The School Counseling Files
  • Program Planning
  • Counseling Activities
    • Activities for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
    • Anger Management Activities
    • Activities for Anxious Kids
    • Girl Power
    • Zones of Regulation/Emotional Regulation Activities
    • Social Superheroes
    • Individual Counseling
    • General Counseling Activities
    • Mindfulness Activities
  • DATA COLLECTION
  • Communicate
  • Share/Connect
  • Blog

SMART Goal: Parent outreach

9/10/2016

11 Comments

 
It’s that time of year for SMART goals, so I’ve been reflecting on areas in which I need to improve.  While there are so many to choose from, I’ve decided that this year I’ll be focusing on improving my communication with parents.  It’s a big goal, so I’ve broken it down into some very actionable steps.  In fact, I can already check most of them off my to-do list!​
Picture
Picture

​Step 1: Parents need to know who I am and why I’m here.  So I spent a ridiculous amount of time updating my School Counseling brochure and making a tri-board. 

At Open House, instead of putting up a few signs pointing to my office and waiting there for people to show up (or not), I set up a table right in the foyer.  I had the tri-board, copies of the brochure, a stack of my business cards, some of my “self-calming and mindfulness tools” for people to take (pool noodle stress fidgets and Starburst candies), and a sign-up sheet for my parent e-newsletter.  Which brings us to...

Step 2: Parents might like to hear about what I’m up to at our school: what concepts and strategies I’m teaching in different classes, what kind of groups I’m running, and what school-wide initiatives I’m helping to organize. 

I decided I’ll write a parent e-newsletter they can subscribe to.  I’ll also include tips and resources for them to help their children develop social-emotional skills.  I’m planning on publishing the newsletter once a trimester.  That’s not as overwhelming as a monthly commitment, and I can always do more than that if I'm so inclined (I won't be).  I haven’t sent the first one out yet because I’m still trying to figure out Mailchimp, but I have set up a link for people to subscribe on my Google Drive.​  Don't sign up there, but if you want to get a copies of the newsletter when they go out, e-mail me and I'll put you on a non-school list.

Picture
Step 3: For some parents, even signing up for my e-newsletter might feel risky. So I’ve set up a professional Facebook page and Pinterest account, which allows them to “lurk” without interaction or commitment if that's what they're comfortable with.

Picture

​Finally, Step 4, which is related but not directly:  I’m collecting data to assess how I’m coming on my SMART goal.  I’ll track the number of followers I have on my FB and Pinterest accounts on the last day of every month, as well as note how many posts or pins I made that month.  I also, of course, will track the number of people who subscribe to my e-newsletter.  At the end of the year it will take about 10 seconds to compile that data into a sweet little line graph to upload to Teachpoint.

Having a goal this public is either going to be really motivating or really embarrassing.  We’ll have to wait until June to see which!

11 Comments

    Author
    Laurie P. Mendoza, 
    MA, CAGS

    I've been an elementary school counselor in Massachusetts for almost 20 years, so have a lot of opinions on everything!

    Categories

    All
    Advice
    Anger Management
    Anxiety
    Appointments
    Authoring
    Bulletin Boards
    Bullying
    Calming
    Communication
    Counseling Life
    Data
    Friendship
    Jealousy
    Minute Meetings
    Office
    Parents
    PBIS
    Random Acts Of Kindness
    Rants
    Resilience
    Respect
    Schedule
    School Wide
    School-wide
    Size Of The Problem
    Social Thinking
    Summer
    Superheroes
    Teacher Relations
    Testing
    Worry Board
    Zones

    Archives

    August 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    March 2016
    July 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013

    RSS Feed

What My Customers Have to Say

You are kind, smart, and consitorit.
Kaitlyn T., Grade 1
When I leave this school I'm going to get you fired and tell my new school to hire you.
Ryan D., Grade 2
​

© 2013-2018    Laurie P. Mendoza   The School Counseling Files
  • Program Planning
  • Counseling Activities
    • Activities for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
    • Anger Management Activities
    • Activities for Anxious Kids
    • Girl Power
    • Zones of Regulation/Emotional Regulation Activities
    • Social Superheroes
    • Individual Counseling
    • General Counseling Activities
    • Mindfulness Activities
  • DATA COLLECTION
  • Communicate
  • Share/Connect
  • Blog