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/gaurdians regarding their children. Educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents/gaudians.
During my February-March 2024 practicum, I participated in guardian-teacher conferences and had both pre- and post-conference discussions with my coaching teacher. From these experiences, I saw how my coaching teacher strove to make school a safe place for both students and guardians. She allied herself with guardians, recognizing that they can help her teach their child and that, as a kindergarten teacher, she was setting up everyone’s relationship with the school environment. A key takeaway for me was the importance of respectful listening. By listening to guardians, a teacher can find out what struggles the student has at home and how they may be impacting their school life. The teacher can also find out if there has been a change in behavior or routine at home that may be corresponding with their school life. Another takeaway for me was the need to plan time to prepare for meetings with guardians, in some cases preparing support resources to be sent home. I learned that sometimes it is necessary to teach guardians how to support their child, and, as with teaching anything, it is important to plan.