Blog #9- Home and School Connection

      After attending the Plainedge Board of Education meeting a few weeks ago, I got the sense that being immersed as a teacher and a member of the community goes far beyond what goes on in a classroom from day to day. Decisions are made and discussed monthly in order to make the district a better place for all. The board of this specific meeting was looking for a way to re-introduce late busses. This would provide ease for working families who have to shuffle their schedules in order to pick their children up from sports and activities. For many years Plainedge did not offer late busses and it made it difficult for parents to decide between their work schedule and their kids activity schedule. For me personally, both of my parents worked late into the evening and many times I was not able to participate in activities simply because I did not have a ride home! I believe that these busses will improve children's attendance in activities and promote their overall well being. The members of the board also discussed the recent renovations that were made across the elementary, middle, and high school that were made to make the school more modern and to provide the students with the best experience possible.

     I also attended the Preventing School Violence workshop and I learned so much from the host about creating a positive and welcoming space for all my students.  A main point that was emphasized was that it is difficult to prevent violence and although is the goal, it cannot always be achieved. This stuck out to me because as a member of society, we will not always be able to prevent violent or bad things from happening, but the more we are aware and prepared, we have a better shot at helping protect yourself and others. As a teacher, it is crucial to be able to spot troubling behaviors in our students and knowing how to handle them appropriately. What we think and feel becomes what we say and do, so creating a positive and encouraging space for students to express themselves is important to their overall classroom experience.

These behaviors displayed in students all begin within the home. That is why it is important to have a positive and open relationship with parents. One of the first opportunities that parents and teachers are able to interact is usually at a parent teacher conference. After reading some prep-tips, I found that keeping up with a blog, newsletter, or even a Remind account are all great ways to keep parents informed. Maintaining an open line of communication from the start between parents and teachers can eliminate confusion in the future. Being as transparent as possible is important in gaining a trusting relationships with parents.

It is obviously just as important to have just as a positive relationship with your students as well as the parents. From personal experience, I always did better in the classes that I had a relationship with my teacher. I want to have this same impact on my students so they are motivated to do their best in my class. Some tips that I learned to strengthen this student- teacher bond is attending extra curricular activities, being available, and taking the first few minutes of each day to ask my students questions about themselves. This makes the relationship a great deal more personal and it makes each child you interact with more special and loved. Your children will feel the sense of importance, and love.

Lastly, I wanted to discuss the importance of encouraging and reaching out to parents of children living in poverty. I learned that many times students who live in poverty's parents typically do not speak english, and have trouble or may even feel embarrassed communicating with their child's teacher. Every parent has a right to have full knowledge and understanding of how their child is doing in school, and it is necessary as teachers to accommodate parents who may be struggling by being patient with them or even looking into a translator. It is important to make links between home and school to try and ensure the most comfort for both the parent and student. The video "Putting Parents to Work in the Classroom" showed how one high non-english speaking district included the parents of students to be involved in the classroom. The video showed the hesitations some parents had when wanting to be included in the class. Overall, this seems like a positive program that defines all of the ideas expressed in my post this week. The parents involvement in the classroom creates a bond between the parent and teacher, and also provides a new learning experience for the students.

In conclusion, schools extend beyond the four walls of the classroom, and even just by being an active member of the community you can change the lives of students for the best. Through attending the board meeting I learned that there is so much upkeep and decisions that are needed to be made monthly to ensure the success of a district. Including parents in daily classroom updates and functions is also crucial for both the students and the parents success within a school setting. As teachers, it is out duty to try and be as transparent as possible and to maintain open lines of communication.

                                                                            References

Budge, W. P. and K. (2016, May 18). How can high-poverty schools engage families and the community? Edutopia. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/high-poverty-schools-engage-families-community-william-parrett-kathleen-budge

The Nemours Foundation. (n.d.). Parent–teacher conferences: TIPS for teachers (for parents) - nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/parent-conferences.html

Provenzano, N. (2014, February 24). 3 ways to make meaningful connections with your students. Edutopia. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/make-meaningful-connections-with-students-nick-provenzano

Provenzano, N. (2015, October 6). 5 parent-teacher conference prep tips. Edutopia. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/parent-teacher-conference-prep-tips-nicholas-provenzano

YouTube. (n.d.). Putting Parents to work in the Classroom. YouTube. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/