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.
Evidence 1: Letter Home to Parents
During my spring 2018 practicum at Ladysmith Secondary School, I sent home a letter to parents and caregivers to let them know about my presence in their students’ classroom. In this letter, I outlined my credentials, fully described my responsibility and role as a student teacher, and provided my contact information and access to my philosophy of education and assessment principles. I was inspired to create this letter because of my own experience being a parent of a school-aged child. Having an open communication with my child’s teacher has allowed me to posit questions or concerns, open a door for personal involvement, and collaborate effectively for my child’s academic, emotional, social, and personal benefit.
This letter home to parents was important to me because of my commitment to intentionally designing my practices and pedagogy to encourage parents and caregivers to partner with me in the education of their children. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and community members need to partner together with young people to create the conditions – both in and out of school –necessary for young people to advance academically, socially, and emotionally. Collaboration between caregivers and educators is directly linked to desirable outcomes for at-risk youth (Lucyshyn et. al., 2002).
As a parent, creating this parent-teacher letter felt like a full circle moment. It reinforced my belief that relationships between parents, community members, and parents must be in a collaborative, creative synthesis if we desire a whole-person, empowering learning experience for our students. This is in line with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, in which “learning involves generational roles and responsibilities” and “supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community…” (FNESC, 2007). My letter home fits well within the framework of TRB standard 4 as it invites parents and caregivers to communicate with me and partner together in their students’ educational experience. It reminds families that my classroom is an open-door space in which the needs of students come first.
As I grow in the profession, I will continue to value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families, and communities. This will include regular communications home through newsletters and Freshgrade. One of my personal commitments to teaching is to take at least 15 minutes each afternoon to making a positive email or phone call home for three different students. As a parent, this is part of my value system, and is something I do not mind doing in the least. This standard will also guide me as I meet with parents and caregivers, giving them my undivided attention and respect, and positioning myself as an active listener. During these conversations, I will take notes, learn about the culture, personal history, hobbies, and needs of my student, and engage parents in discussions regarding their short and long term goals for their child’s success (Brandes, 2005). As I continue to grow as a teacher, I will continue to collaborate and develop strong relationships with parents, guardians, and other community members to strengthen my practice and broaden the scope of my students’ success.
Works Cited
Brandes, J. A. (2005). Partner with parents. Intervention in School and Clinic, 41(1), 52-54. 10.1177/10534512050410011401
Lucyshyn, J., Dunlap, G., & Albin, R.W. (2002). Families, family life, and positive behavior support: Addressing the challenge of problem behaviors in family contexts. Baltimore: Brookes.
Evidence #2: Sexual Health Education in my English 10 Classroom
Copyright Kerri Isham, Power Up Workshops. Image used with permission.
During my spring practicum at Ladysmith Secondary School, I had the remarkable opportunity of welcoming a number of special guests and community members into the space of my classroom. One particular example was the welcoming of Kerri Isham into the space of my English 10 class. Kerri Isham is the sexual health educator of School District 68. During Kerri’s visit, she addressed constructs of gender and creating a safe and inclusive space within the school culture. During the visit, I assisted Kerri in aspects of proactive classroom management, and calmly discussed constructs of gender – and creating acceptance and inclusion in the school – with a group of uncomfortable, squirrely students looking for a quick exit through the door.
Through this experience, I learned how important it is to value the involvement of community members within the school. Although I initially questioned the disruption to the routine and tempo of my English 10 class, I can see now how the goals of the sexual health seminar and the core competencies of English 10 are closely aligned: both focus on identity, creating personal meaning, and the whole person success of each of my complex, individual students. As an educator, their thriving is my ultimate goal in each aspect of the classroom experience.
As a sexual health educator, Kerri’s visit fits impeccably with TRB Standard 4: bringing members of the community in to fluidly incorporate their knowledge and ways of knowing will educate students, create a safe and inclusive school culture, and foster a sense of strong personal identity in the world. Through this visit, students learned a curricular competency of English 10: to “respectfully exchange ideas and viewpoints from diverse perspectives to build shared understandings and extend thinking.” This connection between sexual health education and the English 10 curriculum has caused me to critically reflect on the way that all education (including from community members) exists to meet the needs of students in multimodal and fluid ways.
TRB Standard 4 will be important to me as I continue to grow as an educator. As I develop my practice of teaching, it will be important to welcome members of the community into the space of my classroom and school. Doing so will allow my students to thrive in unique ways that will foster a sense of inclusion, strong personal identity, and expand knowledge. Ultimately, these qualities are all goals that I have for my students and practice. This standard has taught me to question my attitudes toward teaching and learning: bringing in members of the community – even if their knowledge does not appear to directly tie into my subject area – will only serve to improve the lives and outcomes of my students. Ultimately, teachers, parents, and community members share the same goal of whole-person flourishing for each of our unique students. Education becomes a whole-community process for students of being and becoming.