Standard 7: Engage Professionally with Colleagues, Parents/Carers and the Community
Reflective Commentary
As mentioned in my philosophy I believe that maintaining strong relationships with parents/carers, teachers and staff in the school is very important. Collaboration with families is integral to supporting children’s learning. Having healthy relationships based on mutual respect, with open communication allows educators to present their ideas and have them more readily accepted. When parents are able to share their children’s home and community experiences, they come to view the school more positively and are eager to sustain the high quality of the program. Children benefit from seeing respectful interactions with a parents, teachers and community members, and from a sense of connection and engagement with their environment (Gestwicki, C. 2000).
As mentioned in my philosophy I believe that maintaining strong relationships with parents/carers, teachers and staff in the school is very important. Collaboration with families is integral to supporting children’s learning. Having healthy relationships based on mutual respect, with open communication allows educators to present their ideas and have them more readily accepted. When parents are able to share their children’s home and community experiences, they come to view the school more positively and are eager to sustain the high quality of the program. Children benefit from seeing respectful interactions with a parents, teachers and community members, and from a sense of connection and engagement with their environment (Gestwicki, C. 2000).
7.3 Engage with the parents/carers
Situation:
From previous experiences and knowing from what I have learnt in my four years of being at uni. I know that it is very important to have and maintain strong relationships with parents at all times. For this approach I was really nervous as I didn't know how to introduce myself and was really shy just thinking about it. I was researching and thinking about what ways and what I could do to introduce myself and maintain a good relationship with my students parents.
Teachers benefit from this standard:
Research shows that parental involvement can free teachers to focus more on the task of teaching children. Also, by having more contact with parents, teachers learn more about students' needs and home environment, which is information they can apply toward better meeting those needs. Parents who are involved tend to have a more positive view of teachers, which results in improved teacher morale (Gestwicki, C. 2000)
Parents benefit from this standard:
Parents benefit from being involved in their children's education by getting ideas from school on how to help and support their children, and by learning more about the school's academic program and how it works. Perhaps most important, parents benefit by becoming more confident about the value of their school involvement. Parents develop a greater appreciation for the important role they play in their children's education.
Students benefit from this standard:
Substantial evidence exists showing that parent involvement benefits students, including raising their academic achievement. There are other advantages for children when parents become involved — namely, increased motivation for learning, improved behavior, more regular attendance, and a more positive attitude about homework and school in general.
From previous experiences and knowing from what I have learnt in my four years of being at uni. I know that it is very important to have and maintain strong relationships with parents at all times. For this approach I was really nervous as I didn't know how to introduce myself and was really shy just thinking about it. I was researching and thinking about what ways and what I could do to introduce myself and maintain a good relationship with my students parents.
Teachers benefit from this standard:
Research shows that parental involvement can free teachers to focus more on the task of teaching children. Also, by having more contact with parents, teachers learn more about students' needs and home environment, which is information they can apply toward better meeting those needs. Parents who are involved tend to have a more positive view of teachers, which results in improved teacher morale (Gestwicki, C. 2000)
Parents benefit from this standard:
Parents benefit from being involved in their children's education by getting ideas from school on how to help and support their children, and by learning more about the school's academic program and how it works. Perhaps most important, parents benefit by becoming more confident about the value of their school involvement. Parents develop a greater appreciation for the important role they play in their children's education.
Students benefit from this standard:
Substantial evidence exists showing that parent involvement benefits students, including raising their academic achievement. There are other advantages for children when parents become involved — namely, increased motivation for learning, improved behavior, more regular attendance, and a more positive attitude about homework and school in general.
Action:
I recognize the importance of actively involving parents and carers in student's education and know that my future classrooms and I have much to gain by cultivating strong, open and respectful relationships with the community beyond the school grounds.
As a student teacher, I have set out to meet as many of my student's parents and carers by accompanying them at the end of the day as they wait to be picked up and by introducing myself. On my most recent Placement, I have proactively tried to open more formal lines of communication with parents and the community by writing a welcome/introduction letter providing a photo and written piece with the class term newsletter, briefly describing who I am, my background and my details if they wish to contact me. I made sure to greet each parents personally each morning and tried to spark up conversation with some. Most parents asked me questions about why i wanted to teach? and asked questions about my degree and experiences.
My mentor teacher used to have parent helpers in terms 1 and 2 and stopped having it in term 3. I asked if it was okay if I could possibly have parent helpers as having an extra helper with a class of 28 is always very handy. She agreed and said that I had to print out a time table and get parents to put their names on which days they would like to come help. I came up with roster board outside the classroom where parents could put their name down to come into the classroom to help/get involved in the activities.
I was nervous having parents come in to watch me teach, but I eventually got comfortable and sometimes forgot that they were even in the classroom. I had made sure that I looked at the parent roster and made sure that I planned activities for the parent to do with a small group of students. I felt that it was my responsibility to make the parent feel comfortable and made sure the parent enjoyed their stay in the class. The more I got to know the parents the more involved I wanted them to be and the more involved they wanted to be. I was invited to one of my students birthday parities by the parent which I felt really happy knowing that the child and the parent both wanted me there.
When I was on doing my final practicum, it was almost fathers day and before I planned my activities based around it I went up to each parent and carer and asked if the child had a father that they can do their letter for. There were two students that didn't have a dad and I then made sure that those children did one for either their mum, grandfather or their uncles. The parents of the students were very happy that I went up to them personally and asked, apparently previously the teacher last year had not asked and when the child took it home she was really upset and was emotional about it to the mother.
For Father's Day we made letters, key rings with the students pictures and also cookies with faces for the children to take to their fathers, mum and uncle ( for two students that didn't have a father).
I recognize the importance of actively involving parents and carers in student's education and know that my future classrooms and I have much to gain by cultivating strong, open and respectful relationships with the community beyond the school grounds.
As a student teacher, I have set out to meet as many of my student's parents and carers by accompanying them at the end of the day as they wait to be picked up and by introducing myself. On my most recent Placement, I have proactively tried to open more formal lines of communication with parents and the community by writing a welcome/introduction letter providing a photo and written piece with the class term newsletter, briefly describing who I am, my background and my details if they wish to contact me. I made sure to greet each parents personally each morning and tried to spark up conversation with some. Most parents asked me questions about why i wanted to teach? and asked questions about my degree and experiences.
My mentor teacher used to have parent helpers in terms 1 and 2 and stopped having it in term 3. I asked if it was okay if I could possibly have parent helpers as having an extra helper with a class of 28 is always very handy. She agreed and said that I had to print out a time table and get parents to put their names on which days they would like to come help. I came up with roster board outside the classroom where parents could put their name down to come into the classroom to help/get involved in the activities.
I was nervous having parents come in to watch me teach, but I eventually got comfortable and sometimes forgot that they were even in the classroom. I had made sure that I looked at the parent roster and made sure that I planned activities for the parent to do with a small group of students. I felt that it was my responsibility to make the parent feel comfortable and made sure the parent enjoyed their stay in the class. The more I got to know the parents the more involved I wanted them to be and the more involved they wanted to be. I was invited to one of my students birthday parities by the parent which I felt really happy knowing that the child and the parent both wanted me there.
When I was on doing my final practicum, it was almost fathers day and before I planned my activities based around it I went up to each parent and carer and asked if the child had a father that they can do their letter for. There were two students that didn't have a dad and I then made sure that those children did one for either their mum, grandfather or their uncles. The parents of the students were very happy that I went up to them personally and asked, apparently previously the teacher last year had not asked and when the child took it home she was really upset and was emotional about it to the mother.
For Father's Day we made letters, key rings with the students pictures and also cookies with faces for the children to take to their fathers, mum and uncle ( for two students that didn't have a father).
On my last week of practicum I asked the principal and my mentor teacher if I could have an under the sea class party. I decided that I wanted the parents to be involved too, so I had written a letter and posted it on the board outside the classroom for the parents to know what day it was and what they had to bring. My mentor suggested to have first half of the students parents come in at 9:00 and the other half come in at 10:00, this is because the classroom wasn't as big and with having so much parents, students and teachers attending it would be really busy and crowded. Parents and students were so excited and parents put their names on the time sheet, and 25 of the students parents turned up. Ay this stage I was really comfortable and confident with the parents and knew them really well.
Below you can see different types of activities we did at our class party that was based on the under water sea theme. I got 2 to 4 parents doing a different activity with groups of children.
Below you can see different types of activities we did at our class party that was based on the under water sea theme. I got 2 to 4 parents doing a different activity with groups of children.
Outcome:
I believe that the actions I took to manage a positive relationship with parents/carers was very beneficial and successful. As I continued my practicum the closer and more confident and comfortable I was with the parents of my students. My mentor teacher was really impressed with such a positive relationship I build with the parents, and on my last day of practicum I had parents wish me luck for my career, some parents wished I did relief work so they can see me again and I had one parent ask me if I was interested in doing nanny position with her child.
I had parents and students, buying me flowers, chocolate and writing lovely letters to say thank you. It was a very emotional last day and was very hard to say goodbye to the parents and students after building such a strong and professional relationship.
I believe that the actions I took to manage a positive relationship with parents/carers was very beneficial and successful. As I continued my practicum the closer and more confident and comfortable I was with the parents of my students. My mentor teacher was really impressed with such a positive relationship I build with the parents, and on my last day of practicum I had parents wish me luck for my career, some parents wished I did relief work so they can see me again and I had one parent ask me if I was interested in doing nanny position with her child.
I had parents and students, buying me flowers, chocolate and writing lovely letters to say thank you. It was a very emotional last day and was very hard to say goodbye to the parents and students after building such a strong and professional relationship.
Action Plan:
My action plan for Standard 7, Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community, is to engage with parents early, possibly holding a shared parent teacher night , and requesting early involvement with lesson activities from home. In my own classroom I will make sure that I have parent teacher meeting more often to talk about their child's strengths and weaknesses and what they can do at home to enhance their child's learning. Parent teacher conferences are very important and beneficial because it helps:
•Provide developmental overview.
•Provide uninterrupted time and privacy.
•To increase mutual knowledge and respect, allowing exchange of questions and information.
•To formulate and coordinate goals and plans.
I will make sure that I have daily conversations with parents when they drop off their children and when they pick up their children. When talking to parents in the morning they usually tell the teacher or the teacher assistant that their child is not feeling that well, or that their child is having a bad day. This will help me then make sure that I keep an extra eye out for that child and make sure that I tell the parents how the child went during the day.I will ensure I make room for these daily conversations in my schedule, preparing materials before parents arrive so I am free to chat and are not pre-occupied and leaving clean-up until parents leave.
I would also like to do the electronic lookbook/slideshow where parents can see every morning of what their child learnt and did the week before. I will have it on the smart board for parents to click through in the mornings. This will then help parents know what their child is learning and school and what they can do at home to enhance their learning in that particular learning.
My action plan for Standard 7, Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community, is to engage with parents early, possibly holding a shared parent teacher night , and requesting early involvement with lesson activities from home. In my own classroom I will make sure that I have parent teacher meeting more often to talk about their child's strengths and weaknesses and what they can do at home to enhance their child's learning. Parent teacher conferences are very important and beneficial because it helps:
•Provide developmental overview.
•Provide uninterrupted time and privacy.
•To increase mutual knowledge and respect, allowing exchange of questions and information.
•To formulate and coordinate goals and plans.
I will make sure that I have daily conversations with parents when they drop off their children and when they pick up their children. When talking to parents in the morning they usually tell the teacher or the teacher assistant that their child is not feeling that well, or that their child is having a bad day. This will help me then make sure that I keep an extra eye out for that child and make sure that I tell the parents how the child went during the day.I will ensure I make room for these daily conversations in my schedule, preparing materials before parents arrive so I am free to chat and are not pre-occupied and leaving clean-up until parents leave.
I would also like to do the electronic lookbook/slideshow where parents can see every morning of what their child learnt and did the week before. I will have it on the smart board for parents to click through in the mornings. This will then help parents know what their child is learning and school and what they can do at home to enhance their learning in that particular learning.
References:
- Gestwicki, C. (2000). Home, School, and Community Relations. New York: Delmar.