Bridging the gap between children's lives while they are both in school and out. Cultivating healthy habits that they can share with those around them, regardless of their environment! (NicePNG.com)
Welcome back everyone! Can you believe we're already on our ninth blog? This course has flown by and my hope is that you can continue to takeaway new concepts and apply them into your everyday life and classroom. This week we will be discussing the connections between home and school. Let's dive in!
One very informative video we watched this week involved a workshop led by Alan Newland, a part of the General Teaching Council for England. This short film was entitled,"Principles of Teaching - Partnership with Parents." I had the opportunity to choose any of the 5-Minute film festival submissions, but this one seemed to have caught my eye. The idea of recognizing the relationship between the parents and the school is something that drives the balance between school and home. just from the title, I was able to determine that this would be a helpful tool to analyze. One of the major concepts that Newland touched upon was the idea that a classroom is made up of more than one student. Each child has their own strengths and weaknesses so it is crucial that the parents who know them best, can help to foster specified learning after school hours (New Teachers Talk, 2012). Newland used an interactive approach while delivering his presentation, and consequentially the participants had a lot of insight to share. Common themes included the realization that each family has their own situations that may not necessarily allow them the time and flexibility to maintain school learning at home (parental jobs, other children, extracurricular activities and commitments, etc). The end consensus remained that it is important to bridge the gap between home and school learning, no matter how challenging it may seem.
This meme says it all: parents wear many hats, and of those is being a role model and teacher for their kids. That isn't always the easiest job. Teachers get an entire Masters degree to teach these youngins!
Building a collaborative environment between teachers and parents can happen with proper communication and awareness. The only way a teacher can grasp their students' home life dynamic is if they have open and fluid communication with the parents. This method of collaboration can allow for full understanding of the child's needs, strengths, and weaknesses. We can only provide services to these students for a fixed number of hours a day, that's only half the battle. Life is about an ever-changing cycle of learning, and yes, that learning follows them home each day. Many parents and even teachers may not know how best to broach this active communication so we read an article that scaffolds helpful conversation starters. A big key to be aware of in these dialogue's is the understanding that these parents have lives and responsibilities in addition to raising their kids. Maybe reading a book to them before bedtime isn't in the cards for them. Maybe they get home so late from work that there is no time to give individual attention and focussed help during homework time. There are endless factors driving these situations (Mazza, 2013). Please feel free to refer to this website as it is a fabulous tool to grow experiential knowledge about these sometimes tough conversations.
In addition to this article, we also found a helpful list of tips for developing positive relationships with parents:
1. Smile when you see parents,
2. Learn their names,
3. Declare your intention,
4. Communicate often and in various forms
5. Make a positive phone call home,
6. Lead with good news,
7. Find a translator,
8. Your language is powerful,
9. Ask questions about the child,
10. Listen to parents,
11. Smile at the child,
12. Invite parents to share,
13. Let parents know how they can help,
14. Be very specific,
15. Be a broker of resources,
16. Explain your instructional decisions,
17. Invite parents to participate in making some decisions,
18. Thank parents,
19. Share every success,
20. Invite parents to celebrate and break bread together. (Aguilar, 2011)
Now, thee may seem benign but i can assure you, every little gesture goes a long way in building that strong foundation. Once you have these basics concepts and understandings down pat, you can dig a little deeper and find even more ways to bond with your students' parents. No matter what, bridging the gap between school and home will afford the child a far better learning experience.
Earlier in the semester, I had the opportunity to both attend a DASA meeting and sit-in on a Farmingdale School District Board of Education meeting. It was important to hear about inclusivity and learn how to foster that both within schools, but also at home with parents, siblings, and friends. As far as the Board of education meeting goes, I chronicled what was said, as there was no explicit agenda listed. My notes were as followed:
Board of Education Meeting (10/12)
I went to the Farmingdale School District Board of Education meeting in October. I thought it was a nice tribute and a respectful way to begin the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. I find that being out of primary school, not having to stand for the flag every morning that it’s refreshing to do it again. They also spoke about safety and security. Throughout the night they included a couple presentations and then opened the floor to the public for their comments, questions, and concerns.
The first presentation was scaffolded as followed:
SAFETY PRESENTATION:
“Importance of School Safety”
“Safety Infrastructure”
“Limited Access Vestibules (All entrance points)”
“RAVE Panic Button app”
“Lockdown Buttons (49)”
“Video Surveillance System (800)”
“Interior & Exterior Strobe Light Notification System (80)”
“Safety Measures (700)”
“Automated External Defibrillator Units (AED) & Building Maps (18 internal & portable units)
“Alarmed Exterior Doors”
“Safety Drills Completed by Schools”
“Video Training for Faculty & Staff”
“Security in Farmingdale”
“Highly Focused Security Monitoring & Support”
“Looking Ahead”
Farmingdale’s Tax Levy (2022/23) was the second topic of conversation. There was a provided presentation that crunched the numbers.
As you can see, the topic of conversation spoke highlighted safety and the well-being of students. This Board of Education meeting allowed for an hour of full parent involvement in district-wide decisions. Each of the board members were very patient and following the presentation, there was a thirty minute open-mic for locals to voice their input. This was the epitome of "bridging the gap" between parents and school staff. It was important to witness my town exhibiting communication and understanding skills that I can hope to develop.
Stay tuned for our next and final blog post next week! Until then, stay happy and healthy!
References:
School Clipart Home - Home School Clip Art Transparent PNG. 822X611. Nice PNG.com,
Aguilar, E. (2011, September 23). 20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships with Parents. Edutopia.https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-developing-positive-relationships-parents- elena- aguilar
Links to an external site.Borovoy, A.E. (2012, November 2). 5-Minute Film Festival: Parent-Teacher Partnerships.Edutopia.https://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-festival-parent-teacher-partnerships
Family Engagement: Resource Roundup (2010, July 14). Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/home- school-connections-resources
Mazza, J. (2013). Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-parents-want-teachers-to-know-joe- mazza
Collection of Back to School Memes. https://mamasgeeky.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/back-to- school-meme-12.jpg
Hi, Kelly I really enjoyed reading your blog post about the importance of the home and school connection for students. I believe many teachers struggle to create a good relationship with parents because they are only reaching out when there is an issue, or the child is not doing well. It is important that as future educators, we recognize students' successes and reach out to parents to celebrate their accomplishments. I love that you incorporated twenty tips for teachers to use to help strengthen the home and school connection. I think you covered the board of education you attended perfectly. I love how it related to the safety and well-being of students. In my post, I discussed the child abuse workshop that explained how teachers are mandated reporters. The best way to help prevent and catch child abuse is for teachers to understand the home situation and be a safe, trusting adult for students. Overall, I enjoyed your thoughts on this topic.
Hey Kelly, I thoroughly appreciated reading your blog post on the value of students' connections to their homes and schools. Since they only get in touch with parents if there is a problem or the student is not performing effectively, I think several instructors find it difficult to build strong relationships with them. As aspiring teachers, it is crucial that we acknowledge children' achievements and get in touch with their parents to share in their happiness. I like that you included suggestions for educators to use to improve the relationship between home and school. I believe you did a fantastic job of covering the board of education you went to. I adore the connection to student security and welfare. I liked your ideas on this subject altogether. Great job!
Above, you can see a cartoon depiction of children and friends uniting no matter what differences in race, sexual orientation, status, disability, etc. Spreading kindness and respect is the fastest and easiest method used to combat against bullying. Welcome back everyone! Now I know last week's discussion was quite heavy, however this week we will also be facing another challenging topic. Bullying, and more specifically the bullying that is orchestrated via the internet: cyberbullying. Many kids and students fall victim to this epidemic and we as a society must attempt to learn from these hardships and proceed with more knowledge and awareness on how to combat it. This week we watched a video entitled, "Dark Cloud: the High Cost of Cyberbullying," that I will include a reference to so you can check it out; it was very sad however, it spoke about positive change that could come from the loss. One story was that of Amanda Todd's; it was one of inexplicable loss and t
Poverty can shackle and weigh people and families down in this world. It is important that we have awareness and look to help those that are less fortunate. Everyone deserves opportunity for success. (Poverty Stock Illustrations) Welcome back everyone! Now, last week I know we covered mental health awareness but this week we will be shifting gears. Our topic of conversation will surround poverty in schools, as well as across the globe. Generalizing this term, poverty is a lack of wealth that could result in scarcity of housing, clothing, food and other goods. It is important that we, as educators are aware that our students and people around us come from all different walks of life. It is not safe to make assumptions of people or judge a book by its cover; we must always carry ourselves with grace and respect towards everyone. Speaking of books... When I was younger this was one of my childhood favorites. "Those Shoes," is a benign and compassionate way to speak about pov
"Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness... It is cultivated by purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment's thought to" (Jon Kabat-Zinn). Welcome back everyone! This week we will be discussing a critical issue that not only applies to students in schools, but also teachers and people outside of a school setting. Social and emotional mindfulness is a concept of being that people across the globe need to consider. We all know the feeling of being rushed and always on the go-- this module explains much about what it means to slow yourself down and take a breath. Let's dive right in: We had the opportunity to watch a very informative film this week entitled, "Room to Breath." It targeted the school population, both interviewing students and teachers to get a better sense of the dynamic that is held throughout the education field. Teachers expressed their personal struggle with students that have been intentionally more defiant
Hi, Kelly
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post about the importance of the home and school connection for students. I believe many teachers struggle to create a good relationship with parents because they are only reaching out when there is an issue, or the child is not doing well. It is important that as future educators, we recognize students' successes and reach out to parents to celebrate their accomplishments. I love that you incorporated twenty tips for teachers to use to help strengthen the home and school connection. I think you covered the board of education you attended perfectly. I love how it related to the safety and well-being of students. In my post, I discussed the child abuse workshop that explained how teachers are mandated reporters. The best way to help prevent and catch child abuse is for teachers to understand the home situation and be a safe, trusting adult for students. Overall, I enjoyed your thoughts on this topic.
Hey Kelly,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly appreciated reading your blog post on the value of students' connections to their homes and schools. Since they only get in touch with parents if there is a problem or the student is not performing effectively, I think several instructors find it difficult to build strong relationships with them. As aspiring teachers, it is crucial that we acknowledge children' achievements and get in touch with their parents to share in their happiness. I like that you included suggestions for educators to use to improve the relationship between home and school. I believe you did a fantastic job of covering the board of education you went to. I adore the connection to student security and welfare. I liked your ideas on this subject altogether. Great job!