As a single parent of more than one child, it's difficult at times to stay on top of everything. We always find energy when we don't have any, we become so busy and overwhelmed with our responsibilities but we still find the time for our children. They are our most important responsibility, I know to me my children are my world.We are always giving all of ourselves to children to make that they have what they need, even what they want. It's almost as if we as parents would be nothing without them.
When my daughter was in the second grade she began to struggle in school, even worse she struggled alone. I can't even tell you how upset I was when I found out. In the beginning of the school year like most parents, I gave the teacher my contact information telling her, she could call me at anytime concerning my daughter for any reason. When the first round of progress reports came out, I found out my daughter was having a hard time, we were doing homework together every night and each day she would bring home graded work but never a note, and the teacher never called.
As a future teacher, I don't want any parent to experience the way I felt when I found out. I felt like I had failed her as a parent , for the first time, I wasn't there when she needed me. When I called the teacher, the first thing I asked was, "When did you try to contact me to let me know my daughter wasn't doing so good?" Her answer was simple ,"What I would like to talk to you today about is her grades." Surprised ? I was, I wanted an answer to my question but after several minutes of conversation back and forth she answered me with a , "Well now that's not really important." This was unacceptable to me as a parent and as an up incoming teacher.
This is not how we as future teachers want our parents to feel when we communicate with them. We need to reach out to them so the can be involved in their child's education. As a teacher;each and every year that you teach you should devote some time to positive parent communication. In an article by Jan Zeiger, "Teacher-Parent Communication; Tips for Developing a Positive Relationship with Students' Families" There are small things that you can do as a teacher to keep parents involved and informed, sending them home a class newsletter, positive phone calls, and having a classroom website. Something simple as sending home a parent survey to gain their valuable insight or making sure your conference hours are flexible for the parents that work. This article is filled with tips that you can do to keep parents informed and as a parent, as well as a soon to be teacher, that is a priority on my list.
To view the article please click the link below:
http://newteachersupport.suite101.com/article.cfm/communicating_with_parents
This is not how we as future teachers want our parents to feel when we communicate with them. We need to reach out to them so the can be involved in their child's education. As a teacher;each and every year that you teach you should devote some time to positive parent communication. In an article by Jan Zeiger, "Teacher-Parent Communication; Tips for Developing a Positive Relationship with Students' Families" There are small things that you can do as a teacher to keep parents involved and informed, sending them home a class newsletter, positive phone calls, and having a classroom website. Something simple as sending home a parent survey to gain their valuable insight or making sure your conference hours are flexible for the parents that work. This article is filled with tips that you can do to keep parents informed and as a parent, as well as a soon to be teacher, that is a priority on my list.
To view the article please click the link below:
http://newteachersupport.suite101.com/article.cfm/communicating_with_parents
What do you think about a class blog for parents, one in which they could interact with the teacher?
ReplyDeleteLatisha, I can only imagine how you felt when you received the progress report on your daughter. I am not a parent yet, but I do know that my parents waited anxiously for my progress reports when I was in high school. To this day, they make sure that I am trying my best in college. I believe that teachers and parents need to have that open communication line and teachers need to follow the guidelines just like the parents have to. It would have made me feel like, "Why did you ask for my contact information if you aren't going to use it?" Teachers need to want the children to do well because at the end of the year, it is a bigger reflection on them if their students did poorly. It sounds like the teacher was embarrassed because she did not contact you. Was she too busy, was she focusing on other students that were doing worse, what was she doing? I hope that someday when I become a teacher, I will have the willingness and the want to have that open communication line. I truly believe that problems like this happen because it will influence our future as a teachers, and better us that way we don't make those same mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about having regular contact and follow up. Because unfortunatly having dispossition teacher is the worse we are facing to harm both our kids and our society. It is a pleasure for me once I meet with educated teacher who really care.
ReplyDeleteI alos enjoed this blog, because I'm a firm believer that teachers and parents must work together in order to know how a child is performing within the classroom. Regular contact with the student is also important. Teachers are very busy but academic success equals parents being involved and caring about their childrens ability to do their best.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of having a class blog that parents can interact with. Specifically, this would be beneficial for absent parents. There are some parents that would like to be more involved with their children's school progress, but are not given the information. This would help "cut out the middle man," as it were. I also think that it was a gross error in judgment for your daughter's teacher to avoid contacting you about her progress. I know for my classroom, I want to have a lot of feedback for both my students and their parents. You can't fix a problem you don't know exists, and you can't offer help if you don't know it is needed.
ReplyDeleteThis blog hit the nail on the head in my opinion. As a future teacher as well I have come to the realization of just how important parent- teacher communication truly is. I am shocked when I see parents that are not interested in how their children are doing in school. However, I was even more shocked when I read this blog and your child's teacher didn't see the need to call you when your child was stuggling. The communication between parents and tecahers needs to be a two way street. I believe that parents should be kept up to date on their student's progress whether it is good or bad. There is plenty of technology out there today that allows easy communication between parents and teachers, they just need to start using it. I personally think that parent-teacher communication is going to be a big focus of mine when I become a teacher. I think that it is a very important issue that needs attention.
ReplyDelete