Reflection Paper

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Reflection Assignment Kristina Downs Cohort III

During our cohort sessions this year, we have heard about and discussed many topics with regard to education. As I tried to think of which topic had the most profound impact on my attitude and performance as a teacher , I found that I kept coming back to parent involvement and how it seems to have a link to almost every topic we explored this year. Teachers are always being directed by administration to involve parents in our classrooms and find better ways of communicating with our students9 families. I realized through personal experience, that it was advantageous to me, and to my students , to establish good rapport with their parents , but I never thought about the reasons why this relationship was so essential, it just seemed like the 3thing to do2. Our cohort research, professional reading and presentations have helped me to understand the importance of this issue.

3Parents who know their children9s teachers, help them with the homework and teach their kids right from wrong-- these parents can make all the difference.2 President Bill Clinton State of the Union Address

We know parents can make all the difference and most of them want to help their children any way they can. It is our job as educators to help break down the barriers that keep parents from being involved in their child9s learning in a meaningful way. 3Families reinforce the importance of school , homework, and other activities that build student skills and feelings of success.2 (Epstein,1995)

Research indicates that parent involvement has come to the forefront of our national education plan. U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley announced the formation of a nationwide partnership to support the goal of greater family involvement in children9s learning. He said the U. S. Dept. Of Education would join a 45-member National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education ( NCPIE ),which would be devoted to promoting the central role of the family in inspiring children to learn and achieve. Riley9s recent report 3Strong Families, Strong Schools2 uses 30 years of research findings to show that 3Greater family involvement is a critical link to achieving a high- quality education and a safe, disciplined learning environment for every student.2 (Riley , 1999) This promotion of parent /school partnerships was enacted earlier this year as part of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. This type of legislation and government attention can only mean that our government is agreeing and supporting what educators have known for years, that parental partnership is a key to student success.

National reform can only bring us so far in our quest for better parent involvement. Individual schools and teachers will be the real catalysts for change. 3With frequent interactions between schools, families, and communities, more students are more likely to receive common messages from various people about the importance of school, of working hard, of thinking creatively, of helping one another , and of staying in school.2 (Epstein, 1995). Educators are in the position of bringing the pieces together by creating opportunities to integrate the separate spheres of a child9s life.

Joyce Epstein offers a frame work of six types of involvement that may help schools to more successfully initiate meaningful, positive parent involvement. The suggestions offered by the framework could be a starting point for educators to consider. Type 1-Parenting Help all families establish a home environment which supports children as students.

Type 2-Communicating Design effective forms of school-to- home and home-to -school communications about school programs and student progress.

Type 3-Volunteering Recruit and organize parent help and support.

Type 4-Learning at Home Provide information and ideas to families about how to help student s at home with homework and other curriculum related activities , decisions , and planning.

Type 5-Decision Making Include parents in school decisions , developing parent leaders as representatives.

Type 6-Collaborating with Community Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs , family practices and student learning and development.

The expanded version of Epstein9s work, offers many examples of specific activities for implementation of each category of partnership. This guide could be a practical and valuable tool for any school or individual teacher to consider as a means of improving partnerships which positively impact students.

In reflecting back upon the Toxic child sessions that we attended, it seemed that each session focused on problems children may have when they are not well supported by family, schools or community. The agencies which provide services to children with problems are in some cases successful in helping to improve their chances for school and social success, but they are all mainly reactive to negative situations that students may find themselves in. Schools which work to establish partnerships similar to those presented by Ms.Epstein, may be able to help prevent some of the problems students face by implementing a more proactive plan for children and their families.

Educators cannot solve all the problems of their students . They cannot be responsible for every aspect of their lives, but schools are changing in response to changing families and partnerships between home, school and community are a winning proposition for all parties involved.

Bibliography:

1. Epstein, J.L. (1995, May). School / Family and Community Partnerships: Caring for the Children We Share. Phi Delta Kappan, Vol.76, No. 9 , 701-712

2. Riley, R.W. (1999). Riley Urges Families to get Involved in their Child9s Learning. SIRS Knowledge Source (R), SuDoc.# ED 1.85/ 2:17

-- Anonymous, May 13, 1999


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