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If you are listening and learning from parents and keeping them informed about their children's school life, you have come along way toward involving parents in their children's education. As educators we believe that students profit from having their parents actively involved in their education. Our experiences tell us that children whose parents come to school events and serve on school committees are more successful in school than children whose parents are not involved.
Knowing we want all of our students to succeed and knowing educating children is too big a job for the school to do alone, we must think of ways to involve all families in their children's education. This is not easy work. Some families have had bad experiences with schools and may at first feel uncomfortable coming to their children's school. You work with parents who dropped out of high school and parents with doctorates, but all families want their children to do well in school and be successful in life. Most parents love their children and want the best for them, but they don't always know what to do or how to begin. Schools must find ways to reach out to all families. Supportive relationships help parents, especially those who would otherwise feel vulnerable or uncomfortable, take active roles in the school and in their children's education (Schaps, 2003).
If parents are getting their children to school on time and providing a quiet place for them to complete their homework, they deserve your praise. It may seem like minimum parent involvement to most, but for many these are big steps. Find ways to thank them and praise them. If parents show up at open houses, parent teacher conferences, or family information nights, praise them. They probably made heroic efforts to get there. Working class parents are as concerned as affluent ones about their children's progress, but have less energy and time for participation (Bracey, 1996). At every opportunity remind parents what an important message they have sent to their children by attending a school event. Don't miss the opportunity to say, "By being here you have sent an important message to your child, 'School and your life at school are important to our family'." |
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