Bulk Texter Pro – Monday Morning Messages
Monday mornings are an opportunity to set the tone for the entire school week. I use Bulk Texter Pro to help me build strong relationships with my students and families. It is an opportunity to connect, build relationships, and let families know that there is a real person teaching their child and that I care about their student.
Start the week by building relationships with my homeroom families
My Monday morning texts are more than just a reminder. When we think about texting families, it can be easy to focus on reminders:
- "Don't forget your assignment."
- "Your student's work is overdue."
- "The deadline is Friday."
- "Please check your course."
Those messages are important, but real relationships with families are more than a list of reminders. I use Bulk Texter Pro on Monday mornings to send my homeroom families a weekly message that is designed to start a conversation. The goal is simple: connect first, communicate second.
My message typically includes three things:
- Greeting on which week of the semester it is and something personal about my weekend
- An invitation for families and students to share about their weekend
- A school-related goal for the upcoming week
I might share something as simple as what I did over the weekend such as spending time with family, going to Disney with my wife and kids or which of my daughter’s had a birthday party to go to, watching the Miami Dolphins game, going out to dinner with grandparents, or just enjoying some time away from work. I also try to include a picture of me or my family activity.
Then I specifically changed the message to focus on them. I'll ask students and families something like: "What did you do this weekend? Did you do anything fun, relaxing, or exciting?" This simple gesture gives students and families a chance to share something about themselves that has nothing to do with grades or assignments.
Finally, I include a schoolwork goal for the week. Usually, my goal focuses on students completing a certain percentage of their overall class work (like getting to 45% complete in all classes). Your goal could be to have students focus on completing assignments, staying organized, attending school or lessons, communicating with teachers, or simply having a positive and productive week.
Why did I share about my weekend?
At first, I was nervous to share something about my own weekend. What if the families didn’t respond or used the pictures and information inappropriately, especially because I have been working with high school and middle school students. I actually found that my concerns were not that big a deal because my communication became more personal.
When I share something about myself, I am giving students and families an opportunity to see me as more than just their teacher. I am also showing them that I am interested in getting to know them as people which increases buy-in through the school year.
Creating a two-way conversation
What I feel is really important is to create a two-way conversation with the family. I'm not just sending information. I'm trying to get them to engage with me. Some families choose not to respond that week, which is okay. Some families choose to share a short response such as: "We went to the beach!" or "We visited family."
But sometimes, families choose to have a longer conversation with me. They will share stories about birthday parties, special family events, and how their kids’ extra-curricular activities went. In special moments, families have even shared pictures and videos of the student and family events. I got to see my students’ celebrating grandma’s 90th birthday or hitting their first homerun for baseball. These interactions can help me learn more about my students, their interests, their families, and what is happening in their lives outside of school.
And sometimes those seemingly small conversations become important later. When a student is struggling academically or becomes disengaged, already having an established relationship with the family can make those more challenging conversations easier.
Connecting relationships to student success
My Monday morning message takes only a few minutes to prepare, but it gives me an opportunity to start the week on a positive note, learn something about my students, communicate an academic goal, and remind families that we are working together. Remember technology doesn’t build relationships, people do!
Example template
About me
I have been in K12 education for 14 years. I have spent 3 years in the classroom and 11 years in virtual education. Bulk Texter Pro is one time I happily spent my own money on a classroom item because it supports student connections (besides buying candy when in the classroom).