Family involvement in a student's education is not only crucial to the success of the individual, it's critical for the success of the school system itself. Therefore, if the entire nation's educational system depends on the investment of parents in their children's success, it must be emphasized that at every chance possible, we must make concerted efforts to involve and encourage parental investment. This, however, becomes tricky after Elementary school. Once the proverbial training wheels of the earlier grades come off, so to speak, the school climate does tend to stoke the flames of individualism, self-dependence and independent responsibility. This does make sense on one hand. After all, early adolescence is biologically, culturally, socially and academically a time in which students should be developing agency. This, however, does not dictate that parents should be less involved. Instead, evidence suggests that their involvement should simply evolve to fit the new climate of the middle grades. As Jamie Green and Derek Volles write in their article "Positive Contact: Redefining Parent Involvement", "For guardians...breaking down social barriers, maintaining consistent positive contact, and redefining the perception of the teacher can make a huge impact on student success."
The importance of communication between educators and parents is imperative to student success. If a parent is not aware of where their student is in relation to the educational goals of the course, education loses its significance. As an after school worker, I have seen first hand how critical communication is to a child's success. Whether in the context of behavioral reinforcement, developmental concern, or simply getting to know a student and their family for the sake of fostering a deeper, more relevant relationship, communication begins with discussion. Not e-mails, not texts, not written papers; it starts with an outstretched hand and a smile and effort to build a bridge towards mutual understanding of a students' interests, needs, strengths and areas of continual effort and investment in their success. Though alternative methods of communication obviously have their importance, these efforts work best when beginning face to face. Clarity is key in these discussions. Respectful, direct communication with parents is what opens the door to this type of positive mutual investment. The obvious challenge inherit in communication is misunderstanding. No two individuals are objective, and in our subjective methods of communication things can sometimes become hazy in translation. This warrants care when communicating with parents at the middle level. Often, these parents are still adjusting to the changes of the middle grade adventure and without clarity and the care of the educator to ensure mutual understanding, the students will lack optimal focus as well. I plan on utilizing careful, effective and inclusive communication whenever possible as an educator. Without going the extra distance to convey my investment in their child's success, I will have undoubtedly failed to live up to my duties as an educator.
The importance of respect when dealing with parent-educator relationships is vital to the success of the student. Therefore, what better way of conveying respect for a parent than in involving them in the decision making process? Parents deserve a say in their children's education, and though often times involving parents in the day-to-day life of their children's education may complicate matters, it also often conveys just how much support students have. As a student, I often felt few were truly interested in my success outside of my immediate guardian. Instead, I felt that my classroom environment consisted of parents interested in their own children's success, whether or not other students succeeded in the process. However, by linking families together, promoting a learning community and encouraging the success of all students through communal parental involvement, students will encourage one another to learn in a safe, supportive environment. As an educator, though I understand there is a bit of risk involved, I seek to encourage parent input when developing my curriculum, classroom environment and more. When parents feel they have a say, they will more likely respect their children's teacher's efforts in turn. Mutual respect and communication through parental involvement and curricular transparency will be crucial to foster a positive environment in my middle grades classroom. I plan on taking on these challenging methods of educating head on, and in doing so I hope to foster a sense of community in the process.
