Engaging Parents as Partners in Education
Strategies Educators can Use to Assist Parents in Becoming Partners with the Community of Learning
Michael Armstrong discusses the role parents play at his school in North Carolina
Parents are crucial in everything we as teachers do. Parents are trained in every concept that teachers are. There are parents who help compose documents for the school, help train teachers on ESL programs, and other things like that.
Often the problem is not that parents don't want to be involved (a big misconception among teachers), it's that they don't know how to get involved.
Training parents on understanding educational topics and issues is crucial for getting parents involved. Knowledgeable parents are helpful parents, and it raises their helpful involvement. They need to be able to understand data on the same level as teachers, and they need to be thinking critically like teachers do, too.
Parents also need to know what to ask at parent teacher conferences.
Beyond the Bakesale is a book that helps parents ask questions about real issues their child may have with learning, not just behavior.
Parents come with a different perspective than teacher often; therefore, we need to train parents how to think about education in a way that is in line with the teacher's thinking and in a way that is beneficial to their child. There are parent workshops that help parents understand how to support their children and engage them in their academics. Parent evaluation of these sessions are also critical for serving the parents and their informational needs. Parents should be invited into school so they can also see exactly what is going on in their child's classroom; this will also help parents understand what kids are learning and how they are learning it. Parents always appreciate an invitation like this.
Parent involvement that is linked to greater student learning has a strong correlation with greater achievement in school.
Parent resource centers are also a great idea. These centers are a place where parents can connect with each other, learn about what their children are studying, learn about how their children are being taught, and understanding their child's progress. This can also be a great opportunity for parents to suggest ideas for school policy, lessons, fundraisers, or anything. A parent resource center is a great way to make parents feel involved and feel like their voice and concerns are being heard.
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