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Part One:
This week’s module focused on the connection between home and school for students. This connection is very important not only for the student but also for the parents. It helps students to be more engaged with their education and keeps their parents up to date on their child’s academic performance and improvements.
Part Two:
After reading through the provided articles and watching the videos, I have a few ideas on what and how I will implement into my own future classroom. I read one article about how to best connect with parents during back to school nights. The article made suggestions like making sure parents understand the terminology being used, be direct about how you expect your students to use the technology that has been provided to them, and finally to keep in contact with the parents and keep them updated on things going on in the classroom. (Stephens). I found the section regarding technology and also having the parents understanding certain terminology the most helpful. While I and my students may understand the names and phrases used for lesson plans and assignments in the classroom, parents may not and this could create confusion and a divide between the parents and the educators. I would try to keep things as simple as possible and make sure parents understand so as not to have this confusion. Even as a student trying to explain the dynamic of my classes and assignments to my parents when they ask can be confusing.
The second article discussed whether or not homework should be assigned and when it is, what should the intention/focus be. I really liked this article. As a student, there have been times where homework serves no purpose other than to take up free time at home. This is especially the case when homework is not checked. This article helped me to better understand and clarify what my future homework assignments would do. For one, I would make sure that they reinforce any important topics learned in class that day in a way that ensure the student can understand it on their own. Second, assignments that encourage students to interact with their environment, use things in their own homes to help them learn and understand the subject material. I would use their homework to help me know how well they are doing with the subject, as a way to gauge their comprehension and if they may need more help one on one.
This leads to the topic of the third article, how to best connect with your students. This article suggests taking the first few minutes of class to talk to them about their days, things that are going on in their lives, or any other topics. It also suggests being involved in after school activities as an educator and being available to your students. I really like the idea of taking the first few minutes to talk with the students. It helps to gain insight into anything that the student(s) may be dealing with that day or week and also creates an open environment for discussions beyond school related topics. I also thought the suggestion of being involved in after school activities was interesting as it was something I would not have considered when thinking about connecting with my class. It is something I will definitely consider as a teacher in the future.
Lastly there were two videos. One was about parents being involved in the classrooms alongside teachers. I thought this program was very interesting and to know that it even led to one of the parents to discover her passion for teaching was also really nice. Not only does the program help to connect parents with the school, but it also helps teachers with students who do need one on one help that they can’t always provide on their own. Plus, having a parent directly involved in the classroom can carry over and help them to better understand what they can do to help their own children at home.
The second video gave more tips on how to connect with parents. The first tip about sending home a sheet where parents can provide information about how and when to contact them and how available they are is so helpful. It was something I did not think about at first but I would absolutely use this in the future. It helps to set expectations of what parents are able to do and what I should expect from them based on their own schedules. I also like he idea of using google websites to share information to both students and parents. Another point that I liked was the use of “Good Behavior Certificates” (Vestal’s…). This not only informs the parents of their child’s good work, but also gives the student something to work towards and be some what rewarded with.
Overall I have picked up quite a few ideas from these articles as I have said above, I could definitely see myself using these and others in the future, modified to what works best for my class and the parents I work with. I look forward to being able to be creative with these ideas and try different methods to learn what works best!
References
Borovoy, A. E. (2014, September 15). 5-Minute Film Festival: Parent-teacher partnerships. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-festival-parent-teacher-partnerships
Breiseth, L. (n.d.). Communicating with ell families: 10 strategies for schools. NEA. https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/communicating-ell-families-10-strategies-schools
Elias, M. J. (2015, March 17). Homework vs. no homework is the wrong question. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/homework-vs-no-homework-wrong-question-maurice-elias
Provenzano, N. (2014, February 24). 3 ways to make meaningful connections with your students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/make-meaningful-connections-with-students-nick-provenzano
Stephens, D. (2015, August 26). Back-to-school night: The ultimate conversation starter for a successful school year. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/back-to-school-conversation-starter-darri-stephens
Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom. (2021, August 22). 9 ways to communicate with parents for teachers // increase parent communication!. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHJkRXgbcE