It is true that problems arise when parents are either not involved enough or so involved that they question every decision a teacher makes. I’ve experienced both. I tell my parents that they are always welcome in my classroom, but very few actually come to observe or even participate.
A few years ago I had a class of first graders with students who were especially difficult to manage, although they were very sweet individually. I heard many parent comments about 2 students in particular whom they saw as “troublemakers.” Their comments bothered me. I decided to have Super Saturday family events so that all of my parents and students could get to know each other better and see that my students were not the “monsters” they had been thought to be. We went on picnics, hikes, even roller skating. It worked! Those parents formed a closeness that was still evident three years later. I’ve tried to replicate that with my third graders and their families, but without success. I’ll try again next year — when I’m not so busy with Georgia State!
I would like to see more parents involved in our school. A recent safety issue resulted in a short-lived flurry of parent volunteers, but that has died down now, and I see fewer parents. So many of our parents have to work, so they cannot be as involved during the school day as they would like to. A few years ago we began a student post office system of letter writing. We found parents who were willing to oversee the project, but they had to give it up because of work schedules. We no longer have that program because no one is available to manage it.
A downtown revitalization project is taking place around our school. A new city hall is being built across the street. New sidewalks, landscaping, benches, and street lights have been installed in an effort to make the area pedestrian-friendly. I would like to see our school building become a more vital part of community events. I’m not sure how to make that happen, though, even after reading this chapter. Our school counselors are working on a parent resource center. Our school council meets once a month, with parents in attendance, and they discuss parental concerns. Maybe those are two good places to start (besides my classroom, that is!).
