Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.
Throughout my practicums in the education program, I attended multiple parent-teacher nights/interviews and was fortunate enough to be involved in the conversations between the coaching teachers and the parents of students in the classes I was a practicum student in. During these conversations, I talked to the parents about my own experiences with their child, I was able to provide my insight about how I perceived their student was doing in school, and I talked about how their kids may be able to improve academically with the areas each student respectfully struggled with.
These experiences helped me fully recognize the importance of parents’ and families’ collective involvement and support of their children in schools to reach their learning needs and provide support for their overall well-being. A collaborative approach that includes parents, families, and communities would make schools more inclusive and equitable, and without a doubt create schools that foster comfortable learning environments, successfully meeting the learning goals of all learners.