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A classroom newsletter or weekly update on student progress are both great ways to engage these parents. Although they’re comfortable with in-person communication, they appreciate the convenience of tech-based options. Gen Xers are more likely to prefer in-person parent-teacher communication than younger generations, but they still appreciate digital messages.Įmail is the preferred form of digital communication for Gen X parents. They are generally comfortable with technology and navigate smartphones or social media platforms with little trouble. Because they can remember a time before this technology, however, they may not be as dependent on it as later generations. Gen X was the first generation to regularly use modern communication technology (think computers and cell phones) from home at a younger age. If you have students whose grandparents are your main contact for school, it’s a good bet many of those grandparents belong to Generation X. Your Gen Xers are most likely the parents of older elementary or middle and high school students. Gen X parents are those born between 19 and are currently between the ages of 39 and 54. Generation X Communication Characteristicsīefore we go into the personalities and communication preferences of Generation X, let’s define their age range.
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Then, we’ll share five tips for communicating with any parent to boost parent engagement in your classroom. Today, we’ll go over a few tips for digitally communicating with parents based on their generation label (X, Y, or Z). It’s essential for teachers to be mindful of these differences while communicating to develop strong, positive relationships with families. However, depending on the age of your student’s parents, some methods of digital communication may be more effective than others.Ī parent’s digital preferences often differ based on their generation in ways you might not expect. You may know your ABCs but what about your XYZs, as in generations? It’s so easy to put together a classroom Facebook group or send a school email without a second thought.
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