For students to be successful, teachers and parents must work together. Unfortunately, in many districts, parental involvement is at an all-time low. Teachers are always looking for ways to counteract this, and in my opinion, communication is critical. Teachers wear many hats, so to effectively communicate with parents, they need a solution that is efficient. Also, since most school budgets are anemic at best, finding something that is low or no cost is essential. Enter Google Classroom. In this tip, we will list 18 ways that you can boost parental involvement with Google Classroom.

1. Progress Reports – Use Classroom to send progress reports to parents and students.
2. Parent Communication Logs – Use Google Docs or Forms to create parent communication logs. Documenting parent contact can assist with enacting your discipline ladder when needed.
3. Parent Forms – Most parents dread filling out the pile of forms that students bring home on the first day of school. Give parents a break by creating online forms using Google Forms which can be submitted directly to the teacher.
4. Parent Support Groups – Create a Parent Support Group Classroom for parents who are struggling with anything from helping kids with homework to unruly behaviors or learning disabilities. Provide resources for assistance, helpful articles, and a forum where parents can ask questions.
5. Parent-Teacher Conference Invitations – Utilize the embedded Google Calendar in Classroom to send appointment slots to parents for conferences.
6. Parent-Teacher Conference Logs – Log parent-teacher conferences in Google Docs or Sheets.
7. Parent-Teacher Organizations – Create a Classroom for your school’s Parent-Teacher Organization.
8. Introduction Video for Parents/Students – Create and upload a video to introduce yourself to parents and students.
9. Grade Summaries – Send grade summaries directly to parents or students through Classroom.
10. Field Trip Permission Forms – Send Field Trip Permission Forms to parents to ensure forms get turned in on time.
11. Electronic Permission Slips – Create electronic permission slips for science fairs, athletic participation, use of student photographs, etc. and share through a parent Classroom.
12. Email Collaborators – Email collaborators on a document directly through Google Docs.
13. Email Parents – Email parents directly from the People tab in Classroom by clicking on the triple dot menu next to the parent’s email address. Parents can also be emailed by going to the student’s work summary and choosing the envelope.
14. Calendar of Activities – Link a Google Calendar to a school-wide classroom to keep parents and students informed of school activities.
15. Calendar of Due Dates – Link a Google Calendar with due dates for assignments, tests, and other important dates into Classroom.
16. Boost Parental Involvement – Keep parents involved by posting announcements, sending emails, and inviting them to receive guardian email summaries.
17. Parent Classrooms – Create a Classroom just for parents. Upload important school or classroom materials and information, send out surveys, and essential dates using Calendar.
18. Target Parent Phone Calls – Google Classroom’s grading interface allows teachers to see which students are not turning in work. This makes targeting parent phone calls easier.

Google Classroom won’t solve your parental involvement issues on its own, but it in the hands of the right teacher, it can.

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