Deck 10: Teacher As Family Communication Facilitator

Question 1

How should teachers conclude a formal conference with parents or families?

A)by providing a note of appreciation for attending
B)by showing samples of the child's work or other documentation to illustrate points
C)by documenting all areas of students' development and learning
D)by summarizing the main topics and developing an action plan

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What does a Communications Director for a school do?

A)schedules all family conferences for teachers
B)proofreads written communications for grammar and accuracy
C)approves the purchase of social media platforms for school communication purposes
D)helps teachers handle all communications to the public

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Miss Corkum is not sure how to arrange the seating for her conference with the Lamberts,due to their recent divorce.She wants to avoid an awkward seating arrangement and help the conference run as smoothly as possible.What is the best solution to her dilemma?

A)have chairs set out at separate tables and push the tables together to create a wide space between parents
B)put a large desk between the parents so they are facing one another with the teacher in the middle
C)place child-sized chairs at both ends of a long table to help the parents realize they cannot bring their conflicts into the conference
D)put chairs off to the side and let each parent move the chairs closer or further apart as he or she sees fit

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations require that ______.

A)individual student academic information be kept confidential
B)schools closely monitor their websites to ensure student safety
C)administrators notify families before students are suspended from school
D)states disclose accountability ratings about each school

Question 5

Facial expressions,posture,and body position are examples of ______.

A)active listening skills
B)nonverbal communication
C)polychronic emphases
D)student-led discussions

Question 6

To help keep family conferences within a set time frame,teachers are encouraged to ______.

A)create a plan for the conference,so families know the time frame and are prepared to set another conference date if time runs out
B)continue to look at the clock throughout the conference to send nonverbal messages about the time constraints
C)tell families up front that they must keep their comments and questions brief in order to finish the conference on time
D)ask families to write out questions in advance and then address only those questions

Question 7

Which type of information is better suited for a school's website,rather than an individual teacher's website?

A)homework assignment due dates
B)photos of the class at work on a special project
C)upcoming class activities
D)lunch menu

Question 8

If using translation software to facilitate communication with families who speak a language other than English,it is important to ______.

A)have the student proofread documents for errors before sending them home
B)ensure that it makes only literal translations from English to other languages
C)guarantee that families have internet access so they can receive translated documents
D)use it cautiously,and not rely on it as your sole source of communication

Question 9

Which parent will benefit the most from learning how to use the text-to-speech functions on his/her cell phone or computer?

A)a parent with a hearing impairment
B)a parent who reads at the third-grade level
C)a parent who does not read or speak English
D)a parent in a nonnuclear family

Question 10

Which teacher skill is essential for engaging families in reciprocal communication?

A)friendliness
B)clear articulation
C)active listening
D)silence

Question 11

What is a teacher's first step in using social media to communicate with families?

A)obtain approval from your administrator
B)survey families to determine which platforms best fit their needs
C)link the different social media accounts
D)use social media as a tool to leverage student learning

Question 12

Reducing clutter in backpacks and student folders,saving money on printing and paper costs,and the ability to post it on the classroom website or e-mail it to families are some of the advantages of using______.

A)24-hr homework hotlines
B)emergency texting systems
C)electronic newsletters
D)one-way print communications

Question 13

By simply adding a place for comments or questions,newsletters and notes sent home can become avenues for ______ communication between home and school.

A)culturally relevant
B)one-way
C)confidential
D)reciprocal

Question 14

Social media is a/an ______ tool for schools because it is used by people of all ages,and most homes in America have at least one type of electronic device.

A)nonverbal collaboration
B)effective communication
C)formal conference
D)hierarchical discussion

Question 15

Texting ______ increases parents' engagement with their children.

A)through the Remind app
B)confirmation of conference appointments
C)tips about learning activities
D)district information

Question 16

When teachers use school-related social media sites,they should ______.

A)use the jargon seen on the district's website
B)block students from posting on it
C)create opportunities for interaction and sharing
D)become offended by negative comments

Question 17

Which statement about the digital divide is true?

A)More adults who live in rural areas use the Internet on a daily basis than adults who live in urban areas.
B)Most low-income families use a smart phone as their primary technology form.
C)Rural residents are more likely to have multiple electronic devices.
D)Income level has minimal impact on home Internet access.

Question 18

Administrators report that social media can be a positive and successful way to ______ through regular postings of information about school activities and photos of classrooms and students at work.

A)gather community feedback
B)combat the digital divide
C)"tell your story"
D)limit negative media reports about education

Question 19

Mr.Hanlon was not sure if he understood the problem Kim's mother was describing.Rather than tell her he was confused,which active listening strategy should he use to determine whether he had understood the problem?

A)ask closed questions to better clarify the content
B)use reflection for clarification
C)ask her to write down the problem
D)smile,keep silent,and just let her talk

Question 20

Ms.Puerzer,a first-year teacher,found an introductory letter template used by her predecessor in a file marked "family letters." To save time,she thought about copying the letter,writing each family's name at the top,and signing the letters.Ms.Puerzer decided not to use this template because it failed to meet one of the prerequisites of effective family communication.It was NOT ______.

A)digital
B)consistent
C)personal
D)bilingual

Question 21

When preparing for conferences with families who speak little English,teachers should ______.

A)avoid the use of translation apps since they often translate word-for-word and may miss some meanings
B)use bilingual translators,but brief them prior to the meeting
C)have the child act as a translator
D)avoid group conferences as translation can be very confusing

Question 22

In order to make telephone conferences more effective,it is recommended that teachers ______.

A)call in the morning before families and students leave for school
B)send home a survey at the beginning of the year to learn phone numbers and the best times to call
C)call families at work if it coincides with their planning period
D)call only when there are problems to report out of respect for families' time

Question 23

The content of a home visit should be very different from traditional family-teacher conferences.

Question 24

It is not important to proofread the newsletters sent home because families know busy teachers sometimes make mistakes and they rarely read them anyway.

Question 25

To help families who cannot come in for formal conferences,teachers can post students' first names and grades on their class web pages or outside their classroom doors.

Question 26

Teachers should keep conferences relaxed and informal,and they should avoid preplanning an agenda or questions to be asked.

Question 27

It is recommended that the child be included in conferences that occur at the family home.

Question 28

A three-way conference includes ______.

A)the teacher,family,and student
B)an administrator,the teacher,and the family
C)the teacher,the family,and a liaison
D)the teacher,a guidance counselor,and the family

Question 29

Why do teachers use virtual conferences?

A)They are conducted from the teacher's home,rather than in a school classroom.
B)They allow communication in one direction,from the teacher to the family.
C)They accommodate family members who cannot attend.
D)They are inexpensive to use,so all families can easily access them.

Question 30

After a formal or informal conference with families,teachers should make notes of the conference ______.

A)for the principal to review
B)and have families sign them to document their approval
C)only if the outcome is likely to lead to litigation
D)in place in student files for future review and action

Question 31

Some families whose cultures expect a more ______ approach to family-teacher interactions are more comfortable with conferences when teachers take a strong leadership role and use a more formal style of conferencing.

A)monochronic
B)active participatory communication
C)hierarchical
D)culturally encoded

Question 32

One reason for much of the miscommunication between families with language diversity and teachers is that expressive language is ______.

A)culturally encoded
B)hierarchical
C)polychronic
D)reciprocal

Question 33

A drawback to videoconferencing is that student work cannot be shared with families during the conference.

Question 34

Group conferences are recommended for families with language differences.

Question 35

Teachers often make the mistake of sending notes home,or calling home,only when they want to report on problems at school.

Question 36

Studies suggest that parent-teacher conferences can be stressful and challenging for both families and teachers.

Question 37

It is recommended that student involvement in family-teacher conferences should be limited to children in third grade or above.

Question 38

The advantage to conducting group conferences is ______.

A)they are more time-efficient for families
B)only positive information is shared with families
C)families from collectivist cultures may be more comfortable in group settings
D)they take less planning and organization for administrators

Question 39

In order to use student-led conferences effectively,teachers should remember ______.

A)that children need to choose their own work samples to share and plan the conference for themselves
B)that not all families may appreciate their children participating in,or taking on leadership roles,in family conferences
C)that they are not appropriate for children prior to fourth grade
D)to stay out of the presentation once a student-led conference begins

Question 40

Miss Jalloh knew it was time to end the impromptu conference with Eddie's father because the conversation became confrontational and he ______.

A)used profanity to express his anger and frustration
B)demanded to see Eddie's work samples
C)insisted in meeting with the principal
D)needed to leave to go to work

Question 41

Learning to suspend judgment about families is a key factor in establishing positive relationships with low-income families.

Question 42

Teachers may cause hurt and distrust if they delay telling families about students' problems in school.

Question 43

Ms.Thompson is a first-year teacher at a Title I school in an urban area.The school has been in the neighborhood for over 75 years,and many of the family members of current students actually attended the school in years past.Although there has been a recent change in administration at the school,many of the teachers on faculty have been with the school for over 25 years.Ms.Thompson wants to engage her students' families this year,but she realizes there are a lot of barriers to family engagement.Describe some of the common barriers Ms.Thompson's families may have to engage in with the school and ways she can help families overcome these barriers.

Question 44

What type of open-ended questions could be asked during an initial family conference or sent home in a family survey to encourage reciprocal communication? How can teachers phrase questions so that they communicate genuine interest in families and solicit information that is helpful and not just small talk? What should they do with this information after it's provided to communicate that families have been heard and that the information provided will be used?

Question 45

Luis's family has been very difficult to reach via phone and notes home.Mr.Marks recognizes he will have to try different avenues for reaching this family.How can Mr.Marks make use of current technologies or alternative approaches to communication to engage Luis's family this year?