Part One
This week, we’re talking about the importance of establishing a healthy relationship with students’ parents to ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed in the classroom. We watched a lot of videos and read various articles on the different ways parents have been involved in the learning environment. Many parents work diligently together with volunteer work to ensure their children, along with all their peers, have the best possible learning experience they possibly could have in the school setting (National PTA, 2023). Students require “the ultimate support system” when they’re part of the school system, that is support system being “an informed and supportive family” which is provided when legal guardians involve themselves in the learning process of their children (Heick, 2013). Establishing a PTA, hosting parent-teacher conferences, and many other events or organizations parents could get involved in all work together to create the support system that every student needs.
One way I have personally experienced the involvement of parents in an educational setting would be while attending a School Board meeting for the Oceanside School District. During this meeting, parents were given two-time slots to approach the microphone and speak with the officials of the school board. One time slot was reserved for any questions they may not have had the chance to ask during the previous meeting, while the other was reserved for questions relating to the current meeting. I believe that this form of communication was organized and productive, as officials were able to get to the concerns of every parent, and all parents felt as if they were heard and understood by the officials.
Bartek, M. (2023, March 20). 22 Funny School Memes That Are All Too Relatable. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/funny-school-memes/
Part Two
When the time comes when I will have to communicate with families as a future educator, I will look for ways to set up parent-teacher conferences. These conferences will also be supplemented with emails if and when needed as a form of keeping up with the legal guardians of my students. To accomplish this, I will have to learn about the style of parent I will be communicating with. This would include learning the best time of day to contact them, the tone of voice or writing to use with them, and the form of communication they like best (Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom, 2021). I plan to share my students’ achievements and positive behavior in class with their guardians as a form to spread optimism for the students and their families (Aguilar, 2012). Thank you for tuning into my blog this week, and I hope you found these relationship-developing techniques helpful!
References
Aguilar, E. (2012, August 20). The Power of the Positive Phone Call Home. Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/power-positive-phone-call-home-elena-aguilar
Bartek, M. (2023, March 20). 22 Funny School Memes That Are All Too Relatable. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/funny-school-memes/
Heick, T. (2013, August 29). Parents: 19 Meaningful Questions You Should Ask Your Child’s Teacher. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/19-questions-for-parents-terry-heick
National PTA. (2023). National Parent Teacher Association | National PTA. Www.pta.org. https://www.pta.org/
New Teachers: Working With Parents. (2015, May 7). Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-teachers-working-with-parents-resources
Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom. (2021). 9 Ways to Communicate with Parents for Teachers // INCREASE parent communication! In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHJkRXgbcE
Hi Alba,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I found your meme funny. I also think that holding PTA meetings is essential for a parent’s involvement. Sometimes attending these in person, rather than having a piece of paper is better. This is because we understand the information better when someone is saying it verbally. If a parent were to read this blog post, do you think that they would be more encouraged to attend and be more involved in school activities? There are instances where parents aren’t as involved as they should be. Perhaps this would give them the courage to. I also liked that you mentioned that you plan to show your student’s achievements. Could you further explain how you could do this? Moreover, the techniques that you would use. I mean this in the sense that there are so many ways and possibilities to do this. Maybe you have a certain way you would want to express this. Overall, I liked your post. I think it is very informative and can get parents more involved if they were to read this.