Bringing Family into the Classroom
Throughout my first year of teaching I learned more than I ever thought was possible. I learned new standards, new strategies to best teach my students, about how important student relationships were and I learned just how vital it is to involve parents in the classroom.
Communicating with parents was a major fear I had when I first started teaching. I thought that any time a parent heard from me that they were going to be upset, blame me for something I was doing wrong or that I was bothering them in some way. This was when I knew I needed to make a major change in my classroom. I needed to celebrate success, raise involvement, reach out and bring families into the classroom.
I think back to my first year and remember how terrified I was each and every time I picked up the phone to call a parent. Calling home to schedule conferences made me so nervous, thinking that I was upsetting them in some way. Now I realize just how much parents need to hear from their child's teacher.
They need to hear about the progress their child is making.
Parents need to hear about what we are learning about in class.
They need to know that their child shared a brilliant idea with the class.
A new way of solving a problem.
A connection they made to their own life while reading an article about Martin Luther King Jr.
How they stood out during specials and went above and beyond trying something new.
How they raised their hand during a discussion when they are normally the most quiet student in class!
You see, parent contact doesn't only need to happen once every semester to schedule a conference. It needs to happen often, to keep them involved; to keep parents connected!
Once I got over my fear of contacting parents and began celebrating success, everything seems so much more clear. I was able to make connections to the parents in my class which made my students more involved. I was able to explain what we were learning about so they could discuss it over dinner that night! I was able to celebrate the abundance of successes I see each and every day which made my students even more excited to come to school each and every day.
When students understand that their teacher and their parents are both on the same side, they feel more comfortable. They begin making connections between school and home. And parents feel comfort and ease while speaking to their teachers.
Parent involvement makes a world of difference. At first, I was terrified. However, when you show how invested you are in your students, parents can show you just how invested they are in you.
As teachers, we see these children for most of the day. Parents trust that we have their best interest, that we are doing our absolute best to exceed their needs and are thinking outside of the box to get them engaged. We get to know the students on a level that most people don't.
Family involvement needs to start from day one and you will be amazed at where it takes your students and how it transforms your classroom.