Original Post 4/14/13
Learning happens best when the student, teacher, and parent all play important roles in education. Too often however it seems as though the teacher is playing a role that is too dominant in this process. Teachers aren't sure how to engage parents more, parents aren't exactly sure what is happening in the classroom, and students don't have enough of a voice in their own learning. This is my seven step plan to involve parents to so they have the opportunity to be a partner in the learning process and provide students with more of a voice in their own education.
Head Start Day
Planning
Students and parents are invited in to meet the teacher and see the classroom a few days before school starts. Not every student will be able to attend, but the information will be sent to all via email, snail-mail, etc. This meeting will be a little like an open house or back to school night, but it will involve both parents and students. They will be invited into the classroom to hear about how the class will run, gather important information, take home books for the students to begin previewing. In my class I am planning on providing students and parents with all the math assignments for the year. As soon as the students go home they can begin learning. (see flipped learning for more information) If you are an administrator, would you consider having this Head Start Day as part of one of the in-service days teachers have before the students report to school?
Back to School Dinner
Planning
This was an idea @Joe_Mazza floated on Twitter and I loved it. Since we have already had our first meeting, this will serve as a check in and problem solving session. Students will not be in attendance in case the teacher or parent wanted to discuss a difficult situation involving the student. Before Back to School Night I will send home information that I would like us to all sit down for dinner at Back to School Night. I will be making a dish, with the help of my wife, and asking if anyone else would like to bring something as well. We will keep track of it all using a Google Doc for parents to check in on so we don't have 6 families bringing brownies...although that doesn't sound too bad. As we sit and eat I plan on having discussion topics posted on the SMART Board which are related to the subjects the students are learning about in school. If your Back to School Night is an hour, think about how you could divide up that time between subjects. For example, 20 minutes for Math, 20 for Language Arts, 20 for Science and Social Studies. The parents would have each other to talk to and use as resources. The teacher would rotate from group to group answering questions. These questions would be much more personal and the hope is that a sense of trust is built not only between the teacher and the parents, but among the the parents themselves. Often times parents are better at solving problems at home than a teacher is, they walk the walk every day.
Student Led Conferences
Planning
Conferences are now approaching and usually the students are not present. The teacher and parents sit down and discuss the performance of someone who is not even there. Can you imagine your boss and your mom sitting down talking about your performance at work and you were not allowed to be there?
Student led conferences or SLC's allow the students to not only attend these meetings but have a voice. With the help of the teacher, the student defines their strengths and weaknesses, sets SMART goals for themselves, and explains their plan for achieving their goals. The parent is there to ask questions to the student about their presentation, but the student is the one presenting. This provides the students with a remarkable sense of responsibility over their learning and will increase their initiative greatly. This will allow the parents to have a touchstone throughout the year, "Remember when you said you wanted to be able to do X, and Y by the end of the year? How is that going?"
Barbara Fidler and Jason Krieger from Central Junior High, in Euless, Texas, created this document to help me get started with my planning.
Standards Based Grading
Planning
I am guilty, guilty, guilty of mixing behaviors and performances on report cards, and they really shouldn't be. In the past I have counted completing homework as 20% of a grade, quizzes 20%, tests 50% and participation 10%. How does completing homework equal mastery or understanding of a concept? So if a student has all their homework done, and participates regularly, but has a 69 test and quiz average they will wind up with a 78, or a C+. Students aren't really sure of what they know and dont' know, parents aren't really demanding their students improve because they were close to a B after all, and a teacher doesn't feel as though anything drastic has to be done, after all a C is average right?
With Standards Based Grading or SBG teachers would identify and grade the students on their ability to master a standard. Their behaviors would and should be graded in a different section of the progress report or report card. Often times behaviors are the reasons why students are not having the success they should be having and the behaviors need to be documented. This will show students hard work really does pay off.
Flipped Math Instruction
1+ Year
There is too much to discuss when it comes to how to flip your classroom. If you need some background information you can visit Jon Bergman's Blog, where I wrote a guest post, or see what my colleagues Todd Nesloney, or Delia Bush do in their flipped classroom. One of the largest benefits as an elementary teacher to flipping one subject, is that parents can see exactly how a lesson was taught. A video is posted online and when a student becomes stuck and wants help, the parent can quickly click on the video to gain a sense of understanding to help their student.
It also allows for students to be self paced. If a student masters a concept, why should he or she be held back with other students who need more time? In a flipped classroom, if a student demonstrates mastery they are allowed to fly ahead. I have tried this before in 5th grade and did not have the greatest success because I did not institute a floor. In math instruction especially you cannot allow students to spend weeks, or months learning one new skill. At some point they need to move on. Now that I have the floor intact I have a feeling many in my class will fly. You can read more about this self-paced plan here.
Window into the Classroom
1 Year
With all the social media today many teachers have found a way to document the learning as it takes place in the classroom. Teachers are using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flckr, and many more platforms to provide parents with a window into the classroom. Parents need to see how learning takes place in the classroom, so they are able to continue the conversation at home. If a parents asks, "What did you do in school today?" The students give very little in response. But if a parents asks, "I saw you were working on in science today, can you tell me about it?" The student will talk about it much more about their day. It provides students with a much better chance to reflect on their own learning. We created a private Twitter account where I take 3-4 pictures a day, and a picture of the homework board. Parents have been so appreciative to have this opportunity in my class this year.
Innovation Day
Scheduled June 12, 2013
This idea I got from Josh Stumpenhorts (@stumpteacher), Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp), and Karl Fisch, (@KLS471). The students are given a whole day to learn about one thing they are passionate about. From the moment students enter school they are at the center of their own learning. Students have written songs, learned about lift and created a plane, and even created to scale models of the Sears Tower. I'm really excited about this idea and can't wait to get started. You can read Josh's blog about his day here.
By implementing these seven ideas we will begin tearing down the walls that separate the students, teachers, and parents. We will have a more transparent classroom and learning environment, connecting three major players in a student's education.
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