Tortora 1

UED 496 Artifact D: Effective Communication

Angela Tortora
Regent University

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Rationale
Effective communication is highly important for a teacher to establish with the parents,
students, and community because a teacher needs support from these people. Without effective
communication, a teacher cannot express his or her needs with the parents; not only that, but the
teacher cannot pass along critical information. By implementing effective communication, a
teacher can express any academic or behavioral concerns with the parents and students.
For this artifact, I have selected a newsletter I sent to the parents in order to introduce
myself to them. In the newsletter, I included where I received my education and some
information about myself. I wanted to share some basic information about myself with the
parents so that they would know a little about who I am since I will be spending seven and a half
hours a day with their children. To close the newsletter, I wrote about how much I appreciate the
parents support in helping their children practice their skills at home.
The other artifact I selected is a letter I wrote the parents after the first nine weeks ended.
In this letter, I reviewed some of the skills the students learned during the first nine weeks and
made a list of the new skills that will be covered in the second nine weeks. I asked the parents if
they would be kind enough to help their children practice their new skills at home.
I selected these two letters for this artifact because I think both successfully adhere to
what needs to be included for this artifact. I had to effectively communicate and collaborate with
the parents and students in order to support student learning. In the introductory letter to the
parents, I effectively communicated with them about who I am. By including my education, I
was able to inform them that I am competent to teach their children. Also, I included information
about myself with the hopes that the parents will feel more comfortable with me being in the

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classroom with their children. In the letter about the end of the first nine weeks, I think I
effectively communicated and collaborated with the parents about what skills their children will
be learning. I included this information in the letter because I want the parents to help their
children at home. While the students learn much at school, when the parents practice the skills at
home with them, it reinforces everything that is being taught in the classroom.
By sending home notes to the parents, I am able to establish open communication
between them and myself. It is highly important to do so because I am able to relay important
information to them about their childrens progress, behaviors, and ask them to restock their
childs school supplies. According to Bergin and Bergin (2012), [c]hildren with positively
involved parents are more engaged in school and do more homework [and have] improved
skills and motivation (p. 556). It is better for both the teacher and the parents to be in
agreement when it comes to education. Based on conversations with teachers, they have found it
helpful when the parents backed them up, which does not always happen.
The letters I selected for this artifact connect to the standards from Regent University
because it has caused me to demonstrate professional and personal reflection through the
development of a summative portfolio. It has also caused me to demonstrate reflective thinking
and practice. I have had to think of ways to include the parents in their childs education.
Because I have to write reflections about my artifacts, it has given me time to contemplate how
well I am developing as a professional educator.

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Reflection
The reason I selected this artifact is because I think it best showcases my communication
with the parents of my students. Open lines of communication are vital to establish in any
relationship, but especially so with the parents of ones students. While the teacher is with the
child for a significant portion of the day five days a week, the parents are the main influence on
whether education is given importance. For this reason, a teacher needs to establish effective
communication and collaboration with the parents so that the child is able to receive the best
education possible. The introductory letter shows the parents that I am friendly and willing to
establish a line of communication with them. As for the second quarter letter, it shows that I
want to involve them in their childs academics.
As a student of Regent University, I have heard countless times the motto of Christian
leadership to change the world. As an educator, I am the leader of the classroom. Part of being
an excellent leader entails being a first-rate communicator (Froschheiser, n.d., 1).
Froschheiser (n.d.) mentions that a leader has a set of values that are clear and solid, and
what they say promotes those values. Their teams admire them and follow their lead (p. 1).
Since I am an educator in the classroom, I am able to touch countless lives. I want to be a
positive example to my students and their parents, whether it is in word or deed. Based on the
letters I selected for this artifact, I believe I have met my goal of being a positive influence with
my communication and collaboration with my students and their parents.
Based on the letters I selected for this artifact, I believe they demonstrate that I have an
understanding and implementation of the program standards. I have effectively communicated
with the parents of my students to let them know what is happening in the classroom and how

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they can help their children practice their new skills. I have been able to reflect upon what I said,
both before I wrote the letters and afterward. I wanted to establish a friendly, positive tone so
that the parents will know that I want to help their children in any way I possibly can.

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Works Cited
Bergin, C. A. & Bergin, D. A. (2012). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Froschheiser, L. (n.d.) Communication: The most important key to leadership success. Retrieved
November 6, 2014, from http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/12675/communicationmost-important-key-to-leadership-success