trb STandard #4
Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.
Educators understand, respect and support the role of parents and the community in the education of students. Educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider their advice on matters pertaining to their children.
Educators understand, respect and support the role of parents and the community in the education of students. Educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider their advice on matters pertaining to their children.
Reflection #1
This is a letter that my pod-mates and I sent home to the parents/guardians/caregivers of the children from within our first practicum classroom (you can click on the image to open a full sized PDF). Through this letter, we wanted to introduce ourselves, and there was also business with which to attend. But more than that, we wanted to express our heartfelt thankfulness at the opportunity to be involved in their child's classroom.
This letter helped me to understand the value of connecting with parents/community members. We (myself and my pod-mates) had several meaningful interactions that came out of this document (parents who wanted to meet us, thank us, get to know us, and help us with the event). These are conversations and interactions that we may have missed if we hadn't taken the time to reach out.
I'm learning the value of interconnectedness. That, more than a burden or a frustration, it's advantageous to be community minded. That parents/guardians/caregivers are not to be avoided or left in the dark; but rather, they are meant to be included within the classroom culture. This is the strength of this evidence piece; that it's a bridge into the homes of the students. That it allows us a point of connection with parents, and that is opens the lines of communication in soft, non-threatening way.
The importance of this standard cannot be understated. We are called, as educators, to teach the children within our midst. However, we are also called to be community builders- building up families and giving every possible opportunity for involvement and engagement. These are values that I hold dear, and these are values that I hope to carry with me, throughout my time in the classroom (and beyond).
In terms of community building, we can always be learning, always improving, and always looking for ways to facilitate meaningful interactions between ourselves and the parents of our students.
This letter helped me to understand the value of connecting with parents/community members. We (myself and my pod-mates) had several meaningful interactions that came out of this document (parents who wanted to meet us, thank us, get to know us, and help us with the event). These are conversations and interactions that we may have missed if we hadn't taken the time to reach out.
I'm learning the value of interconnectedness. That, more than a burden or a frustration, it's advantageous to be community minded. That parents/guardians/caregivers are not to be avoided or left in the dark; but rather, they are meant to be included within the classroom culture. This is the strength of this evidence piece; that it's a bridge into the homes of the students. That it allows us a point of connection with parents, and that is opens the lines of communication in soft, non-threatening way.
The importance of this standard cannot be understated. We are called, as educators, to teach the children within our midst. However, we are also called to be community builders- building up families and giving every possible opportunity for involvement and engagement. These are values that I hold dear, and these are values that I hope to carry with me, throughout my time in the classroom (and beyond).
In terms of community building, we can always be learning, always improving, and always looking for ways to facilitate meaningful interactions between ourselves and the parents of our students.
Evidence #2
I'm learning to value the teacher-parent relationship, both as a teacher (in training) and as a dad. I wrote a blog post about it! The link is below.
Student Teacher + Dad
Student Teacher + Dad
reflection #2
For this evidence piece, I decided to write a blog post about my experience in education (thus far), both as a teacher- in-training and as a dad to a daughter who is attending school. Within the blog, I make mention of the value of positive teacher/parent relationships; that communication is a crucial tool, and that teachers and parents each have critical roles to play in the success (or failure) of the classroom culture.
As I thought through this blog post, wrote this blog post, and shared this blog post with my peers, I was encouraged in the belief that there is an immense amount of value in positive parent/teacher relations. That this community is not only advantageous, but necessary, and that quality communication is worth the hard work.
Additionally, this post gave me the opportunity to think about how I might improve in my role as a parent. Why? Because my spouse and I are committed to being a source of positivity in the life of our child's teacher. We want to be a resource for her; we want to be an encouragement to her; and we want to be advocates for her.
This evidence piece has caused me to think more deeply about how I might utilize various strategies and communication tools in order to build a positive teacher/parent community. There are lots of options, and I'm just now beginning to think through the possibilities, both online, and offline. Related to this, I'm also beginning to realize that quality communication and community building doesn't happen via a "one size fits all" solution; that different parents will need (and expect) different things. The key here is to give parents every opportunity with which to receive, respond and to be heard.
This standard highlights the necessity of a positive, affirming, encouraging teacher/parent community. Why? Because when this community is growing in healthy ways, positive growth happens within the life of the student, and ultimately, this is what really matters.
As I thought through this blog post, wrote this blog post, and shared this blog post with my peers, I was encouraged in the belief that there is an immense amount of value in positive parent/teacher relations. That this community is not only advantageous, but necessary, and that quality communication is worth the hard work.
Additionally, this post gave me the opportunity to think about how I might improve in my role as a parent. Why? Because my spouse and I are committed to being a source of positivity in the life of our child's teacher. We want to be a resource for her; we want to be an encouragement to her; and we want to be advocates for her.
This evidence piece has caused me to think more deeply about how I might utilize various strategies and communication tools in order to build a positive teacher/parent community. There are lots of options, and I'm just now beginning to think through the possibilities, both online, and offline. Related to this, I'm also beginning to realize that quality communication and community building doesn't happen via a "one size fits all" solution; that different parents will need (and expect) different things. The key here is to give parents every opportunity with which to receive, respond and to be heard.
This standard highlights the necessity of a positive, affirming, encouraging teacher/parent community. Why? Because when this community is growing in healthy ways, positive growth happens within the life of the student, and ultimately, this is what really matters.