Mastering Parent Phone Calls: A Dean's Guide to Building School-Family Partnerships

Mastering Parent Phone Calls: A Dean's Guide to Building School-Family Partnerships The dreaded parent phone call - it's a challenge that even seasoned educators face with trepidation. Join host Bridget Johnson and veteran student life leader Wendy Skinner for an essential conversation about transforming these often-difficult interactions into opportunities for collaboration and growth. Drawing from her extensive experience across institutions from Dana Hall School to King's Academy in Jordan, Wendy offers unique insights from both sides of the conversation - as a dean making the calls and as a parent receiving them. Together, they explore strategies for managing anxiety, maintaining professionalism during emotional discussions, and building stronger school-family partnerships. In this episode, you'll learn: How to prepare for challenging conversations Techniques for staying calm when emotions run high Ways to build empathy and foster connection Strategies for post-call reflection and growth Tips for maintaining professionalism while showing compassion Featured Guest: Wendy Skinner has served as Dean of Student Life/Residential Life at various prestigious institutions, including Dana Hall School (MA), Shady Side Academy (PA), Western Reserve Academy (OH), and King's Academy in Jordan. Her unique perspective as both an experienced dean and parent provides valuable insights into the parent-school partnership. Recommended Resources: "The Parents Are Not All Right" - The Daily Podcast https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/podcasts/the-daily/parenting-stress.html  U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Parenting https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/parents/index.html  "Hopes and Fears: Working with Today's Independent School Parents" by Dr. Michael Thompson and Dr. Rob Evans https://www.amazon.com/Hopes-Fears-Working-Independent-Parents/dp/163115043X  Join the Deans' Roundtable Community: https://bit.ly/drt-community-profile Check out Deans' Roundtable "Office Hours": https://bit.ly/drt-eventbrite LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deans-roundtable Connect with Bridget Johnson: [email protected] Connect with Wendy Skinner: www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-skinner  The Dean's Roundtable: Where student life professionals connect, learn, share, and grow together.