Possip’s multilingual, text-based surveys amplify the voices of your communities! Join our live demo to learn more!
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Thursday 29 September 2022
Friday 23 September 2022
What to Say and Ask at Home to Support Your Child or Teen at School
Virginia Williams, Possip reporter with a background in Elementary Education & Special Education, came up with a few ideas on what to say and ask at home to support your child or teen at school!
Being a kid can be hard! We all know this. We experienced it firsthand when we were younger, and now as parents, we’re witnessing our kids endure struggles of their own. But the good news is that the way we as parents and caregivers engage our children can support them through these overwhelming times! We hope these tips give you confidence as you talk to your children about their wins, losses, hopes, struggles and joys.
Be Vulnerable
This is especially important if your child is in middle school or high school. Oftentimes, kids this age feel pressure to meet a variety of high expectations. As parents, we can make our child feel safer by opening up about our own struggles. Show your child that you are not only their parent, but also another human, with challenges and failures of your own. Did you ever struggle to make friends? Did you ever feel left out? Did you get cut from a sports team? Make a bad grade? Connect with your child by sharing these stories and reminding them that their disappointment is normal and also temporary.
Be Timely
It’s important to know the best times and places to have these meaningful conversations. When your child is rushing out the door is not the time to discuss how they’re feeling about a bad grade! You’re also probably not going to break boundaries during a conversation if it happens in the presence of others. Wait until you have the right time and space. For example, riding in the car, taking a walk or just before bedtime.
Be Realistic
Kids don’t always like the attention on them. Sometimes, even if you do everything right, your child still might not want to talk to you. Be patient, and don’t give up! Try again in a few days. If you feel like you’re really struggling to connect and support your child, ask them if there’s another adult they’d like to talk to (an aunt/uncle, grandparent, coach, etc.). Reach out to your school counselors or your child’s teachers for suggestions and resources!
Parenting is hard and takes courage. If you’re attempting to have these important conversations with your child, then you are already on the right track. Remind your child that you love them and are here to support them, and take it one conversation at a time!
The post What to Say and Ask at Home to Support Your Child or Teen at School appeared first on Possip | Engagement Platform | School Feedback Survey.
Wednesday 14 September 2022
Back to School: Top 10 Feedback Trends From School Staff
Possip has grown significantly in the number of staff pulse checks we send to school and district staff this year! That has made this year an extra exciting back-to-school time and something we are celebrating on the Possip team. Hearing from staff members is so crucial, especially during this time when teacher retention and staff shortages are top of mind for many families and school communities.
We wanted to share some back-to-school trends that we heard from staff members through Possip to not only share important information to make schools better but to acknowledge and empathize with concerns and feedback educators have across the country.
We’ve heard from over 6,000 staff members this year and over 64% of them are happy with working at their school.
Overall, many of the topics from last year to this year are persisting, as you’ll see below in the top 10 trends. However, we are seeing that more staff members are feeling stressed and overwhelmed earlier in the year than in the past. They also are advocating more for higher compensation and recognition for all their hard work, which was also a repeated trend from last year. However, the happiness of staff members was higher than last year by 8%, so it looks intentional efforts may be happening to boost morale and positivity on campuses!
Here are the top trends from this past month:
#1: Teacher Workloads
We heard staff members use terms like “too much on my plate”, “overworked”, and worries about “getting it all done”. Teachers are taking on extra duties and don’t feel like they have enough help, time, or resources to complete their long to-do lists. Teachers are already advocating for more balance and sustainability for this school year.
#2: Compensation
Staff members are sharing feedback that they don’t feel like the work they are doing is matching the workload. Also, they feel that teaching positions should have more competitive pay overall. Teachers are asking for pay raises, increased benefits, stipends for additional work, and bonuses throughout the year.
#3: Administration Feedback
Teachers feel their administration may not be providing enough support. In addition, they feel they are sharing leadership areas of growth. On the flip side, some teachers feel micromanaged and are getting feedback from leaders unproductively. Teachers also want to feel more listened to, respected, and connected to their administration team. They also want communication, expectations, and presence from leadership to be more consistent and effective. In some of our Possip partner schools, leadership teams have been new and trust has not been built yet.
#4: Student Discipline and Behavior
We also heard that teachers feel a lack of support with disciplinary incidents on campus and requests for more support in certain areas of the building, including hallways and the cafeteria. Teachers are sharing that they are seeing more violent behavior from students and are asking for more ways to build consistent schoolwide classroom expectations and behavior plan implementation. Staff members shared they don’t feel respected on the day-to-day by students and want support from administration that focuses on student accountability of their behaviors.
#5: Professional Development Sessions and Teacher Training
Teachers are asking for more differentiated PD sessions that really increase the effectiveness for all. Similar to the teacher workload trend, teachers want to be able to have the option to opt out if it isn’t essential to them. This way, they can make more time for deadlines or work completion. We also heard requests for filmed asynchronous training that can be done flexibly after deadlines are met. Teachers are also relating training to teacher vacancies. They are asking that teachers don’t have to physically leave during the school day for training so all classes can be covered. Staff members also gave ideas to increase training for new teachers and substitutes to ensure those educators are set up for success.
#6: Staff Shortages and Teacher Vacancies
Teachers were asking questions about hiring timelines and wondering when positions would be filled. We also are still hearing a continuation from last year around a lack of substitutes on campus. This is leading to large class sizes and requests for permanent subs at each school to consistently fill needed teacher vacancies.
#7: Curriculum
There was feedback provided around requesting more support to implement the new curriculum this year. They want more time to get comfortable with the curriculum before teaching it. Also, there are requests to hear teacher voices in curriculum decisions. We also heard that teachers need more time to plan their curriculum, the chosen curriculum is dry and students are not engaged, and it’s not differentiated so it’s either too slow or too fast for students.
#8: Planning Time
Teachers noted that the current planning periods are not productive when used for campus or content-wide planning, they need more time overall in the schedule for planning, and that time is being taken up by too many meetings (ARDs, 504 meetings, parent conferences, etc.). Teachers truly believe planning time is related to retention, and that if teachers have more time to complete their work and have planning periods during the day, it would lead to fewer vacancies and more stable schools.
#9: Facilities and Cleanliness
Teachers need better air conditioning on campus, and better cleaning practices in classrooms and around campus. In addition, there were requests for classroom furniture or to fix things in classrooms. Many of these things are normal for back-to-school time. However, this was also a trend we saw with staff members at the end of last year that has continued.
#10: Communication
Teachers want consistent and effective communication from their administration and district leaders. They shared feedback about slow response time to emails sent to school/district leaders. Also, they reported non-proactive communication and last minute reschedules. Staff members also shared a need for substitutes to have access to all necessary school communication methods. Substitutes want to be successful and “in the know” on campus.
The post Back to School: Top 10 Feedback Trends From School Staff appeared first on Possip | Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.
Tuesday 13 September 2022
Possip Live Demo
Possip is helping thousands of schools hear from their school communities! Join us September 13, 2022 to learn all the ways Possip can help your school or district!
The post Possip Live Demo appeared first on Possip | Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.
Friday 9 September 2022
Back to School: Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Families
It’s officially back-to-school season!! Many of our school partners at Possip have been in session for a month and are fully back in the swing of it! We are excited to start off the year by sharing insights, feedback, and trends from our school partners across the country during the past six weeks.
This data represents comments from over 58,000 people who shared through Possip
over the past month or so. On average, so far, 83% of families said they were happy with their child’s school.
Before we dig into the top trends, what are some differences we see about the feedback between this year and last year?
- More positive tone: Fortunately, we are hearing from staff and families that things are starting off with a better tone than last year. Overall happiness is higher by about 7 percentage points – and there is more gratitude and positivity in general.
- Fewer (almost no) COVID questions: Last year there were still quite a few questions and concerns about COVID protocols, questions, etc. We are seeing almost no COVID related questions or comments.
- Getting to academics quickly: historically parents don’t start talking and asking about academics until further into the school year. Parents are immediately advocating for more academic updates and information.
Below are the top 10 feedback trends parents and families shared over the past 6 weeks.
Top 10 Trends
#1: Communication:
Communication feedback was the top trending topic for families so far this school year. This is always a top trend – so it’s no surprise that it comes up again early in this school year.
Families discussed wanting more frequent communication from their teachers and shared feedback on desired content they’d want to hear about from the school. Specifically in these areas, families wanted more communication from teachers when students fall behind in class. They want more information on any concerns or praise they had, and consistent responses to emails. Families shared ideas about having weekly newsletters from the teachers about what is being taught and what’s happening in class. Overall, families shared a desire to be more connected to their student’s teachers.
In terms of content, families asked for more communication about events on campus and opportunities to volunteer. They also want streamlined information on one platform instead of going to a variety of places (email, social media, apps, etc.) and missing information when they don’t check them all.
One sub-trend in this category is around Academic Progress Updates. Families requested direct feedback from teachers on progress academically, socially, and behaviorally. Some comments suggested weekly reports from teachers or sending home work with feedback on it. We heard family members not wanting to wait until report cards come out to see their student’s grades, but to have updated grades online and check-ins from teachers before report card time.
#2: Carline Logistics:
The third most discussed topic for families was around carline management and drop-off/pick-up procedures. This is historically a big back-to-school trend. We heard feedback about controlling and organizing the parking lot better during arrival and dismissal, concerns about the amount of time carline takes, requests for more traffic guards, and specific ideas to improve carline such as designated areas for grade-levels during drop off or more signage outside. Families’ main goal in this feedback is keeping everyone safe during drop off, controlling traffic, and increasing efficiency.
Other notable ideas included having special training for parents on how to effectively go through carline or having teacher support outside during carline. For more on carline, click here.
#3: Campus Security & Safety:
To be expected given school safety concerns around the nation, families had a lot of feedback around safety and security. Families shared questions about the school’s safety precautions currently in place, information on police/security guards on campus, and ideas for improvement on arrival/dismissal safety. Many families also shared campus-specific ideas around doing safety drills, and having more security on campus. People are also seeking ways to prevent weapons on campus, and fixes for facilities to improve safety. Ultimately, families want schools to put their student’s safety first.
#4: Extracurricular Activities:
The fourth trending tropic of August was extracurricular activities and after-school clubs. There were a lot of questions about when after-school activities would begin, what the list of activity options were for students, and requests for more clubs on campus. Families wanted their students to have social opportunities, be able to join sports teams, and have fun activities on campus to get excited about!
#5: Curriculum Feedback:
The next back to school Possip trend was feedback on curriculum. Families asked for more IB/AP classes for students, more elective options, and more curriculum transparency for parents. Families shared specific feedback with their campus on having more effective language class curriculum, more challenging curriculum, increased collaborative projects, more field trips and outdoor time, and more focus on practice problems or drills. There were also requests for not only academic curriculum to be effective, but also social-emotional and behavioral skill curriculum.
#6: Cafeteria Feedback:
Usually at the start of the year, cafeteria and lunch logistics are top of mind for students and families. Families had questions about lunch menus and the menus matching what was shared with families. We heard requests for more vegetarian options, more time for students to eat, and more nutritious options for students. In addition to the food quality, we heard families share feedback on the lunch start time being too early to eat, asking for snack times during the day, and requesting that families and parents can come visit during lunch. One final trend is that families were asking about free lunch assistance programs and discounts.
#7: Transportation Needs:
Following trends from last year, bus transportation continues to be a source of frustration and inconsistency. Families shared that their student doesn’t have a regular bus driver, the bus doesn’t show up on certain days, the bus route has changed to be very long, or the bus routes were canceled for certain areas. Overall, families are not satisfied with the current bus system and feel it negatively impacts their student’s educational experience.
#8: IEP/504 Supports:
The eighth trend in August was around supporting students with IEPs or 504s. Families want to get confirmation that their student’s IEP/504 is updated, being implemented with fidelity, and that all teachers understand the parts of their individualized plan. Families are requesting that ARDs and IEP/504 meetings are consistent and that they have time to discuss and adapt the plan to best support the student. We also heard many request from families who want to get their student tested for an IEP or 504 this year, like specific dyslexia testing requests.
#9: Academic Support:
Proactive student academic support was the ninth trend of August. Families want more intervention and tutoring opportunities, increased one-on-one time with teachers, and advanced student support. Overall, families want to ensure that their student is at or above grade level. They want to know they’re going to be prepared for the next grade at the end of the year.
#10: Bullying:
The final feedback trend from families in August was around bullying feedback on campus. Questions about bullying policies, clarity on how the school resolves bullying concerns, and more monitoring, awareness, and prevention of bullying behaviors on campus surfaced. Families are already also sharing that they are hearing about too much bullying on campus from their students and want actions that resolve bullying.
Anything surprising to you? What’s top of mind for you?
The post Back to School: Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Families appeared first on Possip | Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.
Family-Centered Meet the Teacher Night Tips
Virginia Williams, Possip reporter with a background in Elementary Education & Special Education, created tips to create a wonderful family-centered Meet the Teacher night!
It’s that time of year! Pencils and crayons have pointy tips, the whiteboards are shiny, and textbooks have crisp spines. This can only mean one thing…it’s the start of the school
year and it’s time for Meet the Teacher Night! First impressions are lasting impressions, and we want to get this first impression right. It helps to begin with a positive mindset.
Believe in the best in your families! School leaders and classroom teachers should expect that parents will come, will want to meet their child’s teachers, and will want to partner with them for a successful school year. With such high expectations of families, we ought to also have high expectations of ourselves and we need to be exceptionally prepared for this special night!
— So what does that mean? What should we expect from Meet the Teacher Night? In our opinion, here are some points to consider:
Be welcoming
The goal is for families to feel comfortable and to feel like they know the teacher a bit better when they leave. A smile, eye contact and an enthusiastic greeting make a big difference. If young students are present, get down on their level! Share some things about yourself and create opportunities for connection…are you a big UNC basketball fan? Are you obsessed with your dog? Perhaps you have a family photo in your classroom. These fun facts make you approachable! This night should be fun and can serve as a strong foundation for positive relationships!
Be informative
Share a bit about your behavioral expectations and classroom routines. Share what parents can expect in terms of the homework load, communication and grading. Consider providing this information in a presentation and also as hard copy one-pagers like a syllabus or calendar.
Be available for one-on-one time
When your classroom is full of people, it can be difficult to speak with each individual and feel like you’ve given them enough of your time and focus. We understand this challenge. There are a few things you can do to make one-on-one time possible. First, split your class/families into groups so the Meet the Teacher Night is staggered. Assign different blocks of time to different families to minimize the crowd. If this approach isn’t an option at your school, provide something for families to do while they ‘wait’ for a chance to talk with you.
For example, ask them to complete paperwork such as an “All About My Child” questionnaire or simply a contact information form. For younger grades, have parents complete a scavenger hunt with their student to locate their cubby, desk/table spot, carpet spot, and different spaces in the classroom. Lastly, create a place in the classroom where parents can leave questions/concerns if they don’t have a chance to ask you in person!
— We know you are looking forward to Meet the Teacher Night and hope that these tips help you feel confident and optimistic. With the right preparation, your families will love you and will feel supported and informed as you begin the year.
The post Family-Centered Meet the Teacher Night Tips appeared first on Possip | Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.
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