Part 1~

Family Engagement

Ideas for getting started: Article (1)

The Beginners Guide to Connecting Home and School

As mentioned in the article it is important to have a connection between home and school as this supports success for students academically and can improve the way they think and learn. If a student is having a hard time with their home life they aren’t going to succeed as well in school. It is important to incorporate assignments and or homework that students are able to make connections with at home as well as in school. This will help students feel more motivated and that there is a purpose to completing their work and they will have a positive mindset when it comes to such projects as well as assignments. Another way to connect home and school as mentioned in the article would be creating real life connections and or lessons to help students really picture and understand why they are learning what they are being taught. Helping students create more meaningful connections after going home from school is important because as an educator you need to see what the student is capable of completing outside the classroom but it also lets the student think on a deeper level when surrounded in maybe a more comfortable environment being their home.

Teacher-Tested Strategies and tips Article (2)

3 Ways to Make Meaningful Connections with Your Students

After reading this article and hearing that this teacher likes to take the first few minutes of class to connect with their students unrelated to school and just talk to them about things they like to do or if they have anything planned for the weekend. Not only is the teacher connecting with their students but they are also able to tell which students struggle more with their home life and love to come to school as they can tell by the way they answer questions. This allows the teacher to build more meaningful relationships and let her students know that she is there for them and not just to teach constantly. This allows the student to form a connection with their teacher and make it more exciting for the student to want to go to school when maybe they didn’t before. Listening to a student’s personal lives and thoughts also as mentioned in the article lets the teacher know that they feel trust because she took the time to listen. Another idea mentioned in the article was to attend students’ extracurricular activities as it will make them feel seen as that they matter. This is also a great way to interact with students’ parents and keep them updated if any concerns come up. Being a teacher is not easy, and of course everyone has busy lives but showing up to something like that means the world to them and shows them that you’re available if they need. 

Article (2) Effective communication is key 

It is important to have a mutual understanding when it comes to teaching/parent relationships and of course you want the teacher and parent to be on the same page when it comes to the student and or child. With all of this new technology and new advancements to communication, it is actually making it harder for the parents as this is all new to them and they didn’t grow up in this era so it is taking some time to get used to. That is why it is important that when meeting parents at the beginning of the year it is crucial to let them know what is going on so they are not thrown off at any point or unaware of how their child is doing in the classroom. Also keeping parents in the loop to keep them comfortable with everything going on.

Board of education meeting:

Overall the meeting was very informative as there were different aspects to it as they covered different topics and had students from the elementary school present. There is a lot that goes on in a board of education meeting so it is important to go and I will be attending more to get a better idea of what topics and things they discuss to better the school and prepare students for achieving new learning skills

20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships With Parents

It is important to maintain positive relationships with parents and some ways to show that you care as mentioned in the article are to know parents’ names and when you see them address them properly as this shows respect to the child and parents. Another way to increase positive relationships with parents is to communicate frequently and make sure if there’s a translator needed that one is provided as that will improve communication greatly as well make the parents feel more comfortable speaking about any concerns they might be having. Speaking about the way we communicate, it is important to not assume about anyone’s family situations. Making sure as an educator that you’re asking questions about the child to the parent as well also shows that you care and are there for that student. 

Building teacher-parent Relationships~ ELL Parent Involvement

It is definitely important for English Language Learning parents to be involved with their child’s school work as it is learning a new language for the both of them and they want to see them succeed as it is not easy transitioning to new material in a whole different language. Students having their parents involved in their academic life can impact them tremendously and see better results in their studies overall.

Part 2

~The plan for communicating with parents:

I am hoping to teach Kindergarten, first, or second grade, and with the younger students I want to have a clear understanding of what expectations are and how communication will be throughout the school year so that if any parents have concerns they know they are able to come talk to me. As mentioned in some of the articles above, it is very important to have good relationships with students as if anything is going on at home and they happen to tell you, you are able to see if help is needed and understand if the student isn’t performing as well in the classroom as they normally would. I also agree that it is important for teachers to have good relationships with their students’ parents as well as  remembering things parents have brought up about their child to the teacher and knowing what can be done if action is needed. I also think the way someone talks is important and so being mindful of how we speak to parents is also very important as well. Making sure parents are on the same page with the teacher is also important as they should know what is going on with their child.

References

Dell’Angelo, T. (2014, December 10). The Beginners Guide to Connecting Home and School. Edutopia., https://www.edutopia.org/blog/beginners-guide-connecting-home-school-tabitha-dellangelo

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. (2014, September 11). Back-to-school night: The ultimate conservation starter for a successful school year. Edutopia., https://www.edutopia.org/blog/back-to-school-conversation-starter-darri-stephens

Aguilar, E. (2011, September 23). 20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships with Parents. Edutopia.,https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-developing-positive-relationships-parents-elena-aguilar

Borovoy, A. (2011, April 16). ELL Parent Involvement, Youtube., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-aLWOk9Og&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhRPzheyprYHcA8SZl9Qvnpz&index=4