that can be easily implemented." -- Bernard Cavanagh, Director of Curriculum, Secondary "Diane Mierzwik offers an approach to teaching which is both humane and effective. Her suggestions are backed by years of experience and research and will help everyone, from the brand new teachers to the old hand." -- Martha Plender, Co-Director, Inland Area Writing Project "This book is not only for the beginning teacher, but for the seasoned teacher that needs new and innovative ways of touching the lives of our growing student population with diverse needs." -- Lynn Anderson, School Psychologist "This book is chock full of ideas that can be put into place immediately. From personally greeting each child every morning to conducting parent conferences, the author provides practical, easy-to-accomplish strategies for building relationships that let students and parents know you care." -- Principal Navigator, March 2007