Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.

Connecting with the Families of My Practicum Students:

In addition to these class-wide correspondences, I also kept families informed through planner messages and by posting material and messages on the Google Classroom. I did my best to ensure parents and guardians were up to speed on what their children were learning in the classroom.

Several parents reached out to inform me that their children would be away on vacation (anywhere from 5-10 days) or for an appointment (1-2 days), and asked that homework be sent home. On these occasions, I responded as soon as possible (either the morning of, at recess/lunch, or by end of day) and always prepared homework packages complete with instructions and guidance. Furthermore, if a student was away for more than a few days, I would reach out to their family via email and ask how they were doing and if they wanted me to send anything home to ease the transition back to school. Families appreciated my check-ins and valued my care/concern.

Lastly, I sat in on several parent/teacher/student meetings and attended student basketball games that were hosted at the school. During these times, I had the opportunity to connect with parents and show my investment in their children’s learning–academically and social-emotionally.