In this episode, I chat with Dr. Deborah Higdon and Dr. Chacko Abraham about father engagement and how schools can intentionally engage fathers to build stronger school communities. You’ll also hear no-cost, hit-the-ground-running strategies from their new book, The Dad Difference, including the power of using father-friendly language and choosing the right communication tools to reach every family. If you want practical ideas for inviting dads into the conversation from day one of the school year and strengthening Father Engagement across your school community, this episode has you covered!
Listen to the podcast episode on your favorite platform:
Tips for Practical Ways to Increase Father Engagement at Your School
- Practice phone father first by contacting dads for the good, the bad, and everything in between.
- Recognize that fathers are partners, not guests, and build your engagement strategy from that mindset.
- Review your school’s communication for father-friendly language and swap terms like class mom for classroom assistant.
- Use the first week of school to intentionally connect with fathers, especially at drop-off when both parents are often present.
SPONSORED BY MY Easy EdTech Club
This episode is sponsored by my Easy EdTech Club — a membership designed to help K-12 educators save time and simplify technology integration. When you join, you’ll get instant access to dozens of months worth of content from the past couple years — plus new masterclasses, guides, and resources each month. It’s all self-paced, so you can dive in whenever it works for your schedule. Head to EasyEdTechClub.com to learn more and sign up. That’s EasyEdTechClub.com for all the details! Check it out here >>
FOLLOW & REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS
Have you subscribed to the podcast yet? I don’t want you to miss an episode and hope you’ll keep following along with me on this podcast journey. When you follow along on Apple Podcasts the new episodes will appear in the app so you don’t have to remember to go looking for them… Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts! And if you have a minute for a BIG favor, add a rating and review to the podcast, too — I would certainly appreciate it!
Click to see the transcript
EPISODE RESOURCES
- Connect with Dr. Deborah Higdon & Dr. Chacko Abraham on LinkedIn
- Find The Dad Difference: How and Why to Invite Fathers into Your School on Amazon (Dr. Deborah Higdon & Dr. Chacko Abraham’s book)
- ClassDojo (School/Home connection app)
- TalkingPoints (Family engagement platform)
- ManageBac (LMS & family communication tool)
- Zoom (Video Conferencing tool)
- Google Meet (Video Conferencing tool)
- Tips for Emailing Families with Crystal Frommert (Podcast Episode)
- Sharing Just Enough Student Work with Families (Podcast Episode)
- 27 Chatbot Prompts for Families to Try (Blog Post)
- How to Use Tech Tools to Stay Connected with Families with Amber Peterson (Podcast Episode)
