7.3 Engage with the parents/carers – Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.
Reflective Commentary
Parents/carers form the most significant part of the community. Their involvement in the development of the school needs to be effectively ensured. Teachers are interested in the all-round development of the students. So is the case with the parents/carers. Hence the need for united effort. It is stated that close cooperation between the parent/carer who is the first teacher and the teacher who is the second parent/carer, is the foundation on which rests the fruitfulness of the education imparted in our schools. During my final practicum I got opportunity to be involved in few of the parent/carer-teacher meetings. As a result of my observations and findings from these meetings, elaborate discussions with my mentor teachers, my personal experiences as a parent of two children and my research on the topic I have shortlisted a few of the following facts, which I believe is very important for all teachers and educators to be aware of to establish a healthy professional relationship for working effectively with the parents/carers of students.
Need for Parent/Carer – Teacher cooperation from the point of the Teachers:
During my practicums I got opportunities to meet parents/carers of my students. This was mainly through parent-teacher meetings, in the classroom when parents/carers came to drop and pick their children and also through the school events for example sports carnival. On some occasions I noted that not every parent wanted to interact or chat with me, this may be because I was not yet a designated classroom teacher of their child. However, for me meeting the parents/carers and engaging in a conversation with them was indeed a good learning experience.
Action
As mentioned earlier, I was involved in several parent/carer - teacher meetings, where we discussed how their child was performing both socially and academically. In these meetings, it was really interesting to see how parents/carers were concerned about the areas where their children needed to improve. Some of the parents were very open to discuss various strategies to support their children in terms of certain behaviour issues. The response from parents was reassuring as they acknowledged and praised my work, I am sure this was because of the feedback their children had given to their parents about my lessons. For the Sports Carnival day, which was held in the first week of fourth term, I helped out with events for Year 5 factions. Sports Carnival was another good opportunity for teachers to interact with parents and carers.
Outcome
I was privileged for the opportunities to get to know some of the parents of my students. Through these meetings I was able to correlate with my students in a proficient manner.
After talking to the parents I was able to understand why some of my students were performing below average academically. The information provided by the parents/carers inspired me to make necessary adjustments in my teaching style. It also helped me to establish a good rapport with my students.
Action plan
I am fully aware that as a future classroom teacher I should look for opportunities to interact with the parents/carers of my students, for example – assembly sessions, sports carnivals, fund raising events, school excursions and incursions and award ceremonies, before and after school time when parents come to drop or pick their child etc. I understand that parents/carers may have a busy schedule and hence I need to value the importance of their time and honour the planned meetings with them. I will ensure that I treat them with respect without being judgmental. I am prepared to give patient hearing to their views and complaints. As a duty of care I will make efforts to keep the parents informed about any poor mental health issues of my students. Should any of my students perform poorly in assessments, I will endeavor to contact parents to inform them about the same. I would keep an open channel for communication with the parents/carers via my email.
Documentation of Evidence
Reflective Commentary
Parents/carers form the most significant part of the community. Their involvement in the development of the school needs to be effectively ensured. Teachers are interested in the all-round development of the students. So is the case with the parents/carers. Hence the need for united effort. It is stated that close cooperation between the parent/carer who is the first teacher and the teacher who is the second parent/carer, is the foundation on which rests the fruitfulness of the education imparted in our schools. During my final practicum I got opportunity to be involved in few of the parent/carer-teacher meetings. As a result of my observations and findings from these meetings, elaborate discussions with my mentor teachers, my personal experiences as a parent of two children and my research on the topic I have shortlisted a few of the following facts, which I believe is very important for all teachers and educators to be aware of to establish a healthy professional relationship for working effectively with the parents/carers of students.
Need for Parent/Carer – Teacher cooperation from the point of the Teachers:
- To seek information from the parents about the child to have adequate understanding of him/her.
- To get help from parents in the regular attendance of the child.
- To get help in providing necessary books and other resources.
- To get help in regular supervision of home work of the child.
- To get help in stressing upon their wards to follow school rules.
- To get support for various fund raising projects for school.
- They need information regarding the progress of their children.
- They need information about problem situations before they become serious.
- They want regular feedback about their children’s academic performance.
- They need advice as to how they could supplement the efforts of the school in promoting the progress of their children.
- Indifference of the parents/carers to the school work.
- Education level of parents/carers
- Busy life of the parents and the lack of time to contact teachers.
- Ignorance on the part of the parents/carers in general as to how they can render any assistance to the child in his/her work.
- Custody rights of individual parents/carers towards their children in case of divorce or separation.
During my practicums I got opportunities to meet parents/carers of my students. This was mainly through parent-teacher meetings, in the classroom when parents/carers came to drop and pick their children and also through the school events for example sports carnival. On some occasions I noted that not every parent wanted to interact or chat with me, this may be because I was not yet a designated classroom teacher of their child. However, for me meeting the parents/carers and engaging in a conversation with them was indeed a good learning experience.
Action
As mentioned earlier, I was involved in several parent/carer - teacher meetings, where we discussed how their child was performing both socially and academically. In these meetings, it was really interesting to see how parents/carers were concerned about the areas where their children needed to improve. Some of the parents were very open to discuss various strategies to support their children in terms of certain behaviour issues. The response from parents was reassuring as they acknowledged and praised my work, I am sure this was because of the feedback their children had given to their parents about my lessons. For the Sports Carnival day, which was held in the first week of fourth term, I helped out with events for Year 5 factions. Sports Carnival was another good opportunity for teachers to interact with parents and carers.
Outcome
I was privileged for the opportunities to get to know some of the parents of my students. Through these meetings I was able to correlate with my students in a proficient manner.
After talking to the parents I was able to understand why some of my students were performing below average academically. The information provided by the parents/carers inspired me to make necessary adjustments in my teaching style. It also helped me to establish a good rapport with my students.
Action plan
I am fully aware that as a future classroom teacher I should look for opportunities to interact with the parents/carers of my students, for example – assembly sessions, sports carnivals, fund raising events, school excursions and incursions and award ceremonies, before and after school time when parents come to drop or pick their child etc. I understand that parents/carers may have a busy schedule and hence I need to value the importance of their time and honour the planned meetings with them. I will ensure that I treat them with respect without being judgmental. I am prepared to give patient hearing to their views and complaints. As a duty of care I will make efforts to keep the parents informed about any poor mental health issues of my students. Should any of my students perform poorly in assessments, I will endeavor to contact parents to inform them about the same. I would keep an open channel for communication with the parents/carers via my email.
Documentation of Evidence
My Introductory flyer for parents/guardians/carers