Blog 10
One part of the Teaching Tolerance website that I
found to be useful was Family Engagement. Since I have started taking these
education courses and reading the books that go along with the courses, it is
always mentioned that engaging parents in their child’s progress in school is
key to the success of the child. It also helps with keeping everyone on the
same page. “The
National Parent Teacher Association gives five reasons to renew the push to
engage parents before, during and after ‘Bring Your Family to School Week’: Higher
grades, test scores, graduation rates, better attendance at school, fewer
suspensions and incidents of violent behavior, increased motivation and
self-esteem, decreased drug and alcohol use” (Family Engagement). Parents like
to know what is going on with their child and having all parties involved helps
with keeping everyone happy and avoiding miscommunications. Another important
aspect in getting the family engaged, is sending behavior and schoolwork
reports home with the child on a daily basis. Most of the time, parents hear
from the school or the child’s teacher when they have done something wrong and
the parents receive bad news. By sending home behavior and schoolwork daily
report cards, the child has more of an incentive to behave, thus giving the
parents good news on their child. Another plus to this type of method is the
parents can determine a reward to give the child. Parents know their child best
and know what will get their attention in order to have more of an incentive to
complete their work and behave. “As children's first teachers, parents play
important roles in supporting academic learning at home and at school” (Family
Engagement).
I
plan to use the daily report card method in my classroom in order to get the
family fully engaged in their child’s academic learning.
"Family
Engagement." Teaching Tolerance. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.tolerance.org/supplement/family-engagement>.
