1. Reflect how expectations come into play in classroom management, in your teaching personality, and your relationship to parents. If you have a student who you identify as having low expectations, do you think you can make a difference in your year with that student – why or why not?
2. Interview your teacher, another teacher in your building, or your principal about how to get parents involved with the class and school.
My teaching personality is very much like my personality as a parent. I am warm and nurturing but also firm and clear in my expectations. I am quick to soothe and praise but equally quick to express my displeasure for behavior that is not respectful or appropriate. Additionally, I treat all students with respect. I speak to them in a respectful way/tone, listen attentively, and am constantly seeking ways to make them feel valued, important, and cherished. (As a side note, I think the fact that I have a 5 year old just down the street in a different Cambridge public school – that I, too, want to be valued and respected by her teachers – plays into my consciousness as a teacher. That is, I make an even greater effort to be nurturing in the classroom.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, no matter how I tired I am or perhaps disgruntled (for whatever reasons), I come into my classroom each morning with a smile and a exude warmth and support. I think I have been rewarded with generally good relationships with almost all the students and have a good command of the classroom.
Our classroom is unique in that parents are invited/encouraged to stay for up to a half hour in the classroom (for a quiet reading time with their child) before our morning meeting. As a result, I have quite a bit exposure to them. Right from the beginning, I made a point of introducing myself and learning their names. I also make a point to share with them any anecdotes about their children that I think they’d appreciate. I can also approach them with any concerns that I have about their child (such as lack of focus or surly behavior) – but always make sure I am in lock-step with the head teachers.
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ReplyDeleteI did not interview anybody re: parent involvement, but as a parent, I have had a pretty eye-opening experience in this arena. Last year was my daughter’s first year in a public school and I was not working. As a result, I went to every school meeting both during and after school that I could. I participated in bake sales, committees, and volunteered at various events. I was also able to marshal my husband to get involved but at the district level, going and speaking up re: city-wide school issues. But this year, being back at work, my participation has been almost ZERO. I just do not have the same energy and time to commit to the school as I once did. It’s not just that I don’t want to be involved, it's just that I don’t have the time/energy.
Ultimately, schools and teachers should be careful to not mistake lack of parent participation for apathy – but should always consider the bottom line or force that can work against working parents: time.
This question was perfect for you - having experience as both a parent and teacher. You will probably be exhausted for another few years, so do not lose touch with your child's school - or keep your husband involved instead.
ReplyDeleteNancy
I expect the best out of every student, and I think my personality makes it such that I make "doing our best" almost seem like a game against ourselves (the students). I like to make students feel as though we are on the same team, so to speak, and that I don't necessarily have all the answers. That I am just as surprised and interested when we figure something out as they are, because, honestly, I am! Even if I already know the answer to something, it's so much fun to work a problem or a thought through with kids. To see and hear their fresh perspective. I think part of what helps is my own introspective/introverted personality. Growing up, I've routinely reflected on and analyzed my own reactions to and thoughts about things, almost annoyingly so at times haha. This makes it easier for me to remember exactly how overwhelming math can feel, or how weird it can feel when a girl gives you an odd look, or whatever--all the implicit stuff that some people blow right by. I feel like this helps me to "get on the same page" with students because I can almost instinctively feel how they feel even though I am 27.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I had a very responsible, "strict" dad who stayed at home with us while my mom worked in high school and I knew, every day, that homework started at 4pm. The expectations I put on myself nowadays are a product of that message I got growing up and I definitely will expect the same sort of responsibility from my own students. I don't get to teach very often on my own during my student teaching, but I thought today, for instance, that I would've told this one kid who kept falling asleep on his desk during math to go to bed earlier tonight. Or send an email home to the parents explaining that E has been pretty tired these past few days, just thought you should know (without sounding so flippant haha).
And on that note, I don't think you can go wrong in holding someone else's child to higher expectations than they hold their own child to. But I think, like Judy said, you have to be sensitive to the fact that some parents work long hours (and not always by choice). Maybe school is the one place a child can feel like someone DOES care and DOES expect more. But you also can't expect to go from A to Z in a year. If there is a child who has low expectations of himself (like the student I did my TLC presentation on), even a small step is a good step in the right direction. Teachers probably shouldn't be perfectionists, but they should have high expectations for all their students and look at them with optimism.
As far as getting parents involved, there are tons of ways! I like the idea of having parents come in to read in the mornings to the class. Or having a breakfast where the students show off some of the projects they've been working on. Maybe I'm ridiculous, but I think it would be awesome to be able to send a quick email or letter home to every child's parent at the end of every week--even if there is no reason to, like behavior wise. I think just checking in and letting them know you have an ongoing, caring relationship w their child is super important. The thing I worry about is missing all the observations I make during the day once I am a teacher. As a student teacher, I have so much time to observe and make insights on things and jot them down; I hope when I'm a teacher, I can find the same time to do that and, at that point, share them with parents.
As a new teacher, don't push yourself too hard. Eventually you will have the time to do everything you want in the class. Use your own experiences, like with your Dad, as examples for your students and their parents. Parents who are very busy can still express high expectations for their kids, but remember, it can backfire. Too high expectations might turn the kids off to school! A balance is critical, and of course hard to know!
ReplyDeleteNancy
I try to be clear in my expectations, but as a new teacher I find that sometimes the students take advantage of my inexperience and I am trying to be better at enforcing consequences. Because it is not my classroom, I'm not always sure what I am allowed to do in terms of taking things away (like recess, if they don't do their work), but I have realized that often, just threatening to take something away motivates the students to stay on task. This week, because their lining up between classes was pretty awful on Monday and Tuesday, my lead teacher and I took away their choice time on Thursday. But we made it clear that the class would be able to earn it back through good behavior on Wednesday and Thursday. Just the idea of not having their precious free time was enough to garner excellent hall-walking and quiet behavior for the rest of the week, and they earned it back.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that has earned respect from my students is my treating them with respect, too. I always speak to them in an even tone and never raise my voice. I talk to them like people and ask them questions so they don't feel any of our interactions are one-sided. I give them an opportunity to express their feelings so they know they have a chance to explain themselves. Even if they are doing something wrong, I focus on what they have done right and say that I am surprised that, because they are capable of doing such wonderful work, they they are not doing the right thing as this particular moment. I think it makes the kids feel that I am recognizing all of the things they do right instead of focusing on the few things that don't.
This week, I helped Megan write the monthly newsletter that goes home with each student updating parents on what we are doing. I highlighted what the kids have been studying in science and writing, focusing on our recent units on liquids, penguins and biographies. This allows families to keep up with what their children as learning, as well as prepare themselves to help with homework. Parents also are invited into the classroom every afternoon during pick-up, so I have gotten to know some of them quite well. There are certain parents who come in every day for a quick check-in, and others who request daily notes about their child's behavior. Megan (my lead teacher) has begun making smiley charts for certain kids who tend to have mood swings regularly. She maps out the day (Science, Writing, Reading, etc.) and for each time block, draws a face with either a smile, a frown or something in between, to indicate the child's behavior/mood throughout the day. It goes home and the parent has to sign it to let us know the child showed it to his family. This has been an effective tool in holding students accountable for their behavior and motivates them to strive for a sheet with all smiles.
Expectations have been an interesting topic for me this year. I tend to have high expectations for all students thinking in terms of general classroom management and my teaching personality. I have realized that it’s important to make clear the expectations in different contexts, which were set up explicitly at the beginning of the year, for example, in the hallways, during Writer’s Workshop, and at lunch and recess. What I have learned is that it is important to make these expectations clear to everyone and be introduced explicitly. For students individually, in terms of behavior and academics, those students who tend to struggle in one or more areas need to have differentiated expectations. This is especially true for our one student on an IEP. I have learned that expectations for individual students constantly change as they grow, improve, or go through different things in their lives that impact their schooling.
ReplyDeleteJust like students, parents bring in their own different amounts of expectations for their children. We have those parents who have incredibly high expectations for their children and then we have those parents who are fairly absent from their child’s educational experience. Since there is such a range, it is important to keep lines of communication open and maintain an open-door policy, reaching out to parents when necessary.
Parent involvement at the school is very strong. There are many opportunities both in the class and school. In terms of the classroom, we have parent volunteers who are in charge of organizing snacks, fieldtrips, and parent breakfasts. This has been a good model to follow in how to get parents involved – there are many different types of opportunities offering a range of participation to cater to parents who work. With the school as a whole, the key is to continue the idea of the classroom model, but to a larger scale – many opportunities with a range of interests, types of activities, and amount of work needed.
My expectations for my students is that they will use their time wisely in school: both socially and academically. I believe that all my students should hold themselves accountable for their work and for their actions. In other words, I have very high expectations for my students. With the right guidance and modeling I think they can grow and succeed in my classroom. I would think students would have less desire to be in school if I did not show enthusiasm and pride in my work. It is challenging to work with a difficult student in one year. Every child is different also, so one year might not be enough.
ReplyDeleteParent involvement is crucial. At my school parent involvement is high. There are many opportunities for parents to volunteer in school, for field trips, extra-curricular activities. I have seen Parent teacher conferences in my school to be not only an opportunity to see how a child is doing in school, but a chance for adults to really collaborate to make a change or challenge a specific student.
The lead teacher I work with has set very high expectations for students since the beginning of the year, both academically and behaviorally. Students are expected to stay on task and complete their work to the best of their ability. They are also expected to not disrupt others and follow class and school rules. I work hard to uphold the high expectations placed on students and help them stay on track. For some students, this requires almost constant reminders and guidance, while others never need reminders about how to work and behave in school. The individual differences are especially salient in a 1st/2nd grade combined classroom, where students are working at a wide range of levels and are at different maturity levels as well. While all students complete the same assignments (except for in math where 2nd graders are taught across the hall and 1st graders in our room) the final products they produce are varied. The need to understand each student’s individual needs is crucial; some 2nd graders in our class are working at a 4th grade level, while other 2nd graders are at a 1st grade level. This is also true for the first graders – some are well above grade level in reading and writing, while others are just making 1st grade benchmarks. Thus, expectations need to be tailored to meet students’ individual development. I agree with the lead teacher I work with that high expectations for every student is important. Working with young children, I find the issue of expectations and parent involvement is especially relevant with students’ homework. Many students who don’t tend to due their homework have parents who are working multiple jobs and not around a lot. This doesn’t mean they don’t care about their children, they just don’t have much time. I find it difficult to penalize students for not having their homework (especially 1st graders) because it seems obvious that their parents aren’t as involved in their life and don’t have that support at home. At the same time, these students need to develop a sense of initiative. As they get older, teachers aren’t going to let them get away with not having their homework done because their parents aren’t around much.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher I work with has an open door policy with parents and communicates with many of them frequently via email and/or phone. There are some parents who she has trouble getting in touch with. I asked her what she does to reach out to these parents, and she says she does the best she can to accommodate their schedules for conferences and she has only had a handful of parents be completely unresponsive. In these cases, she has enlisted the school social worker to help her dig deeper into these students’ lives and provide them with extra support.