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Parents as partners in education
is one of the most beneficial ways for a student to advance academically. Parental involvement in school-based functions, such as parent-teacher conferences, talking with teachers by phone or on open school nights is one way to participate. Many schools accommodate working parents’ schedules by providing flexible meeting hours in the evening and at different times throughout the year. Almost all school have a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) where parents can get involved in the actual decision making about the educational services their children receive. It’s vital that parents are kept informed by teachers. This involves obtaining information from parents, having parents sign homework, sending out newsletters, etc. Phone calls between parents and teachers is not a common way of communicating, however, don’t be afraid to try it. Parents usually think a phone call means bad news, but can, and should, also use the phone to report positive behavior about their students.
Parents can become more of a partner in the education of their child simply by talking with them about their day. Reading or other activities between parents and children is also helpful. Not only parents reading aloud, but children should also be encouraged to read to their parents. Take your child to the local library and browse books together. Try to create other interesting at-home activities to share. You might consult your child’s teacher for suggestions so that it doesn’t seem so much like “work” but an enjoyable learning time together. However, unless you are actually “home schooling” your children, don’t get carried away and take on the role of teacher. Parents and teachers should keep their roles separate and their activities with the children should be different. Some parents are afraid of “overstepping their boundaries” and feel schooling is solely the responsibility of teacher and school administrators. There is a fine line, but good parenting includes being an involved parent - not just at home but in the academic world as well. There may be reasons that parents don’t become involved and teachers need to take everything into consideration before dismissing the parents as uninterested. There could be a lack of time or if there is a different cultural style involved, parents may feel uncomfortable at school. They may think they don’t have the knowledge or skills to help their children. If a teacher suspects this to be true, a face to face meeting often helps ease any concerns the parents have and will help them become more familiar with the school setting.
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