The Phone Call Home

AZTF Fellow - Kelsey Alhamark

Image: akeeris / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As part of consequences for a student’s undesirable behavior, every teacher makes the proverbial “phone call home”. Making phone calls home is definitely an effective way to communicate with parents about challenges and gain their support.  I sometimes make phone calls home to the parents of my students who make coming to school each day so enjoyable. I tell these parents that I am calling to brag about their son or daughter.

Take my student David. David rarely has questions on the lesson, clarifies what we are doing for other students, writes more than is expected and writes it well, and runs (literally runs from one end of the campus to the next) to my class just so he won’t be marked tardy. I spoke to David’s mother today just to brag about him. I told her what a pleasure it was to have her son in my class and what a positive influence he has been for other students. David’s mother was very pleased to hear this especially since basketball season has begun and, as a freshman especially, balancing time can be a new experience to get used to.

As much as I love making these phone calls to parents like David’s, I know that students like David don’t really need me. David doesn’t need me to explain things twice because he is so attentive the first time. I have no doubt in my mind that David will go to college, earn a degree, and go on to do great things.

I didn’t join Arizona Teaching Fellows because of students like David. I joined Arizona Teaching Fellows for the opportunity to teach the students who were the exact opposite of David—but have all the potential in the world to do the same things: be outstanding students, go to college, earn a degree, and do great things. Arizona Teaching Fellows made it possible for me to embark on this incredible journey and hopefully I will make a difference in the educational lives of my students to go out into the world and do the same.