As a middle school teacher, I often called parents to share good things about their kids. It built trust with families.

"When I was a middle school teacher, I thought the school principal was being unrealistic when he strongly encouraged all of his teachers to spend the month of September and the first weeks of October making short phone calls to their students' homes. "Catch your students doing something good, I don't care what it is, and call their parents and guardians to tell them about it," he said. And no, shooting off a quick email does not count, he also said."

"The goal, our principal believed, was not to wait for something to go wrong in the classroom before contacting a child's home. Instead, when initial contact centered on something positive, it could shape the trajectory of the entire school year, and also our relationships with students and their families. To be sure, between grading, planning, and everything else that the profession throws our way, teachers have enough to do without also having to take on what felt like an impossible task."

"I found a way to make this expectation work with my schedule. Besides, the earliest days of school are usually the toughest - the most anxiety-inducing - for children, their families, and teachers. Students want to know that they'll fit in and be treated well by their peers and the adults around them, and parents want to know that their children will be safe in our care."

Making short, positive phone calls to students' homes early in the school year establishes trust and prevents contact from being exclusively problem-driven. Principals who require calls emphasize phone contact rather than email to create stronger personal connections. Teachers face heavy workloads and initial resistance, but adapting schedules allows the practice to be sustainable. Early positive outreach reduces anxiety for students and families by signaling belonging and safety. Consistent positive contact can shape classroom dynamics, improve relationships with families, and produce lasting connections that sometimes endure for years beyond the classroom.

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