Teacher's blog connects with parents

It's the second full week of classes and Tammy Boychuk has come to know her 24 students.

And over the next several weeks, she'll be getting to know most of their parents too. It's a relationship that develops mostly online.

Four years ago, the Grade 3 and 4 teacher at Greystone Heights School in Saskatoon became one of only a handful of teachers who created a blog that parents and students can accessat any time. It includes everything from lesson outlines, weekly spelling lists, homework deadlines and videos of class projects.

"The technology has made a really big difference in the way we interact," she said.

However, the relationship begins in person before moving online. She holds six sessionsthroughout the year where she gathers parents, mostly to talk about improving students' math skills, but also to answer any questions from parents.

She's noticed that parents don't want to talk on the phone anymore and she has abandoned mass emails.

"The blog is a little more friendly."

Stress reducing

Dani Brennan, whose child is one of Boychuk's students, said she appreciated knowing more about what was going on in her son's class. As well as the weekly reminders and posts about upcoming events.

"I love the blog," Brennan said, adding that all that information helped with scheduling family activities and changed the conversation at home.

"If I wanted to talk about what happened in math class I would say I heard you're talking about decimals. What do you know about that today?"

Boychuk said those kinds of chats not only improve learning but also reduce stress brought on by busy lives and technology. However, technology, like her blog, is also helping improve communicationall around.

"The more I know the better and the realization that we all want what's best for the child. "