Reflect on and answer the following questions:
- What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
- Which methods that your teachers used to communicate with your family were most effective? Why?
- Which methods that your teacher used to communicate with your family were least effective? Why?
- Did you teachers negotiate educational decisions (what was best for your education) with your family?
- If yes, give an example of a negotiation that took place between 1 of your teachers and family.
- If no, why do you think your teachers did not negotiate with your family about what was best for your education?
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 but they could have involve parents more in the activities and not just planning it.
Mel — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Face-to-face communication offers many benefits; I wonder, how frequently did your teachers have face-to-face communication with your family? I wonder, who decided how the school needed to be improved — did families say we need to raise money for “X project”, or did school staff say that they needed parents to raise money for “X project”?
1.What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family? Methods instructors and staff used to speak with my family were Parent Teacher conferences, school events like school dances and talent shows, Phone calls, Emails and letters.
2.Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why? I believe that Phone calls and emails were more effective Because my mom was always at work so that fit really well in her schedule and she always had access to her phone and stayed on top of all of those emails and phone calls.
3.What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family? Parent Teacher conferences, school dances or overall school events.
4.What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family? The Staff did an amazing job contacting my mom and engaging her with what changes were going to be made in the schools regarding the children. So I would not change a thing.
Selanie — Thanks for your comment in this activity. I wonder, when your teachers called your family, what did they talk about? It sounds like the school keep your mom informed, I wonder, did they invite her to make decisions about what was happening in the school?
1)Some methods that my teachers from pre-k to highschool and the school staff used to communicate with my family was they would send letters, call, schedule one on one meetings.
2)I think calls and meetings are more effective because you can make sure they’re paying attention and ask questions if they need too and the least effective would be the letters, because they’ll probably just scan it through and sign it and that’s it.
3)Some examples of sacred decision making your teachers engaged with my family was PTC, Movie nights, school dances and etc.
4)Something the teachers and school staff have done differently to engaged in shared decision making with my family maybe just make it seem more interesting, like for the school events, but for my grades in school they did a good job getting in contact with her for whatever reason made sure she was aware and informed always.
Lesly, – Thanks for your comment in this activity. I wonder, how did PTC, Movie nights, school dances, etc., affect your education; were these fun activities that families could be a part of or were these meaningful decisions that impacted your education? It sounds like the school keep your mom informed, I wonder, did they invite her to make decisions about what was happening in the school?
1.Methods my teachers used to communicate with my family was phone calls, emails or parent teacher conferences.
2.I think the most effective was parent teacher meetings because they are face to face and they’re feeding off each other energy and getting to know each other better. The least effective would be phone calls because most of the time my parent would be busy so she wasn’t able to answer or get back right away.
3.Some examples of shared decisions making was school dances, painting activities, game nights and school dinners.
4.Something teachers should have done differently was to try to make the announcement sound more interesting and having votes on which they will like better to make them feel more Interested in coming.
What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
Some of the methods that were used to communicate with my family were by phone (phone call or text messages), letters sent home, and email.
Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
Phone and the letter methods were most effective because my family would actually read them and try to understand what is being said. An email was least effective because my family would not check them not often.
What are examples of shared decision-making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
Some examples include talent shows, family night, graduation, prom.
What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision-making with your family?
I think one thing that my teachers and school staff could have done differently would be to have made announcements about things like family night more creative that way it would make the families more interested and want to learn more about the event.
Diamunique — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Having talent shows, family nights, graduation, and prom are wonderful events that families can be a part of can help to plan; I wonder, were there any meaningful decisions that impacted the quality or trajectory of your education that your family was involved in?
1. What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
-The methods my teachers and school staff used to communicate with my family were parents conferences, phone calls or voicemails
2. Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
-I think the method that was most effective was parent conferences because they could talk face to face and share information about my behaviors. I think the method that was least effective was voicemail because my mother hardly ever checks her voicemail.
3. What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
-Some examples of shared were family day, parents teachers conferences and school dances.
4. What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
-They did a good job I would not change a thing.
1.-What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
Unfortunately, when I was in preK, communication with parents was not encouraged. My teacher only talked to my parents one every trimester in order to keep my parents updated about my grades.
2.- Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
I guess the face to face method was the most effective one because when my parents meet with my teacher during the trimester meetings, she could tell them in person about my progress.
The least effective method would be the writing method because at that time my parents didn’t have cellphones to call or text my teachers during the day. We only have a phone at home, but my parents were out working.
3.- What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
My parents never shared decision making with my teachers. The school didn’t encourage my teacher to engage with my family, for my teacher made her decisions based on her professional judgment, my parents trusted my teacher, for they were very open and they always agree with them.
4.- What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
My teacher could have invited my parents to have an open and honest discussion in order to build an effective partnership and come up with an outcome beneficial for both parties.
Marcela — Thanks for your comment in this activity. In many places — not just Ecuador — families and teachers defer to a teacher or school staff’s professional judgement for decision making about educational decisions. Families are relegated to making decisions about social events rather than curricular or educational decisions. I wonder, how would your family have responded to an invitation to an Open House from your teacher?
1) The methods my teachers and school staff used to communicate with my family where sending emails to each other, grades, reports and parent teacher conferences.
2) I believe that the parent teacher conferences were the most effective because they all had a time and place to talk with all of my teachers about how I was doing, socially, emotionally and educationally. They were all able to talk about if they had concerns abut me or if they thought I was doing okay. I think the least effective method of communication were the reports because no one was able to talk to each other in the moment. It was just a written piece of proof my parents had to let them know how I was doing at the time. I could have changed and or other things could have changed.
3)An example of shared decision making between my parents and school staff was when I needed to get evaluated for an IEP. From there I was then able to get a better education and understanding about how I learn as a student.
4) In preschool up until 6th grade my teachers could have tried to engage shared decision making by talking about me getting evaluated for and IEP sooner. I think it was really detrimental to my learning that I got it so late and or the teachers and my parents didn’t move me to a different school sooner. I will say that it wasn’t an easy decision to make and no one really knew what to do at the time.
Zoe, Thanks for your comment in this activity. Being able to have conversations promotes the understanding & sharing of info because there is a “back and forth” exchange, reports are a 1 way exchange of information. Thanks for sharing your story about the IEP process & its impact on your love. I appreciate your openness and power on the topic. I wonder, what did the initial conversation look like, did the school staff “tell” your family you should have an IEP?
1. What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
the methods that my teachers would try to communicate with my family were leaving emails, voicemails, phone calls, and parent teachers conferences.
2.Which methods were most effective? Why? Which methods were least effective? Why?
I think parent teachers conference was more effective because my teachers were able to meet my parents face to face and were able to exchange phone numbers with one another. They were able to discuss my progress in school and they showed that they cared. I believe the least effective was emails just because both my parents do not understand english. My mom only understands spanish at the time.
3.What are examples of shared decision making your teachers (pre-K through high school) and school staff engaged in with your family?
Some shared decisions with my teachers and parents were that I needed to pass the state test in middle in order to make it to the next grade. They showed that they worried about my academics and they shared that with my parents.
4.What could your teachers and school staff have done differently to engage in shared decision making with your family?
nothing because they would share things to my parents showing they were worried.
Madelin — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Face to face conversations promote dialogue, and creates an opportunity to get to know a person. I wonder, did the school “inform” your parents that you needed to pass the state tests in middle school to be promoted to the next grade? Or was there a joint process of discussion and decision making about what should be done around you being promoted to the next grade and the state tests?
1. What are the methods that your teachers (pre-K to high school) and school staff used to communicate with your family?
They would call them if something was going on, they would talk mostly in parent teacher conference.
2. Which methods that your teachers used to communicate with your family were most effective? Why?
Parent teacher conference were the most effective because my parents always went and they would discuss my academics.
3. Which methods that your teacher used to communicate with your family were least effective? Why?
Sending emails because my mom would barely check her email.
4. Did you teachers negotiate educational decisions (what was best for your education) with your family?
They talked about putting me on a conduct sheet so I would go to my classes. I had to get it signed by all of my teachers and if I did not attend or behave I had to go to detention. My parents liked the idea because I was going to my classes whether I liked it or not.
Brenda — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Face-to-face communication between families & teachers is important, and that is what happened at Parent-Teacher Night. I wonder, how frequently did Parent-Teacher Night happen? If the teachers asked your mom her preferred mode of communication & used that to get in touch with her; I wonder, how could that have impacted communication between your mom and the teachers?