I had a district family engagement leader in Texas email me last week about providing some training for her staff.
I messaged her back and we set up a Zoom call to talk about how I could help her with her school-home communication.
We were about a half hour into the conversation, completely hitting it off, and she said, “It’s just so nice to actually talk to you. I usually have to talk to an assistant…I don’t usually get the actual person.”
We both laughed…but then I told her why I make the calls myself.
Every day, I encourage schools and districts to build relationships with families using effective communication. It’s important to me to practice what I preach.
I want to build relationships with the schools and districts I work with.
And, the Zoom calls are the first step.
For starters, I want to see if we’re a good match. I want to see if what I do meets their needs.
If it doesn’t, I want to use my expertise as a former family engagement district leader to pass along other resources.
If it does, I want to understand the “lay of the land” and these calls give me the chance to ask a lot of questions about the students, families, and staff.
That’s an essential part of my creative process and helps me tailor my training to meet the needs of the school or district.
And, these conversations let schools and districts get a sense of me… my personality, my style, and my approach to my work. It helps them feel more comfortable and more excited about the possibilities.
Look, I have support and I could delegate these conversations to staff but I choose not to do that. These conversations are just too important to me.
As I tell schools every day….nothing can ever replace good, effective communication. It’s essential to building relationships that end in success! And I don’t know about you, but I’m all about success!
Hey, let me know if you’re interested in setting up a Zoom to see if we might be a good match. I’m building out my 2023 PD calendar right now.
All my best,
Patricia
