I found that this article closely connected to my classroom, from the discussion on inclusion to the implementation of PBS. There are a few particular points that resonated most with me.
I strongly agree with the need for all students to gain a sense of membership, “a child’s right to belong and to have access to the same opportunities and experiences as other children of the same age”. In my opinion, a part of membership is not only having these experiences, but feeling like a part of the class and forming positive relationships and friendships. This is much easier said than done, as I have seen in my classroom with year. Three members of our class are mainstreamed in for part of the day. We have used many of the suggested methods from the article, including activities that involve collaboration, children’s literature that promotes respect and inclusion, and rules that encourage respect to promote an inclusive classroom. Our class has taken time to get used to accepting these children that they view as “different”. Many of our students simply needed time to get to know them and how to interact with them. Things are not perfect, and I still do not feel that the students that are mainstreamed have formed lasting friendships with others in the class, but there have been many touching moments and great steps. I will never forget the day two girls went over to one of our students (who is mainstreamed in for part of the day) and lit up her face with a hug smile by asked her to play with them. I have also seen partner work with these students improve drastically. I am so proud of these occurrences, and I think that is what this article is about. We have used positive behavior supports to reward students for being good friends, including others, and following rules in order to work towards a classroom where all students feel valued and feel a sense of belonging.
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On another note, I found the following quote intriguing:
“Interestingly, parents said they felt less of a need to be present in schools when relationships were based on trust and respect”. This is not to say that all parents who come to schools do not feel their relationship with the school is based on trust or respect. However, it does point out the uneasiness parents feel when they do not trust the school or do not feel that they are trusted or respected. Unlike parents who simply enjoy being at the school, these parents feel the need to be there because they are not comfortable to what is happening without them there. I have never though about this, but it is an interesting perspective that shows yet again the importance of building trusting relationships with families.
I like that you pointed out the quote about parents feeling like they need to spend less time in schools when there is established trust and respect between families, teachers, and schools. I had never really thought about this before either. I think that statement applies to one group of parents, though. The parents who are comfortable in schools, and who are able to advocate for their child’s learning. I think that if these parents are in our schools because they do not trust us, that message could be passed onto their children, which would create a disconnect in the child’s mind between home and school – Who is right, my teacher or my parents?
I think that there is also a group of parents who may not be trusting of what is going on at school, but who do not come to school because they have negative feelings towards their schooling experiences, and do not feel comfortable in school. Many times, these are the parents of our language learners and children who are of a low socioeconomic class. Ultimately, I think it is our goal to create these positive relationships with all families, so that they all feel welcome, but not NEEDED, in our classrooms.
By: sydneypender on January 30, 2010
at 7:38 pm
The quote you included is one we should all think about. I know I do not want to create the classroom where my parents are coming in because they do not feel good about what is happening while they are not there. I want to create an environment where parents want to come in and help and see what their children are doing because they hear the excitement in their child’s voice when they come home in the afternoons. Parent Involvement should be positive. They are a huge part of making a successful learning environment.
By: Emily Hobbs on January 31, 2010
at 6:09 pm
Hey Kristen! I think it’s great that you have gained so many great experiences already in your placement classroom. It seems to me that no matter how many articles you read, it is the experience that really makes an impact on your teaching. I agree that membership is crucial to an effective classroom, and I wish parents could be much more involved in the classroom, too!
By: katiejordan on January 31, 2010
at 6:40 pm