Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1476161
"Connecting with students' families builds relationships and trust that help students achieve." Camille Dahnke KINDERGARTEN TEACHER Redlands Teachers Association Use digital family communication apps. Bloomz, ParentSquare, ClassTag and ClassDojo are programs that allow you to send messages, notifications, photos, events, reminders and more. Connecting with students' families builds relationships and trust that help students achieve. Build classroom community. Using Google Forms provides an opportunity for families to opt in to sharing their contact information with other families in the classroom. Building classroom community and establishing family relationships that extend beyond the school campus increases parent involvement, which positively impacts student achievement. Use Thinking Maps. I'm always eager to use instructional technology to make learning relevant and engaging for my students, and I am a huge fan of Thinking Maps (thinkingmaps.com; a set of eight visual patterns that correlate to spe- cific cognitive processes, used across all grades and content areas to build critical thinking, problem-solving, com- prehension, and communication skills). 16 cta.org From classroom management to connecting with families to keeping it clean, a few veteran educators offer tested teaching tips By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Words of Wisdom