Documenting team communications

Keep records of what has been said or agreed to during calls, emails, or meetings with the school.

When a teacher or administrator says, “We’ll try that,” it can sound like progress. But unless it’s written down—clearly, with timelines and responsibilities—it may never happen. School teams are busy, under pressure, and often working without clear handover or follow-up. Documentation is how you make sure agreements aren’t forgotten, misrepresented, or quietly ignored.

Keeping track of conversations isn’t confrontational. It’s protective. It makes it easier to follow up, hold people accountable, and show patterns of support—or lack of support—over time.

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How to use this strategy

Start with one simple habit: write things down after they happen.
If you have a phone call or hallway conversation, send a short follow-up email like:

“Thanks for speaking with me today. To confirm, my understanding is that [insert key points here]—please let me know if I’ve missed anything.”

If you’re in a meeting, ask for a copy of the minutes—or bring your own version and offer to share it. Highlight:

• What was discussed
• What actions were agreed to
• Who is responsible for each step
• When things are supposed to happen

You can also keep a running document or spreadsheet with:

• Date of communication
• Who you spoke with
• What was promised or decided
• Whether follow-up occurred

This doesn’t need to be perfect. A few lines is enough to build a clear history—and reduce the emotional labour of remembering every detail.

What to watch out for

Many parents hesitate to document because they worry it will seem adversarial. But professionals do this all the time. Teachers take notes. Administrators document contact. You’re simply doing the same—for your child’s protection.

Other times, school staff will push back by saying, “That’s not what we agreed to,” or “That wasn’t my understanding.” Without a record, it becomes your word against theirs. With documentation, you don’t have to rely on memory or emotional recall. You can point to facts.

There’s also a risk of burnout—tracking everything can feel overwhelming. But here’s one low-effort, high-impact option:

Use a voice-to-text tool like Otter.ai. After a school meeting—or even during a quiet moment afterward, like on a dog walk—open the app and speak your thoughts aloud. What was agreed to? What did they promise? What did you feel? Within minutes, you’ll have a transcript you can use to create your own summary or share key points. You can even feed it into ChatGPT to pull out action steps and timelines.

Capturing your memory in the moment makes everything easier later. It doesn’t have to be polished—it just has to be honest.

You are allowed to use tools that make this easier.
You are allowed to speak your thoughts instead of writing them.
You are allowed to do this in a way that works with your brain.