Assignment #1: Reflecting on Communicating with Families
This assignment has 2 parts:
Part 1: Go to Flip Grid (https://flipgrid.com/7383d365 your username is your first name as it appears on CUNY First) and answer the following questions:
- What is your ideal vacation spot? Why?
- What is your favorite musical group? Why?
- Who is the person you would like to meet most in the world (living or not)? Why?
- What is your favorite way to relax and unwind? Why?
- How is your semester going so far? Why?
Part 2: Reflect on and answer the questions below:
- What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
- Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
- What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
- What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
1) What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
Ans: The methods that my teachers and school staff used to communicate with my family are face-to-face communication, oral or written communication, and phone calls .
2) Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
Ans: i feel that all the methods i listed were effective because that how they communicated with each other.
3) What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
Ans: some examples are how i can improving in school, join school activities, parent meetings, etc.
4) What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
Ans: i don’t think there is anything that the teachers could’ve done differently because my family was pretty engage in whatever shared decision that was there.
Lacoya — Thanks for your comment. Joining school activities and parent meetings is traditional school dictated involvement for families — the school tells families how they can be involved in the school and the ways they can contribute. Your school was very progressive to engage in shared decision making with your family! I wonder, what projects did the families initiate to improve the school? How did the teachers and school leaders respond?
The methods used in school were mostly through the phone or mail, not so much in person meetings. Most effective methods are in person meetings because you can learn more about a child’s background and determine what is best for their needs. The least effective method is poor communication. If you do not communicate then there is limited things you can do for a child and their education. My teachers tried getting my mother to go to school as much as they could to catch her up on my progress and talk to her about me and how it was at home, also explained ways on how I could improve on what I was having difficulties with. Teachers could have tried to include my family in more activities other than only teacher-parent conferences.
Grace — Thanks for your comment. In person communication does offer many ideas about how to support a family. I wonder, what do you mean by “poor communication”? Could you explain that in more detail? What other methods could the teachers have done to engage in shared decision making with your family?
What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
1)The methods my teachers and school staff used to communicate with my family were through phone call, emails and meetings.
Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
2) The methods that were more effective were the meetings because your able to see what your child is doing in class, your able to see how they have the classrooms set up. The method that were least effective was the emails because not everyone check their emails on the daily basis.
What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
3) My teachers normally would have parent teachers night and also invite my family to events that we were having.
What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
I feel like my teachers were always in contact with my family so there really isn’t any other different way it could have been better.
Tamaris — Thanks for your comment. You make a good point — not everyone checks all of their email addresses on a consistent basis. I wonder, were there any times the school staff made decisions with your family? Can you share the context of those experiences?
Part 2: Reflect on and answer the questions below:
1. What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
2. Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
3. What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
4. What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
1. Answer: the method that my teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with my family was doing parent teacher conferences. When I got toe high school every week we had to make sure our parents signed our progress report sheets as well.
2. Answer: Progress report was the most effective because my mom and my dad made sure to look at the notes every teacher made about me , my improvements , my skills I was good at .. Parent teacher conferences was the least because I believe teacher a meeting being held every 3-4 months isn’t good because it may be kind of hard to judge a student..
3. Answer: Make sure parents know you and your staff, Encourage parents to volunteer, Provide resources helpful to parents, and make them available in a private website, a parent portal, etc.
4. Answer: I do believe growing up the communication between my teacher sand parents was fine. Nothing to really complain about.
Janate — Thanks for your comment. Having notes that travel consistently between school and home is an interesting approach. I wonder, what could be the drawbacks of such a system when working with babies? School staff traditionally dictate to families what they should do & how they can be involved — come to class meetings, participate in fundraisers, encourage families to volunteer. I wonder, were there opportunities for school staff to ask for your family’s input about decisions?
1) What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
My family were born and raised in Dominican Republic which makes spanish their primary language. During the first years of my school years my mom was provided with a spanish translating that would help her understand what was going on during meetings. She received all information of the school in spanish. My mom eventually end up learning english throughout the time and although she doesn’t speak it perfect she definitely can be able to defend herself and have conversation in the english. Therefore during my high school years she no longer needed translation but she will still receive forms in spanish to help her better understand.
2) Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
The most effective methods were giving all forms and information of school in spanish for her to understand and be able to keep loop of what was going on in class. One thing I did notice is my mom barely was invited to school trips and family engagement, especially if I had a teacher who was spanish. I never really understand why they wouldn’t engage her but as I grew my knowledge I understood that if my teacher didn’t speak english this would make it hard for her to communicate with my mother.
3) What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
If I feel that my teachers or school staff should have engaged my mother in school trip and using me as her translator. Not looking at other aspects of how to engage my mother in school trips was something they decided upon themselves rather than look for other resources on how to involve my mother in events like these. My mom was affected by this with the fact she didn’t get much support on her primary language that she barely attended monthly morning activities because she was made felt uncomfortable one time where the teacher did not even attempt engaging with her at all.
Eunice — Thanks for your comment. Offering families access to the information school staff offer in a language the family understands is a fundamental right of every family! Your mom wasn’t invited to school for activities if the teacher didn’t speak Spanish — that it outrageous! I am so sorry that happened to your mom! Reflecting on this experience, I wonder, how might you engage a family with a baby who speaks a language that you do not know?
1) The methods that my teachers and staffs used to communicate with my family is have meetings or pot lucks. Usually before holidays the staffs would host a party for the kids and parents, while the teachers would have parent teacher conferences or contact a parent for a scheduled meeting with the parent.
2) The least effective method would have to be the holiday pot lucks. My parents didn’t bother going if it didn’t pertain anything with my grade or school work. The parent teacher conferences were the only time my parents would be involved, they would want to know how I was doing in class and if my grades were dropping.
3) There weren’t really any shared decision making with my teacher and parents. My teachers would just praise and compliment me on my grades and work I’ve done in the class, while my parents would just thank the teacher.
4) I feel like the teachers and staffs have tried their best to be able to engage my parents, But there would only be praises and compliments. My parents didn’t have time to attend any gatherings at school that didn’t involve my grades since they were so buys with work.
Tamia — Thanks for your comment. It’s wonderful to know that your teachers spoke with your family about what you were doing in school — that is traditionally what happens. I wonder, what opportunities could your teachers have created to engage your family in the school community even though they were busy working?
busy*
What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family? The methods that teachers used to communicate with family was letters sent to the home and phone calls to the house.
Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
Phone calls are more effective because there is a voice-mail option. Mail is least effective because it can get lost.
What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family? There wasn’t any shared decision because I did well in school and I didn’t have any behavior issues.
What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family? I think my school did the best they can to relate any messages to my family that were imperative.
Cindy — Thanks for your comment. Letters can get lost in the mail and there are many ways to leave messages for people. Communicating with families is important, but so is making decisions about the school with the family. Your school experience is typical — teachers and school staff traditionally do not share decision making power with families. I wonder, what decisions could the school staff have made together with your family about the school, your education, etc.?
1. Methods teachers and staff used to communicate with my family were parents teachers meetings, phone calls, voice mails and letters.
2. The methods that were most effective were parents teachers meetings because they got to speak face to face, questions were asked and answered immediately. The methods that were least effective we voicemails sometimes they got deleted or voicemail boxes were full
3. Examples of shared decision, were how to improve in school, extra curriculum activities, fundraisers and the parent teacher association.
4. The staff and teachers did really good in relaying messages and encourage shared decision
Mel — Thanks for your comment. The staff and teachers in your school were unusual! Most of the time the schools dictates to families what they are supposed to do — come to parent conferences, participate in fundraising, attend events, etc. I wonder, ways did the families contribute to deciding how to improve the school? What extra-curricular activities did the families develop?
What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
In-person conversation, emails, phone calls, or letters.
Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why? Phone calls where most affective because my parents worked during school hours but where able to pick up phones calls so anytime my teacher did call my mom was always able to talk to them.
What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
Some shared decision making were events i was apart of in school and whether i was allow to travel to be apart of some of these events to be able to preform.
What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family? they could have held more events where parents where able to apart of on a more regular basis and not only for holidays.
Jasmine — Thanks for your comment. Telephones are a great way to stay in communication. Offering events and opportunities to engage families is crucial to partnering with families. Your family was involved in the decision if you were allowed to attend the trip; I wonder, who decided on and planned the trip? Was that a collaborative process that the teacher planned with the families?
1. What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
During pick-up my teachers would converse with my parent about how the day went with a few words, when it was about a more serious incident, my teacher would ask my parent if it was possible for them to wait after dismissal to converse longer.
2. Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
I think despite my parent’s hectic schedule the most effective method in engaging with families is in person conversations. Getting a time where both parties are available to speak to one another and exchange what needs to be exchanged. A method I think would be least effective would probably be written ones, I just don’t think there as personal as they would if it were in person. Written stuff can also be misinterpreted when the tone is unknown.
3. What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
An example of a shared decision making between my parent and a teacher was when they were deciding to change me from of a dual language class to a regular English class. Both my parent and teacher talked about how the process would work and how it would affect me in my education. It was really all about laying out all the concerns and questions for the teacher to answer and reassure the parent.
4. What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
What my school could have done is perhaps provide different sources of communications, and be more accessible.
1:What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
In my years of school I remember my teachers communicating by send letters and phone calls. During my pre-k until like 2 my teachers will communicate with my parent during drop off and at times did not have the chance to speak. The rest of my years (3-12) my mom stopped dropping me off and picking me up because she had to take care of my brother who was an infant and eventually had his “problems” in school.
2:Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
I believe that for me phone calls were effective because my mom has always been a stay at home mom and she always has the phone near. The least effective methods for me were the letters because at times I remember I would read the letters and at times I would loose it or at times even throw them away and I will let my parent know last minute.
3:What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
The best shared decision making I witnessed between my teachers and parent was the decision of getting me evaluated so I can have an IEP. I remember my mom attending my school whenever the teachers wanted to discuss my goals and what my progress have been like throughout the school year. I had IEP until 11th grade.
4:What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
I feel like my teachers maybe could have tried to maybe communicate with my mom a little bit more on a personal level. But, I believe that if a parent is still not giving you “the time of day” I feel like the teachers have no other choice but to let that parent be. I feel like that is exactly what happen with my parent. Although, I have to say my mom always made sure I was turning in my assignments on time and that I was not being disrespectful and would “threaten” me with saying ” I am going to call your teachers and let them know that you do not do your assignments on time”.
I reviewed this module