PARENT COMMUNICATION, Week 8

Top three things about working with parents!
1) Don"t make assumptions
2) They want to make sure that their kids are being looked after and are number one.
3) You need to understand their backgrounds and lifestyles.

Some of the points that a feel are really important for teachers when dealing with parents are the following. I believe it is very important to not make assumptions about the parents parenting. You will never know everything that that parent is going through at the given point in time, or how the home life is for that family. This is why it is important to always keep an open mind and realize you may not be seeing everything. One other thing is that parents want to make sure that their kids are being looked after and are number one. They are only thinking about their child they need to know that they are where they should be and not being left out and not thought about. One last thought is that as teachers is s important to understand their background and lifestyles. This goes along with the first point that i made. Although we will never know everything that is going on with that family, there are some things that we will know and we need to take these characteristics into consideration when talking to parents and evaluating students.

What are three more after watching the video...
After watching the movie and seeing how Jim dealt with the parent teacher conference there where other important points that came mind. Jim had samples of discussions that he had had with the child. This was very good for the parent to see how her child felt and interacting with her teacher. Jim also had samples of work that the child did. This was important for the parent to see what her child was doing and how the teacher felt that she was at a level that she should be in the classroom. I felt as if having the work right in from of him reassured her of what he was talking about and discussing with her. Parents need to be reassured that their child is at a level that they should be at. The mother was very concerned that her child was not performing. It was essential that the teacher assured the parents that the child was excelling in some and under achieving in others. Every child has strengths and weaknesses and this is important to convey.

APA citation
Kirk, S., Gallagher, J, Coleman, M., & Anastasiow, N. (2009). Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed.). Kentucky: Cengage Learning. Retrieved October 22, 2009, from http://college.cengage.com/education/kirk/educating/12e/resources/video_cases.html