Saturday, August 9, 2008
role of parents in education
It funny, but lately I have run into a lot of people in th education field and each time our conversation goes to the importance of parents and their role in their child's own eductaion. I have always believed that parents play a key role in their child's education and in talking with people it seems that many people agree. We know that schools need to be improved and children need better opportunities because their are inequalities, but if a child has support at home they can do well in school and learn in spite of the poor schools. A poor child in a poor school can still learn if they have support and encouragement from home. That can make a huge difference. I know that I can see it in my own daughter how important I am in helping her to grow and develop. She loves to share things with me and discuss things with me. She love sto say "mom did you know bla bla bla... as if I may not konw this new piece of info. I love to hear teach me. I can only imagine a child who goes home and either does not have parents there because they work or drink or do drugs or just don't care or value education. It is sad. Seanna, my daughter was in horseback camp this week and had a great teacher who was an elementary teacher but stopped to do horses only. She said she came from a family who did not value education and she is the only one of seven kids who went to college. In fact her parents tried to activley discourage her and tell her it was waste of time and she was not smart enough to make it in college. She proved them wrong but she just happens to be a very strong person and has cut off ties with them as a result. It is hard to believe she had to educate herself without familiy support. For many, that may make a difference between success or failure and it is very unfortunate. oops gotta run....
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3 comments:
Helena, as I think you understand very well, having interested adults around them can buoy the confidence of a young person...and that goes for teachers as well as adults. How can create situations where the kids can do work that has a distinctive character, or that reflects something of their interests, or helps them to grasp something they hadn't previously understood...and that, in turn, gives them an impetus to take pride in what they're doing and to want to show it off to their beloved Bio teacher ;-)
That's a great challenge for you, isn't it? I know that you'll come up with lots of ideas, Helena...
Helena
Very thought-provoking post. From my personal experience as a high school social studies teacher I was shocked to find out how little some parents knew about their children's daily activities and interests. At parent conferences, I would have parents approach me and ask questions such as "does my child have any friends?" "What type of project did my child choose for your ____ assignment?" "Is my child part of any school activities?"
It really reminded me how difficult it is for some parents at the secondary level (unlike at the elementary level there are not usually parent volunteers in the secondary classroom), to talk and interact with their kids. One of my solutions was to start posting a website with class information, and I would direct parents to the site so they could use the activities as "talking" points with their kids.
I agree. I think the role of parents is absolutely critical for success. My husband and I tend to be a very involved parents and I can see that it has helped my children succeed in school. I think, if nothing else, it gives kids the confidence to strive for success. They know there is someone in their corner. I think we, as teachers, can be there for some of those kids who may not get much support at home. I like to think we will be able to make a difference for some of these kids. If we ever finish this program...ha, ha, ha.
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