Family involvement is key to a student's success. Research clearly evidences this assertion. When students have their families involved in their education, they achieve at higher rates. The statistics are as real as the air we breathe. Our society has changed in the last century and children are coming to school nowadays with much more on their plates than ever before. The education culture has changed along with the times and currently inclusion is the norm across the nation, with differentiated instruction the tool teachers use to help students succeed. When parents and families are engaged in their students education, students reap the benefits. The slope can get slippery, but can be managed and it is up to both the teachers and the families to make it work for their students. If there is not enough effort on the part of the teacher, then the parents feel left out. If there is too much effort on the part of the teacher, then the parents feel pressured. Conversely, if there is too much involvement by the parents, then the teachers feel burdened. This issue is an ongoing one, but fortunately for all parties involved there are plans and programs in place to help keep the lines of communication open, which is key to the student's success in both school and in life.
Carolyn Hornik, in the introduction of her article, Communicating With Parents: Parent Teacher Conferences, posted on teachersnetwork.org, related her thoughts on the importance of family involvement. She writes:
A key in developing effective classroom management is the ability to communicate with parents and family members. Begin the school year with a welcome letter or phone call. Within the first month of school, try to call each parent to inform him or her of the successes their child is having at school. Invite parents to a “Back To School Tea.” At the tea, showcase materials and books that will be used, samples of reports and projects students will be participating in, standardized exam schedule, trips and special events. Establish the homework policy, review supplies needed, and inform parents of your expectations of the students. Survey parent talents, interests, and experiences and involve them as much as possible by inviting them to participate in projects, as speakers, demonstrators, and resource people.
The following are wonderful articles about Family Involvement that I read and reviewed:
Family Partnerships that Count
When I first printed this article and began reading it, I wasn’t sure what I would encounter. It was several pages long and I found myself apprehensive, as I feared it would be a dry read, filled with boring educational jargon. Add to that, the introduction fooled me, as it described three schools in one town, Uptown High School, Downtown Middle School, and Midtown Middle Elementary School. After reading more, I found myself smiling, as I understood the references to be hypothetical, a ruse maybe. After I had the epiphany, I knew I was in for a treat.
JoBeth Allen, a professor at the University of Georgia, Athens, writes an absolutely amazing piece of literature about a very real issue that carries severe consequences for failure, but wields unbelievable benefits if successful. Allen (2008) moved me to tears several times throughout her piece. It is rare that I am moved to that type of emotion when reading academic articles in scholarly journals. By rare, I mean it’s never happened to me prior to this.
After drying my eyes, I asked myself why I would cry over this particular article. Was it in the awe of superior writing? Was it because the stories she chronicled were touching? Was it because I feel strongly about the topic? Was it because I was in a vulnerable emotional state when I read it? Or was it simply a combination of these factors, like a baking recipe that calls for a ‘pinch’ of this or a ‘dash’ of that?
I care deeply about family involvement and have gone to great lengths throughout my decade of coaching youth sports to incorporate it. I have involved parents and families, and have engaged them. I have had failures and successes. My basis for family involvement in practices, at home, and during games matched those of what Allen (2008) wrote in her wonderfully written and heartfelt article. I could write several more pages, reviewing this amazing piece, as I enjoy writing to be sure, but I do not want to spoil anything. It is worth every second devoted to reading it, and it is, by far, one of the best literary pieces I have read in a long time.
What I will expound upon, however, is what I will take with me, specifically, into my future classroom. I will take the suggestion of using photography to help my students share their voice. By sending cameras home with my students, as Allen (2008) notes, they will be “…charged with capturing their out-of-school lives. Teachers invited students and family members to write or dictate stories about their photos. Parents and guardians contributed descriptions, memories, poetry, letters, and personal stories.”
Allen, J. (2008). Family Partnerships that Count. Educational Leadership, 66(1), 22-27.
A dozen activities to promote parent involvement
Writing for the website Education World, author Linda Starr, details activities that promote parent involvement in the classroom. She begins with a powerful introduction that provides the basis for not only her article, but for a current issue within the profession. She writes, “Research shows that children are less likely to engage in violent behavior if their families are involved in their education” (Starr, 2015). I found it interesting that she chose the word ‘violent’, as most articles on this subject omit it and simply address the behavior as either ‘negative’ or ‘disruptive’. I believe she was right to use that word, however, as violent behavior is a very real problem that both teachers and students face in our schools today. A simple Google search or nightly news broadcast can attest to this. Starr’s (2015) powerful introduction continues with, “Many parents say, however, that they feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in their children’s school.” I found the optimum word to be ‘feel’, as it communicates the reality of the issues. Our thoughts and feelings dictate our actions, and if we, as either teachers or parents, feel a certain way then our actions will, in most cases, reflect how we feel. Starr points out that our goal is to ‘bridge the gap’ between having no parent involvement and too much.
I do not believe that there is an easy solution, a ‘one size fits all’ remedy, but I do believe that we can take steps to ensure that we are working towards bridging that all important gap. Research is difficult to refute, so we can only continue to educate ourselves and try to find that elusive balance. If we want our students to succeed, both academically and in life, then we must use that research and build upon it. Starr does an excellent job of outlining how we can begin to bridge that gap, find the balance, and lead our students towards success.
Of the numerous suggestions she offers, I found the following to be most helpful. It is those suggestions that I will take with me into my classrooms in the future.
Be sure the first contact with parents is a positive one
Accommodate parent’s work schedules
Accommodate language and cultural differences
Print and send home monthly letters
Create a classroom website and include a parent page
Invite parents to present talks and/or demonstrations about their specialized knowledge or skills.
(Starr, 2015)
Starr, L. (2015). A dozen activities to promote parent involvement. Educationworld.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr200.shtml
5 Tips for Engaging Parent Volunteers in the Classroom
In her article, found on edutopia.org, founder and CEO of VolunteerSpot.com, Karen Bantuveris, provides essential tips for engaging parent volunteers in the classroom. Bantuveris (2013) bases her article on the gaps present between teachers and parents. She cites two surveys throughout that support her position. In the last sentence of her introduction, she clarifies the problem. She writes, “These issues leave teachers feeling unsupported and parents feeling left out!” Bantuveris’s (2013) five tips include:
Open New Communication Channels
Be Clear About Where You Most Need Parents to Help
Engage Working Parents
Plan for Parent Volunteers
Show Appreciation
Bantuveris (2013) provides both a detailed overview of each tip, the research backing it up, and practical applications of the five tips. I found three that I will take with me into my classroom. Those include, opening new channels of communication, being clear about where I most need parents to help, and engaging working parents. These three, I found, to be the most important and the easiest to build upon. I plan to open new channels of communication at the start of the schoolyear and will have the advantage in my first year, as everything will be new to me. With open communication present, I can provide specific feedback to parents where I need their help the most. It will be much like my coaching where I have to figure out where players can play most effectively to help the team succeed. Finally, by engaging working parents, something that I wished my children’s teachers would have done, I can show them my support and give them the respect they desire and deserve. The ultimate goal, which I will work to keep at the front of my mind, is for the students to succeed.
Bantuveris, K. (2013). 5 Tips for Engaging Parent Volunteers in the Classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved 10 December 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/strategies-for-engaging-parent-volunteers-karen-bantuveris
Sacramento area teacher, Larry Ferlazzo, writes a wonderful article outlining the important differences between parent involvement and parent engagement. On the surface and on its face-value, there doesn’t seem to be much difference. However, as Ferlazzo points out, there is, in fact, a difference between the two ideologies.
Ferlazzo (2009) uses headings to separate his areas of focus, beginning with how ideas are communicated in the school setting. For instance, he states, “When we’re involving parents, ideas and energy tends to come from the school and from government mandates.” He then provides the other side of the argument when he writes, “When we’re engaging parents, ideas tend to be elicited from parents by school staff in the context of developing trusting relationships.” Ferlazzo continues to show both perspectives in this manner throughout the article. In doing so, he shares his wisdom and is doing his part to make a difference.
While reading this article and having a virtual microscope placed upon the issue of involving versus engaging, I find myself thinking about which one was better. Do I involve or engage? Can I figure a way to do both, involve and engage parents in my future classroom? When I reached the conclusion of the article, I found that I agreed with Mr. Ferlazzo’s final sentiment. He writes, and I agree, “I am not saying parent involvement is bad…what I am saying is that parent engagement is better…” (Ferlazzo, 2009)
Ferlazzo, L. (2009). Parent Engagement or Involvement?. Wafamilyengagement.org. Retrieved 10 December 2015, from http://www.wafamilyengagement.org/articles/parent-engagement-involvement.html?vf_url=parent-engagement-involvement