ParentSquare Tips
ParentSquare Pitfall | Why it doesn't work | What to do instead |
---|---|---|
Attaching a pdf | PDFs are a pain, usually not ADA compliant and sometimes impossible to view on a phone. | Type what you want to say directly in the body of your post or message. |
“Commenting” instead of “replying” on a post. | Parents won't see what you wrote if you comment under their question on a post. | Make sure to click the "reply" button under their comment and type in the "reply" box so they can see your answer. |
Typing in ALL CAPS | People with visual impairments will hear this as an acronym, which is super annoying. | Use bold, underline, italics, different color fonts, or larger text to emphasize your points. (Just make sure to use darker colors that are easily read) |
Including a .jpg with words in it (flier) | Fliers are so 2010. They're meant to be printed on paper, not read on a tiny phone screen. Plus, they're not ADA compliant. | Type (or copy & paste) the information directly in the body of your post. Insert a picture or graphic with no more than 5 words. |
Not including alt text for images | People with visual impairments won't know what you posted. | When you add an image, click the "i" in the drop-down box to add a sentence briefly describing what's happening in the photo. |
Failing to use all the available tools | Post Add-ons like "RSVP," "Forms," "Ask for Items," and "Request Volunteers" are there to make your job easier. | ParentSquare has lots of great tools, so use them! |
Asking for student's name, grade and class in Forms | ParentSquare already knows this information and includes in it your spreadsheet. No need to ask twice! | Use ParentSquare forms instead of Google Forms to make it easier for parents. Fewer questions and more convenient. |
Not adding events to your calendar | Adding events to the calendar makes it easy for parents to see what's coming up. You can also include RSVP and automatic reminders so they don't forget! | For school-wide events, ask your school secretary to add it to the school's Google Calendar. For classroom or private events, use the "Calendar Entry" in Post Add-ons. |
Over-communication | When parents are bombarded with too many messages, they start to tune out and end up missing important information. | Create a regular cadence for classroom communications - once a week or once a month, with all the important updates for your class. Use "Messages" to communicate with individual parents about their child's achievements. |
Replying to Emails | Parents will not see your message if you reply to any email coming from donotreply@parentsquare.com | Click the "View or Reply" button in your email or open the ParentSquare app to reply from within ParentSquare. |
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Tips & Tricks
- Changing Your Class Name
- Choosing your Preferred Communication Method
- Setting Office Hours
- How to add a co-teacher to a class
- Creating a beautiful newsletter
- Additional help