Shaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school?
ReplyDeleteOut of my 25 students, I have about 3 students' parents that are academically involved in my school. They work with their child at home such as working with them on math and reading concepts that we are working on in class.
What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
Ways that parents can be more academically involved in my classroom is working with their child at home on concepts that we are working on or concepts they are struggling with.
The school I work for has what I would consider normal parent involvement. As Shaka Mitchell indicated, it is much easier to identify or create that involvement in sports than it is in academics. We engage parents much more so when their student is not meeting class grade expectations. (reactive more than proactive). The time reserved for parent-teacher meetings has nearly no interaction created in the high school, but nearly total in the elementary and middle school ages. Involved/interactive parents, as Mitchell puts it, can be more satisfied as teachers and parents team for student advocacy, holding schools accountable, and reinforcing skills/instruction. The difficult part seems to be creating these processes and systems. All parents can become helicopter parents to some degree that may hinder risk taking in their child, but by being able to channel parent energies, we could effectively do more to strengthen the academic process. Mitchell came up with ideas to create a designated parent space, be involved in the hiring process, or becoming as active and informed as most parents with special needs students. I think more notes to parents who have students that are achieving at all levels could lead to a more positive dialogue about academics.
ReplyDeleteShaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteThe school I was at last year had a lot more parents involved, I think it had to do with how young they were. At my current school, there are not a lot of parents heavily involved. I would love more involvement from the parents and I think if we could work together more, it will help create a great education. I would love to have parents come in and see what their children are doing in the classroom or even come speak to help motivate them. Another thing would just be helping encourage the students at home or helping them to study.
My job is a little different because we do not have direct parent contact. We have districts communicate directly with parents at the local level. So I don’t have a good view of local parent involvement. We work with districts and staff, but we do not work with parents.
ReplyDeleteI can speak to my own parental involvement with my kids school though. I am non-existent unless there is an issue. I try to stay away unless I can help in some way, but I try to stay away because usually teachers have enough to deal with without adding me to the agenda as a parent coming in. I probably should check in more. My kids are still young. I help at home every night with homework. So that is how I do my checks on their learning. I go to conferences. I email as needed. But I stay absent to stay unobtrusive.
Shaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteWe can hardly get parents to be accountable for checking their students grades in the online grading system that they have access to. Teachers are required to be reaching out (regularly, but with what time? oh, and phone calls are *preferred*) to contact parents if students are failing "so there are no surprises at the end of term". With this expectation of teachers, parents and students are less accountable for their grades than teachers, and that seems really backwards. We get good parent turnout for sporting events and music/drama events, but when it comes to grades, that is all on the teacher's shoulders. If "suddenly" they 'find out' that their student is failing or if there is a grade they don't like it's instant attack mode. Some ways parents could get more involved in my classroom/or in my school community that would help immensely would be some written policy where parents are expected to shoulder part of the responsibility for checking and communicating with teachers about their student's grades.
I feel like in my classroom the parents are 50/50 on involvement. I feel like most parents at our school are way more involved in extra curricular activities than academics. My son transferred to a different school this year and I have been so impressed with the superintendent and the things he does to get everyone involved on all levels. He has had themed book nights, reading with families under the football lights, he has encouraged every parent to come in and spend time in classrooms and the school has started a parent club to get parents more involved. This club has parents come in and make copies for teachers, teach about Christmas around the world, take recess and lunch duties to assist teachers. The grocery store even provided a Free Thanksgiving turkey to the parent who spent the most hours in the school. The superintendent is also making a big push to find out where parents want their students to be when the graduate. A graduate profile. There have been surveys asking the importance of skills needed, meetings laying out the goals for this program. The community involvement is increasing, the positive thoughts surrounding the school is increasing, and it is so cool to watch. I will be applying at this school shortly.
ReplyDeleteOut of my 23 students, I only have one parent that is academically involved in the school. She is always offering to help me in the classroom, help other students, and help other staff throughout the school. She works outside of the home but still finds time to help with field trips, book fairs, picture day, and field day. Anytime I need something she is more then willing to take on the project.
ReplyDeleteI think some ways parents could become more academically involved in the classroom is by volunteering to help throughout the day. Not just volunteering on the field trip day or party day. I think it would be amazing if parents could come help students when they are working independently on math and reading. Often times there is more than one student who needs help at the same time, and usually it is on different questions. Having multiple adults in the room even for a 30 minute block could make a huge difference in students' learning, understanding, and completion of work.
Shaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteIn the school in teach in, i feel that parental involvement is more noticeable in the lower grade levels as compared to ms or hs parental involvement. I agree with Shaka's statements about parents being at every sporting event throughout the school year for their children - and as a coach - i know that parents often have "thoughts" about the skill level of their athlete. But it does seem to me - that somewhere along the way - the lines get blurred a bit - and the parental part becomes somewhat less involved the older the student gets. This is not always a bad thing - ms & hs students need to learn independent learning strategies and they do need to be able to accomplish certain homework tasks on their own - without as much guidance as they may have needed in elementary school. It becomes a delicate balance that sometimes is difficult to navigate.
My classroom in particular has several concerts every year where our performances are being viewed and listened to by the entire community (not just the parents). This is a great way to keep not only the parents involved in seeing/hearing what the students are doing - but creates community involvement as well.
I feel like this differs from year to year with my classes. I would say overall I have about half of my parents that are very involved, with that being said there is only about half of those parents involved that are in a "good" way and the other half are involved in a "not so great" way. By that I mean the ones in a good way truly do check in and make sure their child is on the right track and seeing if there is anything else they can be doing at home to help with their academics. Then there are the other parents that are very "involved" but it's because their child doesn't give the effort and they know that, but almost blame the teacher for it. These parents always seem to be a ripple effect, if you talk with the teachers from the previous year they will always point out the same parents. I think parents could become more academically involved just by being present and truly making the child's academic success a team effort.
ReplyDeleteOur students are highly involved at home, but our school has a clear wall when it comes to when parents can come in and who can enter the school. We have some events at very young levels where parents are invited to come it, but after that, we keep a clear barrier for all adults entering the building. We do this for safety. I do appreciate this. I disagree with the premise that we want more parent involvement in the classroom. Parents should be in communication with teachers if their children are struggling, but otherwise we need to trust the professionals. I can't imagine teaching a lesson on evolution or the Civil Rights Movement where a parent hears the lesson based on facts and yet challenges the teacher because it doesn't work with the narrative they tell themselves. We could encourage indirect parent involvement but this would require time outside of the school hours and thats when helicopter parents are helicoptering elsewhere. Harnessing positive parent energy is tough. Having a space for parents could be a cool idea for parents to have a space for gathering but again, this has to be on the outside of a barrier to keep our kids safe. Helping parents understand what is happening in the school in this space would be a great idea. This would also require the school to give up space from something else. Private schools would have an easier. time doing this compared to public schools.
ReplyDeleteShaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteAt my school, parents respond quickly to requests of voluntering and take the time to listen to students read or help with homework after school. I am seeing success with my communication efforts to involve as many parent as possible.
In my school, many of my students’ parents are not very academically involved. Communication can be inconsistent, and participation in school events or meetings is often limited. Parents could become more academically involved by attending family nights or gym nights, regularly checking their child’s backpack for communication, responding to emails, and participating in meetings. Even small, consistent actions can make a meaningful difference in a child’s progress. In Early Childhood Special Education especially, strong home–school collaboration supports skill development and helps ensure consistency between environments, which greatly benefits students.
ReplyDeleteShaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteSince I don't teach in a classroom, I'm not sure how involved academically parents really are. However, what I do know is that in the fall we had 98% of parents come to parent teacher conferences. We also have three parent involvement activities per grade, and I usually help checking parents in and I would say close to 75/80% of parents attend these events. If I had to guess, I would say about 70% of parents are academically involved with their child.
I think parents can be more involved by reading 1 or 2 books with their kids every night. Also, physically sitting with their child and helping them with their homework (not doing their homework for them) but really being invested with their child's work. Finally, asking their children what they did at school that day, and not accepting "nothing" as an answer.
The parents at my school are somewhat involved about 50%. I know this from visiting with a good majority at PTC, but also in hearing kids talk about their parents helping them. I would say the kids that REALLY need help at home, do not really get it.
ReplyDeleteA few ways for parents to be more involved would mostly require just asking the others, I think. I know, of course, that some will still not be involved, but for the most part, they will rise to the challenge. I also think maybe creating a log or sheet for accountability would definitely help. I teach mostly middle school and that isn't usually used, but I think the parents at my school would absolutely give it a try.
On the high school side of my school, I would say that the parents are not very academically involved. Conferences at this age are optional. Some come, some don't. Parents will show up for their kids when it comes to any sort of presentation like oral interpret, senior projects, or band concerts. There is a lot of support there. However, as a teacher, I feel like any academic involvement is generally because of some sort of negative factor. For example, your student has gotten varying grades. Parent hasn't been involved/hasn't reached out. Grade check for extracurriculars comes up and your student is not eligible because of a bad grade in my class. Generally I will get an email from parents asking me how I am going to solve this problem.
ReplyDeleteNot all parents are like this, but unfortunately in my small area, this is how it goes more often than not. Parents don't get involved with academics unless it prevents their student from playing a sport.
One big way I would like to see parents involved academically is support outside of school. Encourage your child at home, how important school is, how beneficial it is to go to school. I would like to invite parents to come and talk with classes about life outside of school. Present to them on various career possibilities.
Academically parents in my school were not that strong. Parent's energy went into sports and would their child get to play. Most of the time when a parent would talk to a teacher it would be concerning whether they were academically qualified to play sports. Many of our teachers also have students in the school system and with a touch of their phones the students can let their parent know things aren't going their way. I felt this was a problem in our school. He suggested parents can become more involved through having an inviting atmosphere to discuss issues in. Parents could be involved in the hiring process which I disagree with in a small school. Have workshops to help parents become better equipped at asking better questions of teachers.
ReplyDeleteWays parents could become more involved in my classroom are following up on reading logs, sight word practice, and math problems each night at home.
At the high school level, parents and guardians are involved in their students’ academic lives, but we do work to prioritize helping students learn to advocate for themselves and communicate directly with adults at school. It’s a healthy balance of both things. I feel that parents and guardians are most effective when they support their student’s independence while staying informed about school opportunities and events. Our School Counseling team encourages parent and guardian involvement through consistent communication. This includes our monthly newsletter, targeted emails about important events, and school reach messages that keep families updated on deadlines and opportunities. We also host events specifically designed for students and their families, such as Financial Aid Night, Junior and Senior student and parent/guardian nights, Dual Enrollment meetings, and workshops focused on students’ personal, social, and emotional growth. Attending these events allows parents and guardians to engage in their student’s journey, stay informed, learn more about the school counseling team and our role, and understand the resources available. By encouraging parent and guardian involvement in these opportunities, families can make a meaningful impact on their student’s success without taking over the learning process, supporting both student independence and family engagement.
ReplyDeleteIn ways that students' parents are academically involved in the school varies with each student. There are parents who go above and beyond to be as involved with their student as possible, such as making sure they're understanding the material themself to be able to help them, seeing what things can be done to get their grade up, etc. There's also parents who go above and beyond but in a way that can be overwhelming and exhausting for the students. These are instances I've seen where even if the student gets all their homework complete, the parents still believe there's more that can be done. Then of course there are always parents who aren't involved at all, take no interest in knowing whether their student is passing or failing. In ways that these kinds of parents and more parents can become more academically involved within the classroom is to regularly check the schools portal to look at grades on homework and tests, upcoming projects, and to check in with the teachers regularly to make sure you're updated and to see if there's any resources that you as the parent can utilize to further help your student succeed. Communicating regularly with the students and their teacher will help increase that academic involvement and enhance the students' success at school.
ReplyDeleteHow academically involved are your students’ parents in your school?
ReplyDeleteAs a high school teacher, the most academically involved parents are those of students who are already academically successful for the most part. We have Infinite Campus so parents have access to grades if they choose to access the app, but those that don't, tend to be the parents of the students who aren't being successful.
What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
I think that parents can be academically more involved by actually talking with their children about what they are learning in classes and helping students to by asking them questions on a regular basis. Attending parent-teacher conferences can be helpful but the majority of attendees are the parents/students who don't need the help or conversations about how they can do better or be more successful.
Unfortunately , very few of my students parents are "academically involved. Many of them are not in their kids lives in general- which is super sad to say, but thats why I have to step up as a teacher. I make it known that I CARE about their academics. There are a few parents that are around/ and care about academics and this really shows when it comes to the child's school work and/or behavior.
ReplyDeleteI would really love if more parents came to conferences. That would be my ultimate goal when it comes to being more academically involved. My other suggestion and/or want, is to have the parent check their grades weekly.
In my experience, parents only get involved when they are upset with their child’s grade. I think that parents can become more academically involved in the school by talking to their children about what is actually happening at school, not just when they notice their kids failing grade. They can take the time to introduce themselves at open house night at the beginning of the year, or attend parent teacher conferences. They could offer up their resources or experiences they have to bring their child's learning to life. I think that parents need a better understanding of what is actually going on in schools these days. There is an assumption out there that because parents attended school themselves that they know how things work. While there is some validity to that thought, teachers are juggling so many hats throughout the school day that parents probably don’t even realize.
ReplyDeleteAs a high school history teacher and coach, I see a range of parent involvement at my school. Some parents are highly engaged, checking grades regularly, communicating with teachers, and encouraging their children to stay on top of assignments. Others may care deeply but are less involved because of work schedules, family responsibilities, or uncertainty about how to help at the high school level.
ReplyDeleteOne area where parents could become more academically involved in my classroom is through regular communication about student progress. Parents checking in on missing work, upcoming tests, and major projects can make a real difference. Even simply asking their child what they learned in history that week can reinforce that academics matter at home as well as at school. Schools can also help by hosting seminars or bringing in speakers who provide parents with practical advice on how to ask better questions at home about school, along with tools and resources that show how to support students without overstepping or removing student responsibility.
Another way parents could become more involved is by helping students connect history to real life. Parents can discuss current events, talk about family history, or encourage conversations about leadership, citizenship, and decision-making. History becomes more meaningful when students see it outside the classroom and recognize how it connects to the world around them. I can also do a better job of sending home links and resources related to our weekly topics, along with helpful discussion questions or simple ways families can connect those topics to everyday life at home. Schools could further support this effort by offering workshops or parent nights that model how to have meaningful academic conversations with teenagers and how to guide learning in supportive ways.
As a coach, I have also seen that highly involved or “helicopter” parents can sometimes be an asset when their energy is directed productively. One strategy I have used is placing some of the most zealous parents in charge of low-risk responsibilities such as halftime fundraising games or organizing tailgating food options ahead of time. These were areas that did not need to create additional headaches for me, while also giving those parents an outlet to invest their time and enthusiasm in a positive way rather than focusing on more distracting issues. It did not work every time, but I found it beneficial more often than not. I believe finding similar ways to channel that same parent energy into the school system could be very helpful for building stronger partnerships and support for students.
We have a range of parent involvement at our school. Some parents are very involved in their child's education. They regularly check grades, attend parent-teacher conferences and reach out and communicate with teachers. Other parents have very little contact with the school and can be hard to contact about their students. The negative helicopter parenting tends to me more related to sports and playing time.
ReplyDeleteI could do more to involve parents in their children's education. I could have students interview their parents, ask questions or give some assignments where the parent can play a role in completing the assignment. I have personally had a good relationship with just about every parent that I have dealt with but there are other parents who I have not contacted or are hard to contact. I need to find ways to make sure that I contact each parent at least once during the school year.
Shaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI teach music and my students' parents are not involved much at all in their music academics. If a kid is involed in band or orchestra the parents are a bit more involved. Sadly, I think because of state testing and such that music is an after thought. In fact many times kids aren't even sent to music (which they do get a grade for) because they are behind on classroom work or are testing. I do have two large concerts every year that includes ever student that the parents and families attend. So I probably have the biggest parent turn out :).
What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
I could send home flashcard with the current topic we are studying. The kids could practice with their parents.
I do have a website that I started during covid that I could continue to update and share with parents.
I could ask parents if any of them play an instrument and would be interested in sharing their talents with my students.
Shaka Mitchell, in his TED talk “Can Helicopter Parents Save Our Struggling Schools?” indicates we should be channeling the energy of parents and using it to benefit our students. How academically involved are your students’ parents in your school? What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI teach music and my students' parents are not involved much at all in their music academics. If a kid is involed in band or orchestra the parents are a bit more involved. Sadly, I think because of state testing and such that music is an after thought. In fact many times kids aren't even sent to music (which they do get a grade for) because they are behind on classroom work or are testing. I do have two large concerts every year that includes ever student that the parents and families attend. So I probably have the biggest parent turn out :).
What are some ways parents could become more academically involved in your classroom?
I could send home flashcard with the current topic we are studying. The kids could practice with their parents.
I do have a website that I started during covid that I could continue to update and share with parents.
I could ask parents if any of them play an instrument and would be interested in sharing their talents with my students.