Mostly, I just observe and listen. Nearly every time I ride the bus I see my students and their families. I give smiles, say hi, and get hugs or high fives. One time, a couple of my students sang me a song we taught in class. Sometimes I chat; with an elderly man about Russian ballet, with a high school student about band, or with a grandparent about her grandchildren that I work with at a local elementary school. “It is a pleasure to work with your granddaughters. They are brilliant,” I tell her. She leaves beaming, and my day has been made yet again.
In my opinion good relationships between one another are possible regardless of differences in life experiences and realities. Not only are positive relationships possible but they are also necessary for strong communities and healthy lives; these relationships help us to prosper in everything we do. As educators, we must be aware that positive parent-teacher relationships are the foundation upon which our children are educated.
Time and time again, studies have proven that strong family-school partnerships improve achievement for all students (Weaver, 2010). As an educator in Alaska, where Native American students make up the largest minority, I am especially impacted by the compelling evidence that “parental involvement is particularly important for Native American students and will actually lead to larger increases in GPA for them than for other ethnic groups” (Henderson and Mapp, 2002). Student success, through positive school-family relationships is built on mutual trust between the school and home. If this trust does not exist, I strongly believe that I have a responsibility to reach out to families in a supportive and sensitive manner.
At the same time, I am acutely aware that relationships of any kind do not occur overnight. The development of meaningful connections between educators and their students’ families is a hands on, long-term commitment. We cannot look for quick and easy fixes because there are none. We need to be able to look at this from multiple perspectives as school-family relationships are complex and impacted by many factors. These factors include historical educational approaches, current institutional practices, cultural values, socioeconomic status, and even as Hall states, “geographic location” (Hall, 2013). In comparing zip codes, and school funding with academic performance, Hall found that the achievement of students from low income families that attended high income schools was much higher than their peers who attended low income schools (Hall, 2013). This suggests that the school community is responsible for creating an environment in which all students can thrive. The engagement of parents, families and the community, as multidimensional, sensitive and complex, as it may be, can close the gap between students that make it and those that do not.
Educators and families want what is best for their children, yet the heartbreaking truth is: “in America the children that do and don’t succeed are statistically predictable by income and by race” (Hall, 2013). This is 2015, and in my mind, such inequality and lack of opportunity for some students and their families, is completely unacceptable. All families have hopes, dreams, and goals for their children. Therefore, actions which benefit all students, such as family and community engagement, must become an integrated part of the education system.
To integrate family and community involvement, educators and entire schools should respect that every family and community looks a little different. Here in Alaska, families come in all different shapes and sizes. Many families speak different languages. Others have negative feelings associated with formal education, and rightfully so. As Barnhardt explains, “Generations of children went through the residential schools. And each of those children who were educated were told that their lives were not as good as the lives of the non-Aboriginal people of this country” (Barnhardt, 2001). Meanwhile, “non-Aboriginal children in the non-Aboriginal school systems of this country were also being told the same thing about Aboriginal people” (Barnhardt, 2001). This is an example of a long-standing system which has led generations of children to think about a certain group of people in a way that is negative, resulting in many unfortunate misconceptions.
I believe in looking at the way that I educate children, and the way I communicate with parents because it is crucially important that I communicate without assumptions or biases. I also believe in educating myself because part of my role as an educator, in and out of the classroom, is to develop an understanding of my students, their families, and their histories, cultures, and day-to-day realities. We need to show our students that everyone, including parents and teachers, is on the same page, in that we hold our children to the highest of expectations because we honestly believe in them and wholly support them.
To value the background knowledge, culture, and life experiences of our students and their families, is what Bartolomé calls “humanizing pedagogy” (Salazar, 2013). One way that I foster humanizing pedagogy is by taking small steps toward getting to know my students, and other community members. Sometimes it is just little connections, such as making small talk at the grocery store or at the laundromat. I have also babysat, and attended dance recitals, cultural gatherings, sports events, and fundraisers. The insight I gain on my student’s lives and the community as a whole, guides how I build relationships with my students’ and their families.
This year, as a student teacher in music classrooms across the Juneau School District, I have learned about the importance of events, programming and performances that includes families and friends. In other words, I have learned to invite the community at every chance possible not just for polished performances, but also for sharing ideas and informal performances. As one of my host teachers, Lorrie Heagy, stated to the press about a concert at Glacier Valley Elementary school; “Parents were feeling more a part of the school through the performances and seeing the asset their child is…. with music it’s always about celebrating what they can do” (Griffiths, 2012). Parent-teacher relationships are about more than getting along and having common interests; they are about involving parents and families into our classrooms as the experts of their own children and communities.
Some brilliant examples I have seen include; having a grandparent visit to share stories, having a local musician or artist perform for the class, and making use of parent ideas and support for important decisions. In fact, one of my fondest memories in elementary school is when my father came into my class and demonstrated what he does for work as construction worker. I remember being so full of pride. To develop strong partnerships, we must go beyond conversations, and actually engage the community by making use of parent, family and community knowledge.
References:
- Griffiths, M. (2012, September 15). Strength in music. Juneau Empire. Retrieved November 4, 2015.Hall, Megan (2013, November 7).
- Megan Hall: Building relationships between parents and teachers. TEDxBurnsvilleEDHenderson, A. & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
- Salazar, M. (2013). A Humanizing Pedagogy: Reinventing the Principles and Practice of Education as a Journey Toward Liberation. Review of Research in Education, 121-148.
- Weaver, R. (2010). Environmental Causes of Achievement Gaps: Family Environment. The Educator's Handbook for Understanding and Closing Achievement Gaps, 99-122. Retrieved November 05, 2015.