Professional Competency #9
Key Questions
1. What goals do I wish to achieve in collaborating with parents?
2. What principles do I follow in trying to achieve those goals with parents?
Background Orientation:
Second in importance only to one’s colleagues on staff as partners working for the benefit of children are the parents and guardians of one’s students. And, just as there is widespread agreement about the importance of working effectively with parents/guardians, there is just as much widespread agreement on how challenging it is to do that. For every helpful and cooperative parent, there seem to be several who are uninterested, uncooperative, or too overwhelmed with life to attend and cooperate. Yet, a teacher cannot ignore the task and it is important to understand the complexities of the dynamic and develop an approach to make those relationships as open and helpful as possible.
Reading:
EDEE 355, number 17 (Shalaway, “The home-school connection”).
Task:
Articulate your understandings about working effectively with parents. This brief statement may include sections on the purposes and goals of working with parents, the best means to achieve those goals, the difficulties to expect, and some means to try to address those difficulties. This statement should become part of your teaching portfolio. If you have any artifacts to supplement your statement (e.g., communications with parents, etc.), please include them.
Means:
- Interview your CT and/or other teachers about this key issue.
- Interview parents to hear their side of the story.
- Above all, pay attention and reflect on your experience in working with parents over the term, noting what seems to work effectively, what the basic issues and difficulties are, etc.
Due Date:
Week 16