Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools
There is a famous proverb that reads “It takes a village to raise a child”. This emphasizes that creating a nurturing environment for children requires the involvement and support of various individuals, including parents, guardians, families, and communities, as well as the acknowledgement of students’ cultural backgrounds and the common languages present. Working together as a cohesive unit provides the safety, security, and encouragement necessary for children to thrive, fulfill their potential, and achieve their aspirations. Essentially, it underscores the notion that it truly does “take a village” to raise happy, healthy, and successful children.
In nurturing an environment conducive to the growth and development of children, it is essential to foster collaboration between schools and families. This collaboration hinges on establishing consistent goals across both home and school settings. Children receive coherent guidance and support by aligning expectations and approaches, reinforcing their understanding of the shared objectives. Moreover, connecting family life and education, including cultural considerations, deepens this collaboration and enhances children’s sense of belonging and relevance in their learning experiences.
Central to this collaborative effort is the need for unified support, where both home and school environments work in tandem to address the needs of children. Challenges may arise when there is a disconnect between these environments, underscoring the importance of open communication and dialogue between educators and parents. Conversations with parents are pivotal for addressing attendance issues, as they may signify underlying family challenges that require collaborative solutions. When parents cannot provide the necessary support, proactive intervention from educators can help bridge the gap, ensuring that children receive the assistance they need to thrive academically and socially. Through this unified approach, schools and families can create a nurturing and supportive environment where children are empowered to realize their full potential.
How did I use this in practice?
In my practicum, I utilised an updated syllabus to communicate the student learning to be expected during my time in the classroom as well as participated in Parent-Teacher interview night.
Syllabus: This allowed for an open dialogue between parents and me the teacher and they understood what films and topics I would be covering with their children. Each film I prepared for the students had been previously agreed upon before I came in to teach so parents already knew what to expect in that instance and parents were provided the choice to allow their children to enter the course or place them into another history 12 course. Parents therefore knew what to expect discussion-wise and language-wise, and were given reasons why we needed to cover certain topics and films and the necessary discussion we had to have in class to best understand events of history. During my practicum, parents were told I would cover medieval warfare and weaponry up to third-generation warfare. We would have a heavy focus on the crusades of the medieval period, leading to the viewing of the film Kingdom of Heaven and many discussions of religion, religious tensions, and key terms such as Multiculturalism, Blasphemy, Heresy, Sacrilidge, Cosmopolitanism, etc…
Parent-Teacher Conferences: This allowed for a more personal conversation to occur between me the teacher and my student’s parents. We were able to discuss individual student goals and productivity and work together to create learning strategies that could be incorporated at both school and home to better improve student learning. If parents had any worries or qualms about their student or the course itself, this allowed us to discuss it together.
Yinka Dene Graduation: During my second practicum I volunteered to help set up the Graduation ceremony for our school’s Indigenous grade twelve students. It was a fun experience as it gave me nostalgia for my high school career where I had to set up my gymnasium multiple times a year for ceremonies of all sorts and many many band concerts.
