Learning Outcome 10: Promote parental involvement and collaborate effectively with other staff, the community, higher education, other agencies, as well as parents and other caregivers for the benefit of students
No one person is an island. The pursuit of education needs to happen in an community setting so that ideas can flourish, and understandings can gain the added element of experience. In students' lives this means making their educational experience continually flow from subject to subject. This can be done by teaming up with other subject areas to plan curriculum, talking to parents to get them involved in their students lives and furthering your own need for knowledge.
In my time in both of my placements I have seen teachers reaching out to caregivers daily. This can be through using email, phone conversations or notes on student work. Caregivers are the other half of the equation when it comes to our students lives. They are the people who have an an insight to the students lives outside of school. They can supply teachers with information as to behavioral patterns or disruptions in the home that can effect school work. The teachers that I have worked with have all done their part to make connections to students' caregivers to help get the student all that they can. The types of connections that i saw were deeper than a letter sent home every once in a while. My host teacher in my second placement had created relationships with the caregivers of her students that she felt needed the most help. This concentrated attention was often based off of changes in behavior and performance in class. By reaching a hand out to the caregivers through emails and phone calls, on a regular basis, a constant flow of information and understanding helped create a support system for students. This development of a relationship to the caregivers of all students can help teachers understand the needs and backgrounds of their students. This flow of information helps create a even stronger connection to the students, their needs and their development as learners and individuals.
As for participating in a collaborative environment with fellow teachers, I have found myself participating in professional development session, faculty meetings, informal observations and conversations with members of the faculty from all departments. I found that some of the most fulfilling conversations happened over lunch in the English resource center at my high school placement. I was able to make connections with professionals that were passionate about their work and their students. These men and women were constantly talking about how they can make their skills better and how they can breathe new life into their already vibrant classrooms. They would constantly discuss pedagogical literature that they found most helpful and how they handle classroom management issues. These same colleges were holding discussions about student work and how they can introduce more rigorous texts into their units in the professional development meetings. All of these activities and convergence of ideas benefited the students directly. One never needed to go far to become inspired about the art of teaching and it made every day a joyous occasion.