|
Exemplars
Linked to Person's ePortfolio: Jaime Murdoch On This Page: Mallory Chester Patrick McDowall Heather Finlay (2) (with permission) |
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 |
Evidence (Mallory)
EXAM ANSWER/EVIDENCE PIECE BELOW
EDPB 513: Principles of Teaching and Learning
Instructor: Brian Heese
Mallory Chester (Cohort 3)
Due: 21st November 2017
Celebration of Learning
Section 2: Optional Questions
Fresh Grade
Along with things like weekly parent-teacher updates, grade posting and assignment feedback, I would like to use Fresh Grade as a tool to facilitate student reflection on their work, in a way that includes parents as well. I think it would be interesting at the beginning of the semester to have students submit a piece of work, perhaps a short research essay, and have the essay reviewed not only by me as a teacher, but by their parents as well. The teacher and parents would have a rubric of expectations to reference when reviewing the student’s work, which they will use to determine whether or not they believe students are meeting the expectations of the assignment (hopefully at an applying or extending level). Teachers/parents will comment on the assignment, and students will then use these comments to submit a reflection on their assignment: what they think they did well, what they think they could improve etc. Students will then use these comments and reflection to assign themselves a grade for the assignment (the grade should be reflective of the comments made by the teacher/parents, and may be changed if the teacher does not deem it 100% appropriate). I think this activity could be effective within my classroom in a number of ways. First of all, I think it is a great way to get parents engaged in using Fresh Grade as a tool to actively participate in their child’s learning, as well as a tool to communicate with me as a teacher. Secondly, I think it important for students to reflect on the work they are doing and how they can improve and it would be great to get parents involved in this process! Last of all, I think it is important that parents see the work their children are submitting in order to build a realistic idea of where they are at in their learning. Having parents participate in their student’s reflection is a great way to have them build this understanding, and will hopefully be conducive to parents helping students progress in the future. I would try this style of assignment as an introduction to the class at the beginning of the semester, then gage how students enjoyed it through class discussion. I would also bring up the assignment at parent teacher interviews to see how the parents respond. If the assignment is a success on all fronts, I think this kind of parent-teacher-student involvement in an assignment that is facilitated by Fresh Grade would be something I could potentially use for most/all of the assignments for that class.
EDPB 513: Principles of Teaching and Learning
Instructor: Brian Heese
Mallory Chester (Cohort 3)
Due: 21st November 2017
Celebration of Learning
Section 2: Optional Questions
Fresh Grade
Along with things like weekly parent-teacher updates, grade posting and assignment feedback, I would like to use Fresh Grade as a tool to facilitate student reflection on their work, in a way that includes parents as well. I think it would be interesting at the beginning of the semester to have students submit a piece of work, perhaps a short research essay, and have the essay reviewed not only by me as a teacher, but by their parents as well. The teacher and parents would have a rubric of expectations to reference when reviewing the student’s work, which they will use to determine whether or not they believe students are meeting the expectations of the assignment (hopefully at an applying or extending level). Teachers/parents will comment on the assignment, and students will then use these comments to submit a reflection on their assignment: what they think they did well, what they think they could improve etc. Students will then use these comments and reflection to assign themselves a grade for the assignment (the grade should be reflective of the comments made by the teacher/parents, and may be changed if the teacher does not deem it 100% appropriate). I think this activity could be effective within my classroom in a number of ways. First of all, I think it is a great way to get parents engaged in using Fresh Grade as a tool to actively participate in their child’s learning, as well as a tool to communicate with me as a teacher. Secondly, I think it important for students to reflect on the work they are doing and how they can improve and it would be great to get parents involved in this process! Last of all, I think it is important that parents see the work their children are submitting in order to build a realistic idea of where they are at in their learning. Having parents participate in their student’s reflection is a great way to have them build this understanding, and will hopefully be conducive to parents helping students progress in the future. I would try this style of assignment as an introduction to the class at the beginning of the semester, then gage how students enjoyed it through class discussion. I would also bring up the assignment at parent teacher interviews to see how the parents respond. If the assignment is a success on all fronts, I think this kind of parent-teacher-student involvement in an assignment that is facilitated by Fresh Grade would be something I could potentially use for most/all of the assignments for that class.
Reflection (Mallory)
For my first piece of evidence to show my knowledge and understanding of TRB STANDARD #4 Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools I would like to use one of the answers I gave during our Principles of Teaching and Learning exam last semester. The question asked us to consider the program Fresh Grade, and how we might use it in our own classroom. As I “understand, respect and support the role of parents” in being a part of student learning I chose to focus my answer on how Fresh Grade can be used to facilitate parent/guardian’s active involvement and participation in the work their children are producing. I proposed that at the beginning of the semester I would like to have students submit a piece of work (maybe a short essay) to Fresh Grade then have it reviewed not just by myself, but by their parents as well. I would provide parents with a rubric of expectations to look for when reading their child’s writing, and they would use this to comment and reflect on the assignment. I would also comment on the assignment, then students would self reflect. Students would then read all three sets of comments on their work, and assign themselves a grade based on these three factors. I think this would be a really great way to have students not only practice the art of self assessment, but to boost the role of the parent to an active participant in their child’s learning. All of this being on Fresh Grade also means that is totally accessibly to parents immediately and at any time, which appeals to an educator’s duty to “communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider their advice on matters pertaining to their children” as stated by the standard.
Thinking about and writing this answer really got me thinking about the role parents can and should play in the education of their children, something I had honestly not thought much about before. I think it is easy for teachers to think of their role as educators as residing only within the four walls of their classroom, but it is actually so much more than that. It has been proven that students learn better if their education continues outside of the classroom, which is promoted by parent/guardian involvement in their learning. In their article “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement” Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp explore the literature on the impact of parent/guardian participation in education, finding that “[based on various studies outlines in the article] a positive and convincing relationship between family involvement and benefits for students, including improved academic achievement. This relationship holds across families of all economic, racial/ethnic, and educational backgrounds and for students at all ages” (pp.24). I think the use of Fresh Grade is an awesome way to extend a branch from students learning in the classroom to students living at home, and makes it really easy for parents to participate. They no longer have to schedule face to face appointments or even make phone calls. Parents can become informed on what their child is learning about and their progress, hopefully to continue to support these things at home, all at the touch of a button when they open the Fresh Grade App. With accessibility to this information being so available to parents, it is so easy for them to become more involved with their child’s education and hopefully reap the positive benefits of this.
As I said before, I had really not put that much thought into the idea of engaging parents directly in the learning process of my students like TRB Standard #4 suggests. It was really not until I answered this question for my exam that I started to think about the ways in which I can reach parents and get them involved in what my class is learning. This also led me to do extra research (the article cited above is apart of this research) and I really began to see the proven value in parent involvement in learning. It is both surprising and exciting to me to see the studies showing the drastic improvement in student achievement with parent involvement, and Fresh Grade seems like such a fool-proof way to facilitate this.
I think my proposed use of Fresh Grade to communicate and involve parents in the education of their students is a progressive one, and can address the push for the practice of the theory of community-based learning. Community based learning takes education outside of the classroom, and makes connections within the “real world”. The part of community-based learning that I think this use of Fresh Grade appeals to is that of taking education outside of the classroom. This kind of exploration, in my opinion, is only accessible if parents and guardians are willing to actively participate, which a program like Fresh Grade can facilitate. Although my exam answer does not directly engage with community-based learning, it easily could. You could use the program to post weekly tasks to be completed outside of the classroom, with both students and parent’s/guardian participating. You could have the students do something like go for a nature walk to identify different trees in their community, then ask parents to take pictures and post them to Fresh Grade with a student reflection. This is just one way you could extend learning outside of the classroom using the relationship that can be built with parents using Fresh Grade, but the possibilities are really endless!
TRB Standard #4 and the idea of valuing parent involvement in education is incredibly important to my practice as an educator. Having involved parents who are aware of their child’s strengths and weaknesses is incredibly important, and even more so as a teacher is having open lines of communication with these parents to address these things (which Fresh Grade can do a great job of facilitating). I can always do my best to support a student as they grow and learn, but having a united front of support from both myself and parents of my students strengthens that system even further! If I can use Fresh Grade to build these relationships then it seems like a no-brainer when it comes to doing all that I can to help my students succeed.
Although I really have begun to see the importance of actively engaging and involving parents in their children’s learning, as TRB Standard #4 pushes for, I am not totally naive in thinking that Fresh Grade will be the ultimate tool in getting all parents involved. I know that there are some parents who are simply not interested in participating in their child’s education in that active of a role, and believe that the responsibility of educating children lays with the teacher alone. I plan on holding this standard true as I grow as a teacher by doing my best to reach these parents, and show them the benefits of having them be an active participant in their child’s education. I hope that I can reach out and show them how easy Fresh Grade can make this process for them, and how much it will mean to their child in the long run. There will undoubtedly be parents who totally resist this notion, and I will do my best to change their minds. However, if they cannot be moved, I will have to make sure that I do whatever I can to support the growth and development of their child no matter what.
Work Cited:
Henderson T. Anne and Mapp L. Karen. “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement.” National Center for Family& Community Connections with Schools- Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. 2002. pp. 2-240.
Thinking about and writing this answer really got me thinking about the role parents can and should play in the education of their children, something I had honestly not thought much about before. I think it is easy for teachers to think of their role as educators as residing only within the four walls of their classroom, but it is actually so much more than that. It has been proven that students learn better if their education continues outside of the classroom, which is promoted by parent/guardian involvement in their learning. In their article “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement” Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp explore the literature on the impact of parent/guardian participation in education, finding that “[based on various studies outlines in the article] a positive and convincing relationship between family involvement and benefits for students, including improved academic achievement. This relationship holds across families of all economic, racial/ethnic, and educational backgrounds and for students at all ages” (pp.24). I think the use of Fresh Grade is an awesome way to extend a branch from students learning in the classroom to students living at home, and makes it really easy for parents to participate. They no longer have to schedule face to face appointments or even make phone calls. Parents can become informed on what their child is learning about and their progress, hopefully to continue to support these things at home, all at the touch of a button when they open the Fresh Grade App. With accessibility to this information being so available to parents, it is so easy for them to become more involved with their child’s education and hopefully reap the positive benefits of this.
As I said before, I had really not put that much thought into the idea of engaging parents directly in the learning process of my students like TRB Standard #4 suggests. It was really not until I answered this question for my exam that I started to think about the ways in which I can reach parents and get them involved in what my class is learning. This also led me to do extra research (the article cited above is apart of this research) and I really began to see the proven value in parent involvement in learning. It is both surprising and exciting to me to see the studies showing the drastic improvement in student achievement with parent involvement, and Fresh Grade seems like such a fool-proof way to facilitate this.
I think my proposed use of Fresh Grade to communicate and involve parents in the education of their students is a progressive one, and can address the push for the practice of the theory of community-based learning. Community based learning takes education outside of the classroom, and makes connections within the “real world”. The part of community-based learning that I think this use of Fresh Grade appeals to is that of taking education outside of the classroom. This kind of exploration, in my opinion, is only accessible if parents and guardians are willing to actively participate, which a program like Fresh Grade can facilitate. Although my exam answer does not directly engage with community-based learning, it easily could. You could use the program to post weekly tasks to be completed outside of the classroom, with both students and parent’s/guardian participating. You could have the students do something like go for a nature walk to identify different trees in their community, then ask parents to take pictures and post them to Fresh Grade with a student reflection. This is just one way you could extend learning outside of the classroom using the relationship that can be built with parents using Fresh Grade, but the possibilities are really endless!
TRB Standard #4 and the idea of valuing parent involvement in education is incredibly important to my practice as an educator. Having involved parents who are aware of their child’s strengths and weaknesses is incredibly important, and even more so as a teacher is having open lines of communication with these parents to address these things (which Fresh Grade can do a great job of facilitating). I can always do my best to support a student as they grow and learn, but having a united front of support from both myself and parents of my students strengthens that system even further! If I can use Fresh Grade to build these relationships then it seems like a no-brainer when it comes to doing all that I can to help my students succeed.
Although I really have begun to see the importance of actively engaging and involving parents in their children’s learning, as TRB Standard #4 pushes for, I am not totally naive in thinking that Fresh Grade will be the ultimate tool in getting all parents involved. I know that there are some parents who are simply not interested in participating in their child’s education in that active of a role, and believe that the responsibility of educating children lays with the teacher alone. I plan on holding this standard true as I grow as a teacher by doing my best to reach these parents, and show them the benefits of having them be an active participant in their child’s education. I hope that I can reach out and show them how easy Fresh Grade can make this process for them, and how much it will mean to their child in the long run. There will undoubtedly be parents who totally resist this notion, and I will do my best to change their minds. However, if they cannot be moved, I will have to make sure that I do whatever I can to support the growth and development of their child no matter what.
Work Cited:
Henderson T. Anne and Mapp L. Karen. “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement.” National Center for Family& Community Connections with Schools- Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. 2002. pp. 2-240.
Patrick's Letter to Parents
Evidence |
Reflection |
There are times when I feel we student-teachers too easily slip into arrogance. After a few lectures, some readings on child development, a little dalliance with assessment methods and off we go to our first practicums believing we are more than prepared. Often, we are more than willing to share our pedagogical ‘wisdom’ with our colleagues and even sometimes our sponsor teachers. Of course we are embedded with the concept of professionalism, that we should internalize our criticisms and certainly not publicly disparage the practises we observe. And yet, standing in the back of the classroom, the urge to criticize or imagine preferable strategies is a tough impulse to check. Even if these opinions stay silent, the mentality of judgement remains and perspective begins to be lost.
In these situations it is easy to forget the great leaps of faith made not only by our sponsor teacher but by the families of the learners in the classroom. What assurance do they have, other than a guarantee of no criminal record, that we will utilize our time in the classroom in a manner conducive to student learning. Every hour in school is important, time is limited, and so parents are implicitly favouring the student teacher with a great amount of trust. With this in mind, I decided it was vitall that I write a letter of personal introduction to the families of the children in my practicum classroom. The letter itself was only one page in length but afforded me a platform to offer parents the opportunity to learn of my educational background, prior careers, details of my own family, and also a brief outline of my pedagogical perspectives. Additionally, I was able to provide a few hints to the type of lessons and activities I have planned for the classroom. It was a simple yet prudent exercise that enacted a physical gesture of respect and inclusivity to the families of every learner in my practicum class.
For too long, schools have operated under a principle of isolationism where parental involvement in their children’s education was relegated to those hours spent at home. The family’s role was to ensure the completion of homework, manage misbehavior, and affect the prompt arrival of students at the start of the day. In the last decade or two, a tangible shift in this mentality has seen change seeping into school systems across the country. This is unequivocally demonstrated in the Teacher Registration Board’s (TRB) Standard 4 requirement that “educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools”. The letter that I sent home to the families of the learners in my classroom, is my germinal attempt at promoting parental inclusiveness in my teaching practise.
It does not take much digging in the academic research to quickly appreciate the advantages of parental involvement. Schecter and Sherri (2009) have interrogated the importance of open relationships between teacher and parents, and have found that “parent involvement has a positive impact on children’s academic success” (p.61). However, it is all well and good to promote parental involvement but to truly begin to foster this association, teachers need to advance a proactive approach that provides tools and avenues for familial integration into the classroom. As the TRB standard states, teachers should “understand, respect and support the roles of parents”. In my mind the most important of these is the supportive element.
While my letter is only a fledgling attempt at cultivating a parent-teacher community, I consider the inclusion of my personal email and phone number as a secondary step in building a conduit for two way communication. I feel the ability to converse is a priority and this is apparent in the TRB standard which states that “educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider their advice on matters pertaining to their children”. Going forward in my practicum, I am hopeful that my interaction with the families of my learners will proceed far beyond an introductory letter. Often there is a great wealth of knowledge in the homes of students with parents and caregivers employed in spectrum of fields. Only through direct and equitable contact might this expertise be tapped and incorporated into the classroom through parents acting as guest speakers or educational assistants in projects and field trips. In the context of those schools located in lower socioeconomic status areas, Jeynes has importantly noted that some families find demands for additional funds needed for student field trips or experiments unreasonable. “Many impoverished families view schools as “takers””, is how Jeynes (2011) highlights this situation (p.39). This is a justifiable response and only through communication and understanding between teacher and parent can the goodwill of many families not be lost. In the instance where requests for funds are made, it is imperative that the teacher be cognizant of the financial status of particular families so that additional measures be taken, such as comprehensive explanations for why the funds are needed and potential alternatives for the sources of the funds.
Open and sustained communication with parents is the schema I intend on promoting in my future teaching practise. My intention is for these conversations to extend beyond the odd parent-teacher conference, report card, or phone call and instead focus on the creation of a classroom community. As Kelly (2014) found in her review of research on parental involvement, “parents have little formal guidance from schools on how to realistically involve themselves in their child’s education and educational stakeholders often have different ideas of what constitutes effective parental involvement” (p.23). In my future classroom, I hope to provide parents with realistic and useful tools that they might use to not only better understand their own role in this community of learning but also realise their abilities to affect and improve the classroom as a whole. Ultimately, the teacher and school cannot operate in that old accepted vacuum. Jeynes is clear when he states that “schools must acknowledge that they cannot alone ensure a child’s success in school, but schools working with parents and communities can help students achieve success” (p. 40). This is a conversation I intend on sharing with the families of all my future students.
References:
Jeynes, W. (2011). Help families by fostering parental involvement: Show an interest in your students' families before demanding that parents support your school. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(3), 38.
Kelly, J. A. (2014). Fostering effective parental involvement: The case for developing school-sponsored programming to assist middle school parents (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2014. http://ezproxy.viu.ca/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1528550339?accountid=12246
Schecter, S. R., & Sherri, D. L. (2009;2008). Value added?: Teachers' investments in and orientations toward parent involvement in education. Urban Education, 44(1), 59-87. 10.1177/0042085908317676
In these situations it is easy to forget the great leaps of faith made not only by our sponsor teacher but by the families of the learners in the classroom. What assurance do they have, other than a guarantee of no criminal record, that we will utilize our time in the classroom in a manner conducive to student learning. Every hour in school is important, time is limited, and so parents are implicitly favouring the student teacher with a great amount of trust. With this in mind, I decided it was vitall that I write a letter of personal introduction to the families of the children in my practicum classroom. The letter itself was only one page in length but afforded me a platform to offer parents the opportunity to learn of my educational background, prior careers, details of my own family, and also a brief outline of my pedagogical perspectives. Additionally, I was able to provide a few hints to the type of lessons and activities I have planned for the classroom. It was a simple yet prudent exercise that enacted a physical gesture of respect and inclusivity to the families of every learner in my practicum class.
For too long, schools have operated under a principle of isolationism where parental involvement in their children’s education was relegated to those hours spent at home. The family’s role was to ensure the completion of homework, manage misbehavior, and affect the prompt arrival of students at the start of the day. In the last decade or two, a tangible shift in this mentality has seen change seeping into school systems across the country. This is unequivocally demonstrated in the Teacher Registration Board’s (TRB) Standard 4 requirement that “educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools”. The letter that I sent home to the families of the learners in my classroom, is my germinal attempt at promoting parental inclusiveness in my teaching practise.
It does not take much digging in the academic research to quickly appreciate the advantages of parental involvement. Schecter and Sherri (2009) have interrogated the importance of open relationships between teacher and parents, and have found that “parent involvement has a positive impact on children’s academic success” (p.61). However, it is all well and good to promote parental involvement but to truly begin to foster this association, teachers need to advance a proactive approach that provides tools and avenues for familial integration into the classroom. As the TRB standard states, teachers should “understand, respect and support the roles of parents”. In my mind the most important of these is the supportive element.
While my letter is only a fledgling attempt at cultivating a parent-teacher community, I consider the inclusion of my personal email and phone number as a secondary step in building a conduit for two way communication. I feel the ability to converse is a priority and this is apparent in the TRB standard which states that “educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider their advice on matters pertaining to their children”. Going forward in my practicum, I am hopeful that my interaction with the families of my learners will proceed far beyond an introductory letter. Often there is a great wealth of knowledge in the homes of students with parents and caregivers employed in spectrum of fields. Only through direct and equitable contact might this expertise be tapped and incorporated into the classroom through parents acting as guest speakers or educational assistants in projects and field trips. In the context of those schools located in lower socioeconomic status areas, Jeynes has importantly noted that some families find demands for additional funds needed for student field trips or experiments unreasonable. “Many impoverished families view schools as “takers””, is how Jeynes (2011) highlights this situation (p.39). This is a justifiable response and only through communication and understanding between teacher and parent can the goodwill of many families not be lost. In the instance where requests for funds are made, it is imperative that the teacher be cognizant of the financial status of particular families so that additional measures be taken, such as comprehensive explanations for why the funds are needed and potential alternatives for the sources of the funds.
Open and sustained communication with parents is the schema I intend on promoting in my future teaching practise. My intention is for these conversations to extend beyond the odd parent-teacher conference, report card, or phone call and instead focus on the creation of a classroom community. As Kelly (2014) found in her review of research on parental involvement, “parents have little formal guidance from schools on how to realistically involve themselves in their child’s education and educational stakeholders often have different ideas of what constitutes effective parental involvement” (p.23). In my future classroom, I hope to provide parents with realistic and useful tools that they might use to not only better understand their own role in this community of learning but also realise their abilities to affect and improve the classroom as a whole. Ultimately, the teacher and school cannot operate in that old accepted vacuum. Jeynes is clear when he states that “schools must acknowledge that they cannot alone ensure a child’s success in school, but schools working with parents and communities can help students achieve success” (p. 40). This is a conversation I intend on sharing with the families of all my future students.
References:
Jeynes, W. (2011). Help families by fostering parental involvement: Show an interest in your students' families before demanding that parents support your school. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(3), 38.
Kelly, J. A. (2014). Fostering effective parental involvement: The case for developing school-sponsored programming to assist middle school parents (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2014. http://ezproxy.viu.ca/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1528550339?accountid=12246
Schecter, S. R., & Sherri, D. L. (2009;2008). Value added?: Teachers' investments in and orientations toward parent involvement in education. Urban Education, 44(1), 59-87. 10.1177/0042085908317676
Evidence 1: The Sharing Soup Invitation (+ Reflection)
With my co-teachers we invited family and friends to our grade one class to share the soup we made with our students. We also held a fundraiser in our class and sold paper mâché bowls that the students created to raise funds for food for Departure Bay School, inspired by the Empty Bowl Project. Parents, guardians, siblings and friends came and enjoyed the borscht soup our class made. The students also performed the song we had been working on “Almost a Full Moon” by Hawksley Workman. The picture is of the invitation we created to invite family and friends to our special event and the Youtube video is the song we rehearsed and performed as a class. (YouTube video not included in this exemplar.)
This was one of the most poignant moments I have had so far as a teacher. The event was very special for our students, for our guests, and for us. When we performed the song that the students had been working so hard on, many of the parents got teary eyed. It was in that moment I realized how important it is to be able to share all of the effort and learning our students experience with their families. The parents loved it and you could see many of the students felt really proud of themselves. This whole unit was a very meaningful and purposeful learning experience that I believe really kept the students motivated and engaged. Unfortunately, it was upsetting for some of the students whose parents could not make it on our sharing day. Upon reflection, it would have been great to make a plan for the parents that could not come. We could have planned for a way to send soup home and to create a video of the performance to also send home. Overall, our soup sharing day was a great example of how community and family involvement can really enrich student learning.
Brendan O'Keefe writes in 5 Steps to Better School/Community Collaboration that the "answer to real education/school transformation is strong, authentic community connections and actions". When families, community groups, business and schools join to support learning, "young people achieve more in school, stay in school longer, and enjoy the experience more". It was really great to see how much the students got out of this community experience. They were not only able to share soup with their families but they were also able to raise money for their school and for other students in need. According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive, purpose is a key element of intrinsic motivation. Pink argues that the purpose should be bigger than the product. Having parent involvement and fundraising for the school community helped give meaningful purpose to our unit.
TRB standard four is an extremely important element to teaching. Parents/guardians, teachers and students need to collaborate on efforts to ensure educational success. It is critical to develop rapport with students, and I would argue that student learning is enriched if educators also develop rapport with parents and guardians. After this experience, I will continue to create opportunities for families to be part of the classroom and to share in student learning and success. I would also like to keep an open door of communication with parents via email, newsletters home, and perhaps through technologies like FreshGrade, so parents know what we are doing in the classroom. This may inspire further learning as it could lead to family conversations about the content. Most importantly I want to make a concerted effort to maintain purpose through community involvement in my planning and lessons.
Works Cited:
Pink, Daniel H. (2009). Drive-The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books, New York. Text.
O'Keefe, Brendan. (2011). 5 Steps to Better School/Community Collaboration. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Web. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-community-collaboration-brendan-okeefe.
This was one of the most poignant moments I have had so far as a teacher. The event was very special for our students, for our guests, and for us. When we performed the song that the students had been working so hard on, many of the parents got teary eyed. It was in that moment I realized how important it is to be able to share all of the effort and learning our students experience with their families. The parents loved it and you could see many of the students felt really proud of themselves. This whole unit was a very meaningful and purposeful learning experience that I believe really kept the students motivated and engaged. Unfortunately, it was upsetting for some of the students whose parents could not make it on our sharing day. Upon reflection, it would have been great to make a plan for the parents that could not come. We could have planned for a way to send soup home and to create a video of the performance to also send home. Overall, our soup sharing day was a great example of how community and family involvement can really enrich student learning.
Brendan O'Keefe writes in 5 Steps to Better School/Community Collaboration that the "answer to real education/school transformation is strong, authentic community connections and actions". When families, community groups, business and schools join to support learning, "young people achieve more in school, stay in school longer, and enjoy the experience more". It was really great to see how much the students got out of this community experience. They were not only able to share soup with their families but they were also able to raise money for their school and for other students in need. According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive, purpose is a key element of intrinsic motivation. Pink argues that the purpose should be bigger than the product. Having parent involvement and fundraising for the school community helped give meaningful purpose to our unit.
TRB standard four is an extremely important element to teaching. Parents/guardians, teachers and students need to collaborate on efforts to ensure educational success. It is critical to develop rapport with students, and I would argue that student learning is enriched if educators also develop rapport with parents and guardians. After this experience, I will continue to create opportunities for families to be part of the classroom and to share in student learning and success. I would also like to keep an open door of communication with parents via email, newsletters home, and perhaps through technologies like FreshGrade, so parents know what we are doing in the classroom. This may inspire further learning as it could lead to family conversations about the content. Most importantly I want to make a concerted effort to maintain purpose through community involvement in my planning and lessons.
Works Cited:
Pink, Daniel H. (2009). Drive-The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books, New York. Text.
O'Keefe, Brendan. (2011). 5 Steps to Better School/Community Collaboration. George Lucas Educational Foundation. Web. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-community-collaboration-brendan-okeefe.
Evidence 2: Letter Home to Parents
|
This document is a letter I sent out introducing myself to my practicum parents and guardians. I wanted to let parents know that I was in the class and what sorts of things we would be working on while I was teaching. I also wanted parents to have my contact information to keep communication open.
In creating this letter I have learned that, firstly, you need to be organized in order to communicate upcoming events in the classroom. Checking in with parents/guardians forces a teacher to be planned and to have a clear understanding of what learning outcomes they hope to achieve. It is also great for parents to know what is going on in the classroom so that they can check in with their kids, ask the teacher questions if needed, and advocate for their children. The letter also forced me to reflect on what I valued in the classroom. This situation was unique because I am coming into someone else's classroom. I was able to see what was really important to me by observing another teacher's class: a positive learning environment, mutual respect, and engaged, motivated learners. In the future I will be able to write to parents about my own classroom and my own goals. |
There is the common saying that "it takes a village to raise a child" and I believe teaching is no exception to that rule. Teaching is a collaborative process with other educators and administrators, the students, the community and parents/guardians. Communication is a key component in making sure all "team members" are in the know. The American Teaching Federation states that, "The manner in which schools communicate and interact with parents affects the extent and quality of parents' home involvement with their children's learning,". They go on to say that parent involvement helps raise student academic achievement, and most importantly, increases "motivation for learning, improve(s) behavior, more regular attendance, and a more positive attitude about homework and school in general...". It is essential that there is positive communication between educators and parents.
This letter was my first formal experience with written communication to parents as a teacher. My first draft of the letter was all academic-based. After reading some articles online and getting feedback from my practicum teacher I realized I was missing a personal element in my letter. Parents entrust their children's academic success and safety to a teacher, with very little opportunity to get to know the teacher themselves. It is important to be professional but to add personal elements to letters home. It is important to let parents know what you value as a teacher. I would like to, throughout my teaching profession, keep parents informed and to encourage open and reciprocal communication. The American Federation of Teachers commented on opportunities for positive communication, stating that sometimes parents only hear from educators when there is a problem. I love the idea of notes, emails or phone calls home about student success and achievement. This will only foster a positive learning environment for all.
Works Cited
The American Federation of Teachers. (2017). Building Parent-Teacher Relationships. WETA Public Broadcasting. Web. Accessed from: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships.
This letter was my first formal experience with written communication to parents as a teacher. My first draft of the letter was all academic-based. After reading some articles online and getting feedback from my practicum teacher I realized I was missing a personal element in my letter. Parents entrust their children's academic success and safety to a teacher, with very little opportunity to get to know the teacher themselves. It is important to be professional but to add personal elements to letters home. It is important to let parents know what you value as a teacher. I would like to, throughout my teaching profession, keep parents informed and to encourage open and reciprocal communication. The American Federation of Teachers commented on opportunities for positive communication, stating that sometimes parents only hear from educators when there is a problem. I love the idea of notes, emails or phone calls home about student success and achievement. This will only foster a positive learning environment for all.
Works Cited
The American Federation of Teachers. (2017). Building Parent-Teacher Relationships. WETA Public Broadcasting. Web. Accessed from: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships.