Chapter three covers considering Kindergarten families. The first part of the text that I found important is the statement of page 26. It states, 'Kindergarten teachers have a unique opportunity to help families launch their children's school years.' This statement is very important because sometimes the kindergarten teacher is the first person that the parents have contact with. The teacher is the person to make a lasting impression on the child and the parents. The second part of the text that I found interesting is on page 28 and it discusses the four consistent family factors that predict a child's achievement at kindergarten entry and beyond. These four consistencies are living at or below poverty level, a single parents household, a low level of parent education, and parents who speak a language other than English at home. To me this is something that I can counter at school. I can try to work with the parents and try to do what is best for their child while they are at school and recommend things that they can do at home. The next item discussed in the text that was important was developing reciprocal relationships with families. This requires the teachers to move beyond a view of parent involvement as a series of isolated events. The teacher needs to learn information about the families through personal exchange. The parents and teachers must work together to give the student the best education possible. The last part of the text that I liked discusses how the school's role can affect the students and their parents. School practices can facilitate strong partnerships between parents and teachers. The schools need to support activities that are aimed at helping families and their children make a successful transition to kindergarten. I would want to make sure that this happens within my school district and my family. A child is going to view education the same way that the important people in their lives view education.
Brandy, I like the comment that you made about children viewing their education the same way that the important people in their lives view education. You are completely right! So as teachers, the more positively we can influence the view of the child's family, the more likely that child is to want to and enjoy attending school and being a part of our classroom. This especially becomes even more important if the child is a part of one of those consistincies that predict a child's achievement. If the child at least likes being there and the parent feels like your classroom is a good environment for their child, things suddenly become a lot easier.
In chapter #3 of the K Today text, I think that the most important thing that was stated was, “teachers need to learn information about families through personal exchanges” (Gullo, 30). I believe that this is important because I have seen what happens when certain things are not addressed with the families. Where I work, we have one teacher that only talks to the parents twice a year at their given parent-teacher conferences. When there are problems with why a student is exhibiting certain behaviors or just if they are not acting like themselves, she waits to see if the parents will tell her what is going on, and if they do not, she does not make any effort to ask. In the afternoon, that teacher is not there, and so if I really have a question of why something is going on or if they are noticing the same type of behaviors at home, I ask the parents myself. Often times, they can tell me exactly why their child is acting that way and what is causing it. In my own classroom, I will be sure to have an open, two way communication system available for all of the parents of my students because I care about their child and I want to help them. It is not possible to help them if you do not know the details of why certain things are happening. I also think that it is important to incorporate family information and contributions into the classroom. This is not only a good way for you as the teacher to understand more about the child’s family, but it also allows the other children to possibly be exposed to different kinds of diversity such as culture and ethnicity. This gives both students and their families a sense of value and importance in the classroom because they are being allowed to contribute information about their family, customs, traditions, celebrations, etc. I will try and implement this in my classroom by maybe having a weekly student spotlight bulletin board where everyone fills out the same questionnaire and then is allowed to bring pictures to show members of their family. I think that I would also try and encourage any of the parents to schedule a time(s) throughout the school year where they can come and have lunch with their child or be a helper in the classroom. This is just another way that the parents can feel like they are involved and welcome to be a part of their child’s education and they can see the child in the environment that you , the teacher, see them in every day.
Kyla, I completely agree with your first statement. It is so important for families and teachers to have interaction. I think that a kindergarten teacher is going to be the first person to show the parents and families just how important it is to be involved in their child's education. At the school were I work we have a lot of problems with parents not being involved and I feel that if they were than we would not have some of the problems that we do have.
Chapter three focused on the Kindergarten families. Both the parents and teachers enter the new year with questions about what will come. They have doubts, hopes, fears and excitement. Being a Kindergarten teacher, you will most likely be the first introduction into the school setting. Being this first experience, you have a lot of responsibility and a great opportunity to set the child’s education off to a great start. To help do this you need to develop open communication between the parents and yourself. This foundation will be so beneficial throughout the year. Some great ideas in this chapter were to respect family traditions, by celebrating all the different diverse students and cultures entering your classroom. Make sure you let the parents know how important they are to the success of their child throughout their education and set a plan to continue learning at home as well as school. When the teacher and the parent are on the same level about creating authentic learning experiences in and out of school the child benefits. As a teacher we will have a very diverse range of children, and we need to be aware of the needs and challenges that can create. We will see a wide range of socioeconomic status, family structures, religion, culture, social class etc. and we need to be ready to embrace all of this diversity. I really like the family album idea of the children creating a homemade book about their family. This allows you to get to know each family individually and let them know you are invested in getting to know their family.
Autumn I also liked all the ideas that this chapter gave us on how to interact with parents. I thought that the part about respecting the family traditions was very interesting and important. I grow up in an area where most people believed in the same things and there was not a lot of diversity. But where I work at now there is a lot of diversity. I have noticed what an impact it makes on the kids and the relationship between the parents and the teachers when we as a school respect the cultures the kids are from. It makes the kids fell respected and cared for.
I agree with you about teachers and parents having a mutually supportive relationship. Having open communication between the two is a vital part of student’s success, whether it is sending letters home or having the parent sign the agenda each night.
In this weeks chapter I found a lot of information that I found very interesting. One think that jumped out to me was how kindergarten is not only the kids first experience with school but it can be the parents first experience with having a kids in school. Kindergarten teachers have a responsibility to lay down a positive learning environment for the kids and their families. In the school I work at a lot of the parents had bad experiences in school and do not expect their kids to have a better time then they did. I have seen different teachers go above and beyond for their students and that has mad a huge difference in how the parents view school. I have also seen teachers give family homework assignments out that the families do together then the kids present them to the class and then hang in the hallway. The kids feel proud to say this is me and where I come from. It also makes the parents feel apart of the learning experience with out them having to be at the school. I want my future classroom to be a family friendly place where parents can feel apart of the activities with out having to come to the school. I also want to help encourage a strong desire for the parents to be involved in their childs leaning.
I like that you brought in that parents may be experiencing their kids in school for the first time. We are the ones, for the most part, that parents are going to first encounter. Keeping the interactions positive and the communication lines open will hopefully help get rid of any anxieties they may have about it. I also like that you worked in that when the kids work with their families, and it is displayed to everyone, they are proud of that work!
On page 31 there is a statement, "Many teachers find that personal contact with parents or extended family members in an informal setting is a good way to connect with families." I couldn't agree with this more. I think this is a great way for the parents to get comfortable with their child's teacher which will help make it easier for the parents to accept the transition as well. I can use this in my classroom by using this time to learn more about each child's families beliefs and practices in order to make the transition smoother. On page 32 it talks about school roles. I think this is also very important because being involved with parents includes the parents being more comfortable around you as a teacher. This will also lead to more involvement with the school and participation within families. I can use this in my classroom by encouraging the parents to get to know other families and get involved in the activities within the school for their child's sake. Another way to keep parents involved is talked about on page 30. By sending home newsletters, handouts, and talking in parent-teacher conferences. In order for teachers to learn about their child's at home lives, teachers must communicate and relate to the parents on a personal level. I can use this in my classroom by remembering how important it is to understand and know my students family lives. By doing this it can explain many behavior problems or just how and why the student is acting and responding in the classroom the way they are.
I totally agree with you about the importance of connecting with families in an informal setting to increase the family’s comfortableness with you. It definitely will ease the transition. If the parents feel their child is well taken care of and loved then they will be more involved, more likely to trust your decisions in the classroom and your advice on how to extend the knowledge to the home. Getting the parents to be involved is a great way to build that trust.
I agree as well about parents and teachers needing to work together. An example would be if a student is slowly making progress on a certain subject or area that other students are improving quicker on, you as a teacher can communicate with the parent and have them work on it at home as well as at school and this could help them catch up. If we are not communicating with parents about what is going on at school then it will be harder for the students to succeed in a positive manner.
Erin Flax Chapter three was a bunch of great information that I wish some kindergarten teachers I know would read. I knew most of the stuff from being a “family worker” for Head Start which means I not only worked in the classroom I also did 4 home visits, with each of my 12 families, a year. Because of this I can’t imagine being able to be a great teacher without doing them in order to get to know the families. There is so much that goes on in a child’s family life that can a does affect their schooling. I have heard that some schools do not allow home visits so I better find out other ways of forming relationships with families in order to be a better teacher. Right off the bat on page 26 it very affectively states questions that families worry about when their child starts kindergarten. They worry about if they and their child will like the teacher. They wonder how the teacher will see their child and if the child’s actions will reflect on them. They wonder if they can trust the teacher and if the teacher will have their child’s best interests at heart. These are questions that can more easily be answered by spending time with the families. I also like the questions it says that teachers worry about. Again these can best be answered when you get to know the family.
On page 27 I was surprised to see that the amount of time parents spend with their child has increased since 1965 even though we have more stay at home mothers. However it seems to be no surprise that these family moments are usually spent “multitasking.” Sadly I can see myself in that. I can’t count the times I have played a game with my child while watching television. I have also helped him with his homework while cooking. To help with this I would try to give parents fun activities to do with their children that are hard or impossible to multitask while doing. This could be read a book while standing and acting it out. My son and I loved to act out “Caps for sale.” He had the peddler’s lines memorized so I would read the narrative and he would say the peddler’s lines while acting them out. I got to be the monkeys. Or it could be a list of questions or topics that they could discuss at the dinner table. This would be hard to do while the television is on or if you were on the phone. I also like the national standards for parent/family involvement programs. I feel these sex statements should be posted by the teacher’s desk to be constantly reminded of what you need to do. I will be posting it by my desk and continually put myself in my parent’s shoes so I can relate to how they feel.
This was a great reply, Erin. My mom worked for HeadStart for 27 years. She's actually getting ready to sub for a maternity leave at the beginning of next school year - she'll be there 12 weeks. She gets to do home visits as well. Sometimes, in Topeka, she was a little weary of where she was going and who she would meet but found that once the families realized she wasn't 'out to get them' they responded better to everything else. I also agree with you about family time. I'm a stay-at-home mom but I find myself struggling to share time appropriately with my son. Granted he's sometimes too busy for me! However, my time is often spent on homework so I know what I'm doing is benefiting him.
This chapter was great because it gave a good light as to how families are going to affect kids in the classroom. I feel like as an educator we should welcome those interactions and parent involvements. Being able to understand them, and having them trust you, will go far. One of the things that I liked in the chapter was that it gave statistics on children in poverty and what they are exposed to. Not all children are going to be privileged or come from a stable home. That's hard for me to remember sometimes since they isn't how I grew up. Some of the things I assume children should know still need to be included in their learning objectives. Another thing that the text mentioned was that if a child is lacking in a certain area in kindergarten, it will only get worse in the upper grades. I feel like this ties back into the interview Ms. Stoppel had us watch with the speech therapist. If we are able to identify any areas of difficulty the child is having in kindergarten, and correct it early, it will save them a lot of frustration! Lastly, I enjoyed the fact that the text pulled in learning about others' cultures. Children are naturally curious. I think bullying doesn't necessarily start from meanness but from ignorance. Having students understand why someones culture is the way that it is, or helping them develop an open mind in the early years, will help them become more accepting as they grow older. I would love to a classroom that is constantly curious and learning. Hopefully parents will never feel like they are intruding on my time if they want to introduce children to their culture. To me, it's just as important to make the families feel comfortable in the classroom as it is to make the children feel comfortable.
I, too, found the stats on children in poverty interesting. I had no idea that 18 percent of kindergarten children were living in poverty. I am also looking forward to learning more about cultures. In Enid, we have a large group of Marshallese people. There family dynamics are so interesting. If you get a chance, you should read up on it.
Kristin, you are absolutely right. Getting the trust of the parents when you are their child’s teachers is one of the most important things to have when you teach. If the parents don’t trust you to take care of their children, they will not think that their child is getting a very good educational experience and the child might not trust you either.
From chapter three, I learned that “Both kindergarten boys and girls whore mother have less than a bachelor’s degree are more likely to be overweight than children who mothers have a four year degree of higher” (28). I am actually interested in knowing why that might be. It is an interesting fact. Much of the information is stuff I have personally had to deal with having worked in a preschool. Professional competencies are very important to me – which the text also discusses. I walked into a preschool once to pick up my friends son from preschool. The teacher was so disrespectful. The parents gather in the hallway outside the door to pick up their kids, when I told her who I was and who I was there to pick up, she announced the he was just awful today and didn’t listen at all. I thought she was being so unprofessional. I told her that I would let his mother know. First of all, only the parents of the child need to know. She should have asked me to have his parents call her. Secondly, she announced it while other parents were picking up their children. I just thought that it was awful.
My best guess as to why children with mothers who have less than a bachelor's degree are more likely to be overweight, is that those mother's make less money. On a limited budget, the money for groceries is limited. And what foods are cheap? The unhealthy, prepackaged, boxed ones! Think mac&cheese, chef boyardee, hamburger helper, Hungry Man dinners, Totinos frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. The foods that are healthier like fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats are much more expensive! So that is my two cents... :)
I didn't necessarily agree with this statistic but can see how it can happen. A mother with less education has to work longer hours at a low paying job and so therefor the child is going to be introduced and fed more unhealthy and fast food compared to a mother who has a degree and has a job working mon-friday with good hours and greater access to better food. good post
If there is one thing that I have learned from working in schools as a para and a substitute, it's that family relationships are incredibly important. Parents want to feel involved, and starting the year off positive makes for an easier year. The first thing that struck me in the text was the statistics on family characteristics. Every family is so different, and these statistics just show that to be true. One of the things that I read in this section included how much time mothers and fathers spend taking care of their children on average, and how much of that time ends up being 'shared' time. The amount of 'shared' time for mothers has increased greatly and I assume this has to do with the fact that more women entered the workforce. Another thing that really intrigued me was how different children are when entering kindergarten. It was previously mentioned in the text that if a child is only read to so many hours prior to entering kindergarten, they enter more prepared than those who've been for fewer hours. Economic background is big part of school preparation for kindergarteners. Another thing that affects more students than it did previously is obesity. Who would've thought that children of mothers without a four year degree are more likely to be obese? That would've never been a correlation I'd have made. The last thing in this chapter that grabbed my attention was what the school's role is in a child's life. Many schools have guidelines set for what they expect from teachers. One school I worked in encouraged teachers to make a positive connection prior to the second week of school - that included phone calls, personal meetings or e-mails. I thought that this seemed really effective because the parents then seemed to feel included. In the chapter, there was a lot of talk about transition activities that took place between preschool and kindergarten. Some transition activities are things like kindergarten round-up, an evening for parents and children involved in at-risk programs and involving preschool teachers in activities.
Great post, Kimberly. I agree that creating a trusting, positive relationship from the beginning of the school year will make for an easier year with support from the parents. Also, children come to kindergarten at different academic levels. Those who have been read to at home are more advanced that those who haven't. You made a good point about making positive relationships within the first two weeks. Thats a good time frame to do so.
To me, this chapter is one of the most important ones in this book. Having a good relationship with the students’ families can sometimes make or break their first impressions of school. A quote in this chapter that needs to be remembered by all teachers is that “teachers foster positive family-school relationships by focusing on learning and sharing information and creating ways to respectfully include family knowledge and contributions in the classroom.” It can be difficult to get those relationships built, but once you do, the whole classroom environment will change. Another great point that was made in this chapter is that along with beliefs and other cultural background, it is also very important to have an idea about what their living conditions are. This consideration is especially true for new immigrants. This situation is something that I have recently witnessed to the fullest. The classroom that I am interning in is made up of children, who almost all speak Spanish at home and their parents know just a little bit of English. A way that that school gets to know the families is by having all of their teachers go to each and every one of their students’ homes twice a year for a visit. The last point that I got from this chapter is that, as teachers, we can’t be quick to judge why parents are not getting involved with their child’s school. If we don’t know the situation that they are in and haven’t established a relationship, than we should not be speculating why they are not showing up to events. As a person that they are trusting to help take care of their child, you should be the last one to point fingers or judge them. Overall, I thought this was a great chapter and it was important for it to be included in this book. We have to remember that Kindergarten is more than just academic work. It is much more than that.
You brought up the point that at times we are quick to judge why parents are not involved in their child's learning, or why they do or do not do something we think they should or should not be doing. I see this happen a lot in some of the classrooms I am in, and I truly think that is why it is so important to be involved with the families and take that extra time to get to know them. I do see that it is becoming more common for teachers to go and do home visits with the family, espeically in the younger grades. I think this is a wonderful way to help bridge that relationship between home and school.
Chapter 3 is about considering the kindergarten family. In this chapter it discusses how you as a teacher can help create a supportive relationship with the families of their students, and discusses just how important it is to do this. This chapter discusses how in classrooms today the students can come from very diverse family backgrounds. In order to learn more about the family and help build a positive relationship, as well as get the family involved in their child’s learning it is important for the teacher to be able to share information with the family as well as exchange information with the family. The author talks about using newsletters, conferences, notes and phone calls, but says that you need to go beyond that. The author used the example of the teacher walking out with her students at the end of the day, in an informal setting, so that she was able to talk to the families picking up their children and make connections with them. The chapter also offers some ideas for teachers to use to help bring the family and classroom together. Family albums that the families create together are a wonderful way to get insight into the family, their culture, and beliefs. In reading this chapter it reminded me also of the importance of being aware of all the different types of resources that are available to families in need of assistance as well as knowing who they can contact to get more information or services. In these times there are many of our families that are struggling to make ends meet, and this information can be very helpful not only for the family in general but for their child’s learning experience as well.
I agreed also with creating supportive relationships with the parents. I believe that the stronger and closer the relationship between the two the greater the success for the child. Good post.
Considering Kindergarten families is such an important part of teaching kindergarten. I thought the family charateristics and consequences section had great information. It just shows that not all kindergarteners are coming from a family with a mom and a dad in a middle class home. 18 % are living in poverty, 23% lived in a single parent home, and 9% were ELL. Students could come to you with a single mom, single dad, living with grandma and grandpa, or even foster care. Family characteristics are so diverse in a classroom and it is important to remember while teaching to these students. I liked on page 27 when the text states that the average home has 73 childrens books available and are read to by an adult two to three times a week. They watched an average 14 hours per week of television and engaging in learning activities three to six times a week. This just gives a little insight into how much learning is going on at home. Page 29 had good information on family-school relationships. The quote, “children gain from mutually supportive connections between home and school. Goals for children are best achieved when teachers and parents make complementary rather than disconnected or competing contributions to childrens learning and development.” It is important to remember to gain a trust with the students family and create a good learning environment for the student.
The very beginning of the chapter struck home for me. The questions that parents ask are the ones I asked when my own children started school and the ones I ask myself each time they start a new school year. As a teacher it is important to remember that parents are asking these questions and to put yourself in their shoes. It could make all the difference and help you create that relationship. I know that children come from a variety of family situations and that the ideal two-parent, mom at home, family is rare. It was eye-opening to read the statistics on family make-up and the variety of ways it affects the child and their time at school. It was also a good reminder to read about the importance of a family's culture. It can help you understand a family's reluctance to join in or perhaps their over-exuberance in being a part of the class. It can also help you understand a child's reactions. Some cultures believe that looking directly in your eyes is disrespectful while other believe that that behavior is a sign of guilt. Culture plays a very important role.
In chapter 3 the main subject touched on that I feel a lot of families and educators forget about are the family characteristics. Studies show us how many children we have living in poverty, those children who are living in single parent households, those children who are English language learners, and those who are of different ethnic decent that tells us what their upbringing is like and the situations they face. These characteristics and situations cause them to learn differently and develop in ways many children may not. The other importance that was touched on in the book is the importance of family- school relationships. This relationship is important for many different reasons. This relationship opens a door for the school and instructor to get to know the students family to ensure that the child is experiencing the most appropriate learning practices that are available. The last importance of this chapter is respectfully including family cultures and information into the classroom. There are many different ways you can include your families in your learning such as family album books, communicating to the parents in a way that they feel a connection with the teacher, also involving the parents in some of your decision making. All these things are important and help to create a greater and stronger relationship with the parents, teachers and those that are involved in the success of the child.
Chapter three covers considering Kindergarten families. The first part of the text that I found important is the statement of page 26. It states, 'Kindergarten teachers have a unique opportunity to help families launch their children's school years.' This statement is very important because sometimes the kindergarten teacher is the first person that the parents have contact with. The teacher is the person to make a lasting impression on the child and the parents. The second part of the text that I found interesting is on page 28 and it discusses the four consistent family factors that predict a child's achievement at kindergarten entry and beyond. These four consistencies are living at or below poverty level, a single parents household, a low level of parent education, and parents who speak a language other than English at home. To me this is something that I can counter at school. I can try to work with the parents and try to do what is best for their child while they are at school and recommend things that they can do at home. The next item discussed in the text that was important was developing reciprocal relationships with families. This requires the teachers to move beyond a view of parent involvement as a series of isolated events. The teacher needs to learn information about the families through personal exchange. The parents and teachers must work together to give the student the best education possible. The last part of the text that I liked discusses how the school's role can affect the students and their parents. School practices can facilitate strong partnerships between parents and teachers. The schools need to support activities that are aimed at helping families and their children make a successful transition to kindergarten. I would want to make sure that this happens within my school district and my family. A child is going to view education the same way that the important people in their lives view education.
ReplyDeleteBrandy,
DeleteI like the comment that you made about children viewing their education the same way that the important people in their lives view education. You are completely right! So as teachers, the more positively we can influence the view of the child's family, the more likely that child is to want to and enjoy attending school and being a part of our classroom. This especially becomes even more important if the child is a part of one of those consistincies that predict a child's achievement. If the child at least likes being there and the parent feels like your classroom is a good environment for their child, things suddenly become a lot easier.
In chapter #3 of the K Today text, I think that the most important thing that was stated was, “teachers need to learn information about families through personal exchanges” (Gullo, 30). I believe that this is important because I have seen what happens when certain things are not addressed with the families. Where I work, we have one teacher that only talks to the parents twice a year at their given parent-teacher conferences. When there are problems with why a student is exhibiting certain behaviors or just if they are not acting like themselves, she waits to see if the parents will tell her what is going on, and if they do not, she does not make any effort to ask. In the afternoon, that teacher is not there, and so if I really have a question of why something is going on or if they are noticing the same type of behaviors at home, I ask the parents myself. Often times, they can tell me exactly why their child is acting that way and what is causing it. In my own classroom, I will be sure to have an open, two way communication system available for all of the parents of my students because I care about their child and I want to help them. It is not possible to help them if you do not know the details of why certain things are happening.
ReplyDeleteI also think that it is important to incorporate family information and contributions into the classroom. This is not only a good way for you as the teacher to understand more about the child’s family, but it also allows the other children to possibly be exposed to different kinds of diversity such as culture and ethnicity. This gives both students and their families a sense of value and importance in the classroom because they are being allowed to contribute information about their family, customs, traditions, celebrations, etc. I will try and implement this in my classroom by maybe having a weekly student spotlight bulletin board where everyone fills out the same questionnaire and then is allowed to bring pictures to show members of their family.
I think that I would also try and encourage any of the parents to schedule a time(s) throughout the school year where they can come and have lunch with their child or be a helper in the classroom. This is just another way that the parents can feel like they are involved and welcome to be a part of their child’s education and they can see the child in the environment that you , the teacher, see them in every day.
Kyla,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your first statement. It is so important for families and teachers to have interaction. I think that a kindergarten teacher is going to be the first person to show the parents and families just how important it is to be involved in their child's education. At the school were I work we have a lot of problems with parents not being involved and I feel that if they were than we would not have some of the problems that we do have.
Chapter three focused on the Kindergarten families. Both the parents and teachers enter the new year with questions about what will come. They have doubts, hopes, fears and excitement. Being a Kindergarten teacher, you will most likely be the first introduction into the school setting. Being this first experience, you have a lot of responsibility and a great opportunity to set the child’s education off to a great start. To help do this you need to develop open communication between the parents and yourself. This foundation will be so beneficial throughout the year. Some great ideas in this chapter were to respect family traditions, by celebrating all the different diverse students and cultures entering your classroom. Make sure you let the parents know how important they are to the success of their child throughout their education and set a plan to continue learning at home as well as school. When the teacher and the parent are on the same level about creating authentic learning experiences in and out of school the child benefits. As a teacher we will have a very diverse range of children, and we need to be aware of the needs and challenges that can create. We will see a wide range of socioeconomic status, family structures, religion, culture, social class etc. and we need to be ready to embrace all of this diversity. I really like the family album idea of the children creating a homemade book about their family. This allows you to get to know each family individually and let them know you are invested in getting to know their family.
ReplyDeleteAutumn I also liked all the ideas that this chapter gave us on how to interact with parents. I thought that the part about respecting the family traditions was very interesting and important. I grow up in an area where most people believed in the same things and there was not a lot of diversity. But where I work at now there is a lot of diversity. I have noticed what an impact it makes on the kids and the relationship between the parents and the teachers when we as a school respect the cultures the kids are from. It makes the kids fell respected and cared for.
DeleteI agree with you about teachers and parents having a mutually supportive relationship. Having open communication between the two is a vital part of student’s success, whether it is sending letters home or having the parent sign the agenda each night.
ReplyDeleteIn this weeks chapter I found a lot of information that I found very interesting. One think that jumped out to me was how kindergarten is not only the kids first experience with school but it can be the parents first experience with having a kids in school. Kindergarten teachers have a responsibility to lay down a positive learning environment for the kids and their families. In the school I work at a lot of the parents had bad experiences in school and do not expect their kids to have a better time then they did. I have seen different teachers go above and beyond for their students and that has mad a huge difference in how the parents view school.
ReplyDeleteI have also seen teachers give family homework assignments out that the families do together then the kids present them to the class and then hang in the hallway. The kids feel proud to say this is me and where I come from. It also makes the parents feel apart of the learning experience with out them having to be at the school.
I want my future classroom to be a family friendly place where parents can feel apart of the activities with out having to come to the school. I also want to help encourage a strong desire for the parents to be involved in their childs leaning.
I like that you brought in that parents may be experiencing their kids in school for the first time. We are the ones, for the most part, that parents are going to first encounter. Keeping the interactions positive and the communication lines open will hopefully help get rid of any anxieties they may have about it. I also like that you worked in that when the kids work with their families, and it is displayed to everyone, they are proud of that work!
DeleteOn page 31 there is a statement, "Many teachers find that personal contact with parents or extended family members in an informal setting is a good way to connect with families." I couldn't agree with this more. I think this is a great way for the parents to get comfortable with their child's teacher which will help make it easier for the parents to accept the transition as well. I can use this in my classroom by using this time to learn more about each child's families beliefs and practices in order to make the transition smoother.
ReplyDeleteOn page 32 it talks about school roles. I think this is also very important because being involved with parents includes the parents being more comfortable around you as a teacher. This will also lead to more involvement with the school and participation within families. I can use this in my classroom by encouraging the parents to get to know other families and get involved in the activities within the school for their child's sake.
Another way to keep parents involved is talked about on page 30. By sending home newsletters, handouts, and talking in parent-teacher conferences. In order for teachers to learn about their child's at home lives, teachers must communicate and relate to the parents on a personal level. I can use this in my classroom by remembering how important it is to understand and know my students family lives. By doing this it can explain many behavior problems or just how and why the student is acting and responding in the classroom the way they are.
I totally agree with you about the importance of connecting with families in an informal setting to increase the family’s comfortableness with you. It definitely will ease the transition. If the parents feel their child is well taken care of and loved then they will be more involved, more likely to trust your decisions in the classroom and your advice on how to extend the knowledge to the home. Getting the parents to be involved is a great way to build that trust.
DeleteI agree as well about parents and teachers needing to work together. An example would be if a student is slowly making progress on a certain subject or area that other students are improving quicker on, you as a teacher can communicate with the parent and have them work on it at home as well as at school and this could help them catch up. If we are not communicating with parents about what is going on at school then it will be harder for the students to succeed in a positive manner.
ReplyDeleteErin Flax
ReplyDeleteChapter three was a bunch of great information that I wish some kindergarten teachers I know would read. I knew most of the stuff from being a “family worker” for Head Start which means I not only worked in the classroom I also did 4 home visits, with each of my 12 families, a year. Because of this I can’t imagine being able to be a great teacher without doing them in order to get to know the families. There is so much that goes on in a child’s family life that can a does affect their schooling. I have heard that some schools do not allow home visits so I better find out other ways of forming relationships with families in order to be a better teacher. Right off the bat on page 26 it very affectively states questions that families worry about when their child starts kindergarten. They worry about if they and their child will like the teacher. They wonder how the teacher will see their child and if the child’s actions will reflect on them. They wonder if they can trust the teacher and if the teacher will have their child’s best interests at heart. These are questions that can more easily be answered by spending time with the families. I also like the questions it says that teachers worry about. Again these can best be answered when you get to know the family.
On page 27 I was surprised to see that the amount of time parents spend with their child has increased since 1965 even though we have more stay at home mothers. However it seems to be no surprise that these family moments are usually spent “multitasking.” Sadly I can see myself in that. I can’t count the times I have played a game with my child while watching television. I have also helped him with his homework while cooking. To help with this I would try to give parents fun activities to do with their children that are hard or impossible to multitask while doing. This could be read a book while standing and acting it out. My son and I loved to act out “Caps for sale.” He had the peddler’s lines memorized so I would read the narrative and he would say the peddler’s lines while acting them out. I got to be the monkeys. Or it could be a list of questions or topics that they could discuss at the dinner table. This would be hard to do while the television is on or if you were on the phone. I also like the national standards for parent/family involvement programs. I feel these sex statements should be posted by the teacher’s desk to be constantly reminded of what you need to do. I will be posting it by my desk and continually put myself in my parent’s shoes so I can relate to how they feel.
This was a great reply, Erin. My mom worked for HeadStart for 27 years. She's actually getting ready to sub for a maternity leave at the beginning of next school year - she'll be there 12 weeks. She gets to do home visits as well. Sometimes, in Topeka, she was a little weary of where she was going and who she would meet but found that once the families realized she wasn't 'out to get them' they responded better to everything else.
DeleteI also agree with you about family time. I'm a stay-at-home mom but I find myself struggling to share time appropriately with my son. Granted he's sometimes too busy for me! However, my time is often spent on homework so I know what I'm doing is benefiting him.
This chapter was great because it gave a good light as to how families are going to affect kids in the classroom. I feel like as an educator we should welcome those interactions and parent involvements. Being able to understand them, and having them trust you, will go far. One of the things that I liked in the chapter was that it gave statistics on children in poverty and what they are exposed to. Not all children are going to be privileged or come from a stable home. That's hard for me to remember sometimes since they isn't how I grew up. Some of the things I assume children should know still need to be included in their learning objectives. Another thing that the text mentioned was that if a child is lacking in a certain area in kindergarten, it will only get worse in the upper grades. I feel like this ties back into the interview Ms. Stoppel had us watch with the speech therapist. If we are able to identify any areas of difficulty the child is having in kindergarten, and correct it early, it will save them a lot of frustration! Lastly, I enjoyed the fact that the text pulled in learning about others' cultures. Children are naturally curious. I think bullying doesn't necessarily start from meanness but from ignorance. Having students understand why someones culture is the way that it is, or helping them develop an open mind in the early years, will help them become more accepting as they grow older. I would love to a classroom that is constantly curious and learning. Hopefully parents will never feel like they are intruding on my time if they want to introduce children to their culture. To me, it's just as important to make the families feel comfortable in the classroom as it is to make the children feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin!
DeleteI, too, found the stats on children in poverty interesting. I had no idea that 18 percent of kindergarten children were living in poverty. I am also looking forward to learning more about cultures. In Enid, we have a large group of Marshallese people. There family dynamics are so interesting. If you get a chance, you should read up on it.
Kristin, you are absolutely right. Getting the trust of the parents when you are their child’s teachers is one of the most important things to have when you teach. If the parents don’t trust you to take care of their children, they will not think that their child is getting a very good educational experience and the child might not trust you either.
DeleteFrom chapter three, I learned that “Both kindergarten boys and girls whore mother have less than a bachelor’s degree are more likely to be overweight than children who mothers have a four year degree of higher” (28). I am actually interested in knowing why that might be. It is an interesting fact. Much of the information is stuff I have personally had to deal with having worked in a preschool. Professional competencies are very important to me – which the text also discusses. I walked into a preschool once to pick up my friends son from preschool. The teacher was so disrespectful. The parents gather in the hallway outside the door to pick up their kids, when I told her who I was and who I was there to pick up, she announced the he was just awful today and didn’t listen at all. I thought she was being so unprofessional. I told her that I would let his mother know. First of all, only the parents of the child need to know. She should have asked me to have his parents call her. Secondly, she announced it while other parents were picking up their children. I just thought that it was awful.
ReplyDeleteMy best guess as to why children with mothers who have less than a bachelor's degree are more likely to be overweight, is that those mother's make less money. On a limited budget, the money for groceries is limited. And what foods are cheap? The unhealthy, prepackaged, boxed ones! Think mac&cheese, chef boyardee, hamburger helper, Hungry Man dinners, Totinos frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. The foods that are healthier like fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats are much more expensive! So that is my two cents... :)
DeleteI didn't necessarily agree with this statistic but can see how it can happen. A mother with less education has to work longer hours at a low paying job and so therefor the child is going to be introduced and fed more unhealthy and fast food compared to a mother who has a degree and has a job working mon-friday with good hours and greater access to better food. good post
DeleteIf there is one thing that I have learned from working in schools as a para and a substitute, it's that family relationships are incredibly important. Parents want to feel involved, and starting the year off positive makes for an easier year. The first thing that struck me in the text was the statistics on family characteristics. Every family is so different, and these statistics just show that to be true. One of the things that I read in this section included how much time mothers and fathers spend taking care of their children on average, and how much of that time ends up being 'shared' time. The amount of 'shared' time for mothers has increased greatly and I assume this has to do with the fact that more women entered the workforce.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that really intrigued me was how different children are when entering kindergarten. It was previously mentioned in the text that if a child is only read to so many hours prior to entering kindergarten, they enter more prepared than those who've been for fewer hours. Economic background is big part of school preparation for kindergarteners. Another thing that affects more students than it did previously is obesity. Who would've thought that children of mothers without a four year degree are more likely to be obese? That would've never been a correlation I'd have made.
The last thing in this chapter that grabbed my attention was what the school's role is in a child's life. Many schools have guidelines set for what they expect from teachers. One school I worked in encouraged teachers to make a positive connection prior to the second week of school - that included phone calls, personal meetings or e-mails. I thought that this seemed really effective because the parents then seemed to feel included. In the chapter, there was a lot of talk about transition activities that took place between preschool and kindergarten. Some transition activities are things like kindergarten round-up, an evening for parents and children involved in at-risk programs and involving preschool teachers in activities.
Great post, Kimberly. I agree that creating a trusting, positive relationship from the beginning of the school year will make for an easier year with support from the parents. Also, children come to kindergarten at different academic levels. Those who have been read to at home are more advanced that those who haven't. You made a good point about making positive relationships within the first two weeks. Thats a good time frame to do so.
DeleteTo me, this chapter is one of the most important ones in this book. Having a good relationship with the students’ families can sometimes make or break their first impressions of school. A quote in this chapter that needs to be remembered by all teachers is that “teachers foster positive family-school relationships by focusing on learning and sharing information and creating ways to respectfully include family knowledge and contributions in the classroom.” It can be difficult to get those relationships built, but once you do, the whole classroom environment will change.
ReplyDeleteAnother great point that was made in this chapter is that along with beliefs and other cultural background, it is also very important to have an idea about what their living conditions are. This consideration is especially true for new immigrants. This situation is something that I have recently witnessed to the fullest. The classroom that I am interning in is made up of children, who almost all speak Spanish at home and their parents know just a little bit of English. A way that that school gets to know the families is by having all of their teachers go to each and every one of their students’ homes twice a year for a visit.
The last point that I got from this chapter is that, as teachers, we can’t be quick to judge why parents are not getting involved with their child’s school. If we don’t know the situation that they are in and haven’t established a relationship, than we should not be speculating why they are not showing up to events. As a person that they are trusting to help take care of their child, you should be the last one to point fingers or judge them.
Overall, I thought this was a great chapter and it was important for it to be included in this book. We have to remember that Kindergarten is more than just academic work. It is much more than that.
You brought up the point that at times we are quick to judge why parents are not involved in their child's learning, or why they do or do not do something we think they should or should not be doing. I see this happen a lot in some of the classrooms I am in, and I truly think that is why it is so important to be involved with the families and take that extra time to get to know them. I do see that it is becoming more common for teachers to go and do home visits with the family, espeically in the younger grades. I think this is a wonderful way to help bridge that relationship between home and school.
DeleteChapter 3 is about considering the kindergarten family. In this chapter it discusses how you as a teacher can help create a supportive relationship with the families of their students, and discusses just how important it is to do this.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter discusses how in classrooms today the students can come from very diverse family backgrounds. In order to learn more about the family and help build a positive relationship, as well as get the family involved in their child’s learning it is important for the teacher to be able to share information with the family as well as exchange information with the family. The author talks about using newsletters, conferences, notes and phone calls, but says that you need to go beyond that. The author used the example of the teacher walking out with her students at the end of the day, in an informal setting, so that she was able to talk to the families picking up their children and make connections with them.
The chapter also offers some ideas for teachers to use to help bring the family and classroom together. Family albums that the families create together are a wonderful way to get insight into the family, their culture, and beliefs.
In reading this chapter it reminded me also of the importance of being aware of all the different types of resources that are available to families in need of assistance as well as knowing who they can contact to get more information or services. In these times there are many of our families that are struggling to make ends meet, and this information can be very helpful not only for the family in general but for their child’s learning experience as well.
I agreed also with creating supportive relationships with the parents. I believe that the stronger and closer the relationship between the two the greater the success for the child. Good post.
DeleteConsidering Kindergarten families is such an important part of teaching kindergarten. I thought the family charateristics and consequences section had great information. It just shows that not all kindergarteners are coming from a family with a mom and a dad in a middle class home. 18 % are living in poverty, 23% lived in a single parent home, and 9% were ELL. Students could come to you with a single mom, single dad, living with grandma and grandpa, or even foster care. Family characteristics are so diverse in a classroom and it is important to remember while teaching to these students. I liked on page 27 when the text states that the average home has 73 childrens books available and are read to by an adult two to three times a week. They watched an average 14 hours per week of television and engaging in learning activities three to six times a week. This just gives a little insight into how much learning is going on at home. Page 29 had good information on family-school relationships. The quote, “children gain from mutually supportive connections between home and school. Goals for children are best achieved when teachers and parents make complementary rather than disconnected or competing contributions to childrens learning and development.” It is important to remember to gain a trust with the students family and create a good learning environment for the student.
ReplyDeleteThe very beginning of the chapter struck home for me. The questions that parents ask are the ones I asked when my own children started school and the ones I ask myself each time they start a new school year. As a teacher it is important to remember that parents are asking these questions and to put yourself in their shoes. It could make all the difference and help you create that relationship. I know that children come from a variety of family situations and that the ideal two-parent, mom at home, family is rare. It was eye-opening to read the statistics on family make-up and the variety of ways it affects the child and their time at school. It was also a good reminder to read about the importance of a family's culture. It can help you understand a family's reluctance to join in or perhaps their over-exuberance in being a part of the class. It can also help you understand a child's reactions. Some cultures believe that looking directly in your eyes is disrespectful while other believe that that behavior is a sign of guilt. Culture plays a very important role.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3 the main subject touched on that I feel a lot of families and educators forget about are the family characteristics. Studies show us how many children we have living in poverty, those children who are living in single parent households, those children who are English language learners, and those who are of different ethnic decent that tells us what their upbringing is like and the situations they face. These characteristics and situations cause them to learn differently and develop in ways many children may not. The other importance that was touched on in the book is the importance of family- school relationships. This relationship is important for many different reasons. This relationship opens a door for the school and instructor to get to know the students family to ensure that the child is experiencing the most appropriate learning practices that are available. The last importance of this chapter is respectfully including family cultures and information into the classroom. There are many different ways you can include your families in your learning such as family album books, communicating to the parents in a way that they feel a connection with the teacher, also involving the parents in some of your decision making. All these things are important and help to create a greater and stronger relationship with the parents, teachers and those that are involved in the success of the child.
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