Check this message

My son's teachers are using an app that sends me notices throughout the day. There are notices when they post comments on the app, and there are notices for when parents comment back. There are notices for when my son gets behavioral points (or demerits) throughout the day. And there are notices for me to get more out of the app.

I need to go into the app and dial back the notices, because at this point, I am ignoring most of them. I've chatted with all his teachers (in person) and I understand why they are using this method to communicate: Some parents never want to talk in person; some parents just want a notification.

So it makes sense to hear that parents are remembering to check in on their child's work at school by getting text messages - as long as those messages are personalized. A text reminder on a parent's phone is a great way to get a busy person's attention: Did they remember to check assignments? Or have they read with their child that day? Can they sign the test that came home?

I appreciate all the extra work that teachers have to do to keep parents engaged in their children's daily classroom lives. But right now, I need a way to focus on only the most important messages.

How do your child's teachers keep you engaged throughout the school year? Tell me in the comments.