Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Additional Methods for Postively Engaging Parents of Second Language Learners
Many classrooms have students whose first language is not English. Often times this is a challenge for educators who have not had any training in how to teach ELL students or how to create an environment that will foster their English language acquisition.
Please read the section 'Additional Methods for Positively Engaging Parents of Second Language Learners' in your textbook and watch the following YouTube video entitled English Language Learners by Kimberly Williams & David Guo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2ap4Q5uxGE) and address the following questions:
1. In the video there are several challenges listed that ELL students must overcome to be successful in classrooms. Which of these have you done in your classroom when helping ELL students and what were the student’s responses?
2. Using either the video or textbook, or both, what do you feel are the three most important parent involvement techniques a teacher can implement? Why do you feel these are the "Top Three"?
Please read the section 'Additional Methods for Positively Engaging Parents of Second Language Learners' in your textbook and watch the following YouTube video entitled English Language Learners by Kimberly Williams & David Guo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2ap4Q5uxGE) and address the following questions:
1. In the video there are several challenges listed that ELL students must overcome to be successful in classrooms. Which of these have you done in your classroom when helping ELL students and what were the student’s responses?
2. Using either the video or textbook, or both, what do you feel are the three most important parent involvement techniques a teacher can implement? Why do you feel these are the "Top Three"?
Placing School-Home Interaction in Perspective
Using Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement and Sample Practices (Figure 5.14), share two suggestions from the table that you have implemented in your classroom and/or your school. Discuss how it has impacted student and parent involvement.
Dealing Effectively with Parents Criticism & Confrontations
Sean Covey, in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, give the following statistics with communication:
7% of what is communicated is in words.
53% of what is communicated comes from body language.
40% of what is communicated comes from the tone & feeling reflected in our voice & how we say the words.
Thinking about Covey's statistics and the guidelines from our textbook, choose two of the following scenarios and respond to how you would react in this parent-teacher situation.
Scenario 1: During a parent-teacher conference, a parent confronts you about their child receiving his/her first B. The parent insists that the child is an "A" student and wants you to change the grade.
Scenario 2: You catch a student copying another student's work and make a call home. The parent insists that the student would never do something like that.
Scenario 3: In your class, a student calls another student an inappropriate name. His behavior has occurred in the past and it is time to make the phone call home.
Scenario 4: A student has refused to complete their homework and this has been ongoing for the past three weeks. You have requested that parent(s) come in for a conference.
7% of what is communicated is in words.
53% of what is communicated comes from body language.
40% of what is communicated comes from the tone & feeling reflected in our voice & how we say the words.
Thinking about Covey's statistics and the guidelines from our textbook, choose two of the following scenarios and respond to how you would react in this parent-teacher situation.
Scenario 1: During a parent-teacher conference, a parent confronts you about their child receiving his/her first B. The parent insists that the child is an "A" student and wants you to change the grade.
Scenario 2: You catch a student copying another student's work and make a call home. The parent insists that the student would never do something like that.
Scenario 3: In your class, a student calls another student an inappropriate name. His behavior has occurred in the past and it is time to make the phone call home.
Scenario 4: A student has refused to complete their homework and this has been ongoing for the past three weeks. You have requested that parent(s) come in for a conference.
Parent Conferences
Parent conferences are a way to create a connection between the school and the parent and to share the progress of the child: academically, socially, and behaviorally.
Discuss what you do personally to prepare the students for conferences, to prepare the parents for conferences, and what you do, as a teacher, to prepare for each child's conference.
Share with your classmates the best conference you have ever had with parents, and also discuss the worst conference you have had with parents. What made the first situation successful? And what made the latter situation unsuccessful? Was there anything you could have done to make the latter situation better, and if so, did you implement it the next time?
Discuss what you do personally to prepare the students for conferences, to prepare the parents for conferences, and what you do, as a teacher, to prepare for each child's conference.
Share with your classmates the best conference you have ever had with parents, and also discuss the worst conference you have had with parents. What made the first situation successful? And what made the latter situation unsuccessful? Was there anything you could have done to make the latter situation better, and if so, did you implement it the next time?
Keeping Parents Informed
"Parents need to have a good relationship with the school, so they can help bring out what the teacher feels the child is able to do." ~Elizabeth Cook
As an educator, you spend quite a bit of time with your students throughout a school year & need to be able to share with parents the joys and concerns of their child.
In the section Keeping Parents Informed, many examples of ways to inform parents of the going-ons in your classroom are given. Which of these examples have you tried, and how did they impact your relationship with the parents of your classroom? Are there other ways you have used keep parents informed about your daily routines & the child's progress? Share with your classmates a website and a summary of the website you found that they will be able to use as a reference when informing parents of the continued learning and celebrations of your classroom.
As an educator, you spend quite a bit of time with your students throughout a school year & need to be able to share with parents the joys and concerns of their child.
In the section Keeping Parents Informed, many examples of ways to inform parents of the going-ons in your classroom are given. Which of these examples have you tried, and how did they impact your relationship with the parents of your classroom? Are there other ways you have used keep parents informed about your daily routines & the child's progress? Share with your classmates a website and a summary of the website you found that they will be able to use as a reference when informing parents of the continued learning and celebrations of your classroom.
Working with Parents overview
Working with parents & caregivers is inevitable in the field of education. Parents give educators insights into their child's personality, their thinking, creativeness, needs, wants, strengths, weaknesses, and their overall potential. Throughout this chapter you will learn:
1) Methods for keeping parents and caregivers informed about their student's work & behavior at school
2) How to structure a successful parent/ caregiver conference
3) How to deal effectively with criticism & confrontation from adults who are responsible for your students
4) Methods for working with parents of second language learners
Educators need to remember a child's attitude about school is influenced by their parents. Because of this, we need to create an atmosphere where students and their parents feel comfortable and make sure they have a positive school year experience with you.
What involvement did your parents have in your academic career? Discuss their involvement at the elementary level, the secondary level, and the post-secondary level. What type of impact did their involvement have on you?
1) Methods for keeping parents and caregivers informed about their student's work & behavior at school
2) How to structure a successful parent/ caregiver conference
3) How to deal effectively with criticism & confrontation from adults who are responsible for your students
4) Methods for working with parents of second language learners
Educators need to remember a child's attitude about school is influenced by their parents. Because of this, we need to create an atmosphere where students and their parents feel comfortable and make sure they have a positive school year experience with you.
What involvement did your parents have in your academic career? Discuss their involvement at the elementary level, the secondary level, and the post-secondary level. What type of impact did their involvement have on you?
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