Rationale

The experience I had observing the parent conferences at Central Valley Middle School

contributed to my growth in learning about school and community development. The teachers

were all very professional during the meetings, which lead to the parents feeling very

appreciative. The parents in all of the different meetings were very thankful for the teachers’ help

and advice. It was also great to see how well all of the teachers communicated information to the

parents. They were all very consistent and easy to understand. From this, I learned that when a

teacher is able to communicate effectively, the parents will be much more receptive to the

information. I also learned that meetings are able to go much smoother whenever the teachers

work well together, form a professional team, and communicate with one another before the

meeting starts. During this meeting, not only did the parents work as advocates for their children,

but the teachers worked as advocates as well because they willingly offered their advice for

where improvements could be made to positively impact the students’ opportunities for learning.

I also had the opportunity to participate in a faculty meeting during the month of March

at Riverside Middle School. This faculty meeting was led by the principal, and it was very

thorough and informative. During the meeting, many important and upcoming dates were noted,

including the dates of the PSSA. During this meeting, I was able to collaborate with other faculty

members in talking about these dates, and how I could be of help. Particularly, soon after

discussing the PSSAs during this meeting, I became certified to administer the test so that I can

assist where needed during the testing days. Attached below is the meeting agenda as well as my

notes from the meeting.