Theme II: Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Education

Section 2.1: Family Engagement

4.6.1- Describe the advantages and importance of family or caregiver involvement in

learner development

The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is whether or not they include

the parents and caregivers in the students educational experience. Relationships and engagement

need to extend beyond teacher-student. Family engagement is essential in maximizing learning

for all students.

A student's overall performance benefits from a strong relationship between families and

schools. A student is more motivated when they know the teacher cares for not only them but

enough to communicate with the parents. When the teacher communicates with the parents, they

all get a better understanding of the teacher’s goals for the child. After a positive teacher- student

relationship has been established, the students are more likely to take more risks in the

classroom. Having a student take risks allows the teacher to see under the iceberg, which means

they get to see more than what is evident by the child's behavior (Evidence; 2.1.1). A good

relationship with the family will encourage the students to have more of a suitable behavior in

the classroom which will lower the chances of discipline problems. When the teacher has a good

relationship with the family, the parents are more likely to approach the teacher with concerns

they have and become more open-minded when the teacher comes to them with a concern.

Another positive with this connection is the parents feel more welcomed inside the classroom,

which means they will help their kids at home gain their confidence. All of the information

shared by Mrs. Davis, Communications Director OLSD, shows that having connections with the

parents, students, and teachers play a huge role in the child's overall academic performance

(Evidence; 2.1.2).
 There are various ways for a teacher to build a strong relationship with the families.

When I first started my field placements, I wrote a letter introducing myself to the families

(Evidence; 2.1.3). I also had created a “Meet the teacher” page so I could share with the students

and the students' families a little bit about myself before the start of the school year or at an open

house (Evidence; 2.1.4). Another communication tool I created was a newsletter that I send

home once a week with the students. The newsletter has important dates and information on it

about the week and what's upcoming on the schedule (Evidence; 2.1.5). The last thing that I

created was a student led parent teacher conference. A student led parent teacher conference is

where the parents are invited into the classroom to talk to the student and the teacher about how

their child is performing in the classroom (Evidence; 2.1.6). The building level schools often

provide many different ways for parents to gain information. They offer email, websites, and

newsletters for parents to get information (Evidence; 2.1.2). The district level schools also offer

information mainly through the internet. They usually send a hard copy to all the families with

important events, dates, and times of things (Evidence; 2.1.2).

Teachers having a good family bond with the students' parents will improve the students'

education both in and out of the classroom. There are multiple ways you can find and have a

parent teacher relationship from the district level, the building level, and in the classroom.