Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
27 - Involving parents and guardians
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2021
Edited by
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
Schools do not properly engage parents in their decisions and they rarely share critical information about what concerns the children's education, except where there arises a problem beyond the school's control.
Yakubu Anas, Kano, NigeriaThe short version
1 Parents and guardians have an important role to play in schools.
2 Some schools are supportive of parents’ and guardians’ involvement in schools, and have mechanisms which encourage this, such as parent–teacher associations. Other schools can be less supportive to this, or indeed hostile.
3 Some parents and guardians may feel nervous or embarrassed about getting involved, often because of their educational background or social status. Schools have to be more welcoming to those who feel like this.
4 The learning which takes place at home can be as important as the learning which takes place at school.
5 Parents and guardians can have an important role to play in the classroom.
Introduction
1 How many of your students’ parents have you met, or do you know?
2 To what extent are parents and guardians involved in the life of your school, and their children's learning?
3 Below are some strategies for getting parents / guardians involved more in schools and their children's learning. What do you think they mean? How can parents and guardians be involved in them?
How to involve all educational stakeholders
The first thing to say is that you cannot make the changes listed here by yourself. To fully involve parents and guardians in the life of your school, all ▸educational stakeholders will need to be involved, especially head teachers and senior teachers. Strong leadership is needed to make meaningful change. Depending on your context, some of the ideas below will be more realistic than others. You will need to adapt to your local situation.
Ten-minute share
When some children begin school, they are very nervous. Indeed, they may even be scared. It's obviously important to minimize this wherever possible. One way to achieve this is to have ‘tenminute share’ sessions at the beginning and/or end of the day. This can help the child feel safe and secure, and that school is a ‘place for them’. These sessions should not be compulsory for parents. They should be encouraged, rather than pressured to participate. Indeed, there may be good reasons why some parents cannot come.
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- Teaching in Challenging Circumstances , pp. 163 - 166Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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