The Teacher-Parent Relationship

When you dreamt of becoming a teacher, you perhaps never imagined struggling with difficult parents.  One of the greatest challenges for a teacher is meeting the parents. Getting to know your students’ families and representing your school can be a nerve-racking experience and it’s something teachers get little training in. Being a teacher is not only about teaching; schools actively engage parents and dealing with them is also a part of the journey. The most important thing one can do is to recognize working with parents as an opportunity.

Studies show parental involvement is critical to a child’s academic success. Parents should always feel welcome to contact you with questions and concerns. When there are parent-teacher conflicts, the factors most frequently at work are (a) control issues, and/or (b) differences in values, and/or (c) different perceptions of the student. And the three are often closely related.

As a teacher, it is important to spend a lot of time carefully informing concerned parents about what your teaching approach is, and what kind of classroom environment you establish. And whenever a parent contacts you with some concern or criticism, it is essential that you try not to be defensive. It is inevitable that there will be value differences, but still there is often frustration when someone doesn't share our values. Both teachers and parents need to remind themselves that differences in values can be bridged only by respect for each other's values and the willingness to compromise.

Teachers contact parents only when there is some misconduct by the child or low grades. Quite often it is a negative situation that makes both parents and teachers meet. So when the parent receives a phone call or an email asking them to meet the principal/teacher, they are also filled with defensive attitude trying to reason whatever the complaint maybe. Why not try the reverse strategy for a while. Try sending them little notes or an email appreciating their child’s improved grades or behaviour. Meet them occasionally in order to communicate the positive achievements of their child in class or school. This cultivates a feeling of mutual trust and understanding between both parents and teachers.

While it’s your responsibility to make sure your students are learning in school, it’s the parents’ responsibility to make sure their children are doing their homework, studying for tests, and working on long-term assignments at home. If a parent asks you to excuse their child from a test or assignment, they’re sending the wrong message to their child: your class or school is not a priority. It’s wise to maintain a strict policy about homework and tests. Explain that the policy exists to ensure that your students’ progress in your class. Tell the parent that it’s important for their child to adhere to your homework and test schedule if they are to succeed.

While over-involved parents can be exasperating, uninvolved parents can also be problematic. What if parents are not responding to your calls or e-mails, what do you do? In your e-mail or messages, tell the parent that you understand they’re busy and you’ll try to accommodate their schedule. Offer to discuss the issue in a brief phone conversation if they don’t have the time to attend a conference. Remain positive. Tell the parent you’re confident their child can overcome the issue if you work together to provide support.

And when you have agreed to meet a parent, make sure you follow the ‘Sandwich Technique’. Good first, another round of good at the end and place the bad news in the middle. Sandwich the bad with 2 good ones.

Start on a positive note: "Rahul is doing really well in ______." Year after year, for 12 or 24 conferences, maybe all they've heard has been bad news. So try something different and let them understand that you are here to help your child be successful.

Don't suggest your solution first: If the teacher lays out a plan, there's a good chance the parent will come back with an argument. Instead, ask the parents to explain what's been done in the past and whether it worked.

Use 'active' listening: "I hear you saying ______. Is that correct?" this is a very effective technique, which lets the parent know you're sincerely listening. It also makes sure you understand. If you begin by agreeing or acknowledging what they are saying, they will calm down.

Agree on something common: Pick two or three practical steps each of you can take. Perhaps you and the parents can use email to communicate about schoolwork. You will post the assignments, and the parents will check the site to see what's due and sign off on each completed task. You'll follow up with them when something isn't handed in.

Written by Fathima Khaja

Reciprocal Teaching

Let’s start with a basic definition for Reciprocal Teaching. “Reciprocal teaching refers to an instructional activity in which students become the teacher in small group reading sessions. Teachers model, then help students learn to guide group discussions using four strategies: summarizing, question generating, clarifying, and predicting.”  Source

It is a reading technique by which we aim to improve reading comprehension of a student

Here’s an example of what reciprocal teaching is NOT. A lot of times, the activity illustrated below is mistaken for reciprocal teaching.

Your teacher prepared a list of topics and assigned one for each student in your class. You were given about a week’s time to prepare for the topic. You were also told that you could take up to 5 minutes to explain the topic to the class. If you were like most students, you would have first been filled with apprehension or fear. This fear would usually be a fear of public speaking or a fear of lack of knowledge of the subject. Normally, you’ll realize your audience is people you know and so there’s not much to fear. You also know that this ‘seminar’ is mandatory, so you read up on the topic, and actually try to understand it so when you’re in front of others you’re actually able to explain it. You end up learning the concept because to teach anyone anything, you should be able to understand it first. You notice that the audience is usually more receptive. While the class may not pay full attention to the regular teacher, there’s a high chance they’ll pay more attention to a peer who is explaining a concept.

The above illustration is not reciprocal teaching. Reciprocal teaching is actually about helping students understand challenging text they are reading. Challenging text includes poetry, literary novels, unstructured writing and even scientific publications.

In reciprocal approach to teaching, the instructor instills four clearly defined reading strategies that are simultaneously and actively used to support comprehension: The four reading strategies are Questioning, Clarifying, Summarizing, and Predicting. Students are taught to alternatively take the role of Questioner, Clarifier, Summarizer and Predictor while analyzing a text. The Clarifier tries to answer questions raised. The Summarizer tries to succinctly capture the meaning of the text and the predictor attempts to predict what the author intends to reveal in the next sequence. The instructor invariably helps out the Clarifier by answering the bulk of the questions, particularly when the text is very challenging. This technique is effective for small groups of students. There is a wide body of research supporting the effectiveness of this method in novel situations.

Here’s an excellent summary of how to use this method summarized from an article written by Donna Dyer of the North West Regional Education Service Agency in North Carolina)

1.      Divide your learners in sets containing four learners each

2.      Give a small placard to every learner in the set naming each learner's role:

·         Summarizer

·         Questioner

·         Clarifier

·         Predictor

3.      Make your learners read a page or so of the reading material. Motivate them to use note-taking methods. Ask them to underline things they want clarification for. If necessary, get them to use sticky-notes to prepare themselves for the discussion to follow.

4.      When they read the assigned text, the Summarizer first points out the major ideas up to where they’ve read.

5.      The Questioner then steps up and asks questions of the parts they require assistance in:

·         Confusing information

·         Unclear sections

·         Linkages to pre-learned concepts

6.      The Clarifier then tries to clear up the confusing parts and also tries to answer the questions asked by the Questioner.

7.      The Predictor speaks up next. He/She tries to predict what the author will reveal next or, in the case of a passage from literature, the predictor might suggest upcoming events or plotline.

8.      The learners then pass their role to the person on their right, and then the next passage is read. Learners keep repeating this step in their new roles. This alternation of roles is carried out till the complete passage is read.

9.      The instructor is required to guide the learners’ in using the four strategies successfully in their set. When the learner’s improve skills, the instructor’s role reduces.

Teacher Leadership

For many in an organizational setup, promotions into leadership positions are given as an appreciation for their top-notch performance in their role. Teachers, though, are unique. The demands and experience of teaching, and the skills and knowledge necessary to become a great teacher, make great teachers particularly great leaders. Today more than ever, a number of interconnected factors argue for the necessity of teacher leadership in schools. The current educational context is one of rapid and unrelenting change. The pressure on schools to improve and to raise standards of achievement is always on the rise. However, the real challenge that most schools are facing today is no longer ‘how to improve’ but ‘how to sustain improvement’? And the answer is a direct finger pointing towards teachers.

When we talk about schools and teachers, another important factor is parents. Today parents have a lot of expectations from teachers and schools. From inculcating values, teaching culture and traditions and academic excellence, teachers tend to play the most important role in child development. For this level of commitment, teachers need to possess and equip themselves with leadership skills. Modeling successful teaching strategies, serving on committees and participating in decision-making are hallmarks of teacher leaders.

What is Teacher Leadership?

Teacher leadership is predominantly concerned with evolving high quality education and coaching in schools. It has at its core a focus upon improving learning and is a mode of leadership premised upon the principles of professional collaboration, development and growth. Teacher leaders lead within and outside the classroom, they recognize and contribute to a community of teachers and inspire others on the way to better educational practice.

There are two key dimensions of teacher leadership. Firstly, a focus on enhanced learning results through progress and next, a stress upon collective professional activity.

Teacher leadership integrates three main areas of activity:

• ·         The leadership of other teachers through coaching, mentoring, leading working groups
• ·         The leadership of evolving tasks that are central to enhanced learning and teaching
• ·         The leadership of pedagogy through the development and modeling of effective forms of teaching.

Teacher leaders can be curriculum developers, leaders of a school improvement team, and mentors of new or less experienced staff with a strong link to the classroom. The important point is that teacher leaders are, in the first place, expert teachers, who spend at the majority of their time in the classroom but take on leadership roles at times when development and innovation is needed. Their role is primarily one of assisting colleagues to explore and try out new ideas, then offering critical but productive feedback to ensure developments in teaching and learning are achieved.

Why Teacher Leadership?

The collaboration nurtured through teacher leadership has shown immense capacity for change and improvement at the school and classroom level. Numerous researches provide evidence of the positive effect of teacher leadership on teachers’ potential and levels of morale. Research also shows that teachers who work together in a meaningful and purposeful way are more likely to remain in the teaching profession because they feel respected and prized in their work.

Collaboration is at the core of teacher leadership. For teacher leadership to be most effective it has to incorporate mutual trust and support. Another research study suggests that it is tough for teachers to produce and withstand the conditions for improved classroom learning if those conditions do not exist for their own learning.

To generate and sustain teacher leadership, one will require:

• ·         Empowerment and encouragement of teachers to become leaders and to provide opportunities for teachers develop their leadership skills
• ·         Time to be set aside for teachers leadership work
• ·         Opportunities for continuous professional development that focuses not just on the development of teachers’ skills and knowledge but on aspects specific to their leadership role.

What does it mean to you to be a teacher leader? What are the ways in which teachers can take leadership? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

      Written by Fathima Khaja

Why Continuous Training for a Pre-Primary and Primary Teacher is so Important

It is important to understand that teaching is an evolving skill. Great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement, so it is critical to pay close attention to how we train and support both new and experienced educators.

Preschool and primary education is the first exercise in which children are separated from their comfort zone and safe hands of their parents. So, to start with, it has to be a place which is a second home to the child; a place, which has adequate material to draw and make the child feel at ease and safe. A child learns the importance of his own name, things and friends. The skills and knowledge that the child develops in preschool has a huge impact on the aptitude and attitude of the child later in life.

Today, teacher development has moved beyond simple in-service workshops and has expanded into a more robust system of continuing education. Clearly, the one-time erratic teacher training programs yield no good result. At the end of the day, teachers want development and training that is relevant for their students.

What is professional development?

Professional development refers to numerous types of learning experiences related to an individual’s work. Be it any profession, people participate in professional development programs to improve their performance on the job by acquiring and applying new skills and knowledge.

How does professional development help teachers?

In the field of education, research shows that teaching quality and school leadership are the most important factors in raising student achievement. For teachers to be as effective as possible, they need to constantly develop their knowledge and skills to implement the best educational practices for their students. Professional development is the only way teachers can learn so that they are able to better their performance and elevate student accomplishment.

Is it mandatory to conduct teachers training?

Yes. It is essential atleast twice a year as even well experienced teachers confront great challenges every year. Numerous factors play an important role such as changes in subject content, new teaching methods, advances in technology, changing student needs and a lot more. These issues can be discussed upon and may also arrive at a possible solution.

Isn’t online professional development a good choice?

When it comes to learning content and observing demonstrations, online professional development may be useful. Some also provide interactive training among participants, but there are a few limitations. By engaging in online training, the teacher is in isolation, than as a participating member of a team, this may result in losing out on important experiences and insights. An educators’ collective growth has a greater impact than individual learning does.  And above all, one will not be aware of how well the teacher applies his or her learning towards student’s benefit.

How does teachers’ training benefit students?

No teacher is born perfect. A teacher can never know exactly how a student learns and what affects the student’s learning, and how the teacher can change her way of teaching to increase the student’s learning. Whether a student is a high, low, or average achiever, they will learn better if their teacher regularly engages in high-quality development.

What are the different aspects a teacher’s training program helps?

Teacher’s development focuses mainly on learning modalities. Everyone learns differently, that’s nothing new. Learning is a complicated concept as everyone is unique in their own way, and learns in their own way as well. While one student may enjoy reading and being read to, another might learn more if illustrations and charts accompany reading. While one may enjoy physical movement, another student may prefer quiet and serene surroundings.

That being said, there are four modalities, it includes visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (moving), and tactile (touching). The more senses or modalities a teacher activates in class, the more learning will take place. Teachers are constantly trained on these modalities so as to understand what method of learning best fits their student.

How do you determine the value and results of professional development?

The results of professional development can be assessed through surveys, tests, observations, video recordings, and interviews. If students begin to achieve at higher levels, because of the effective methods of teacher training, professional development is worth the cost. Teachers learn new knowledge and skills because of their participation and use what they learn to improve the quality of teaching and leadership.

Teachers have the power to make a change in the school or classroom. If you have experienced a particular training development that helped you overcome a teaching challenge, do share with us your story in the comments below.

Written by Fathima Khaja