Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.

Educators understand, respect and encourage the participation of families and communities in student learning and development. Educators consider the perspectives of parents/guardians regarding their children. Educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents/guardians.

What did I learn?

I had the privilege of watching both of my CTs interact with parents in a timely and respectful manner. My primary CT has a routine to make at least one positive and one concern call on Friday, although he often will call more parents if it is required. I LOVE the idea of making an effort to communicate positive notes to parents of children as well as connect with the parents of children who may need additional support. I saw clear examples of the benefits that a simple phone call can have in providing context and information about a student. Often parents will provide missing puzzle pieces that can help a teacher provide a better learning experience for the student. I was also able to see the positive changes in student learning and attendance following a phone call or email to parents.

Why does it matter?

Connecting with parents may be intimidating but it is so important for student learning and teaching. As stated above, having additional information can help a teacher connect with students better and allows them to provide more adapted instruction. A positive email or phone call can be a huge encouragement to students and parents alike and helps build up the class as a whole.

What’s Next?

When I enter future practicums I must keep this standard in mind and push myself out of my comfort zone in order to be a better teacher. I am looking forward to working with other CTs, to see how they connect with parents and ensure that they are making timely emails or phone calls. Perhaps I will adopt the routine of my CT who makes calls every Friday. I may also follow the structured notes and checklists of my other CT who records when emails are sent so that they can follow up appropriately with additional efforts to connect if needed.

Another thing I would like to do for future practicums is a parent letter introducing me as the student teacher who will be instructing their child for a portion of the year. This is something I considered for this practicum but never got around to doing.

Standard Three Artifact:

One of the events that occurred during my first practicum was the deadline for interim reports that were sent home to parents. This is a very distant and impersonal way to provide updates to parents but is a requirement of the school. Most teachers that I observed, handed out reports to every student and required a parent’s signature to ensure that the reports made it to parents.

The best artifact of this practicum was being able to listen to my CT talk on the phone with parents and hear how they relayed information and praise for the students. I also was able to watch my other CT write an email to a parent and see how they work through the process, what information to include and what is not necessary.

These things seem small and get overlooked but I am extremely grateful that I was able to see how experienced and well-loved teachers execute this standard.