I have interviewed a Director and our
site Parent Liaison. The advocacy topic I predict that I will be working on for
my final paper will be on parent involvement. I was inspired to focus on parent
involvement because I believe that there is a need for more parent involvement
and participation in their child’s early education Due to the Lack of parental
involvement in our Child Care Centers. Parents are working or in school or both
and are unable to volunteer during the day and are too tired in the evenings to
stay or come to meetings. Parents who also have other children at home are also
in a rush to get home and prepare for dinner and/or child care.
While there are many areas that one can choose from to
promote advocacy, I think that advocating for more parent participation in
their child’s education is a good place to start. This way the more parents
become educated and guided, there is a better chance of them becoming informed
and empowered to be proactive in their child’s education now and in the future.
Insights I gained from my interview with the Director
and the Parent Liaison as well as specific related topics include but are
not limited to; challenges or barriers as to why some parents do not or
are not able to partake in their child’s school functions, events or
academics; different ways that parents can be involved at school and at home;
cultural aspects; possible language barriers etc. We also talked about some
possible ideas of tapping into parents skills / talents as a way of swaying them
into the school or classroom.
I will meet again with the Parent liaison to gather
more insight regarding her work with the school families as well as try to
assess strengths and needs from her perspective on this topic.
Hi Vanessa I have chose the same topic because a lot of my teacher friends and other colleagues feel this is one of the biggest issues that child care centers are faced with the reality of their is no parent involvement. I asked the question, why do you feel parents are not involved and for the most part they really couldn't answer the question but what I found out at the center I am doing my internship is that it's not talked about or the parents are not encouraged to volunteer in the classroom or on fieldtrips. I am excited about my advocacy topic and I look forward to making changes in this center and my own center. I agree that the majority of the parents are working and some go to school but I am a firm believer work or not my child comes first especially when it comes to his education.
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa, I cannot agree more. I believe that parents do need to be involved more as it makes a big impact in a child's life. I have worked with students who gain a lot more when the things we have covered within the classroom has been taken home and has been practiced on. I know many parents work and at times it can be very hard, but I believe that allowing parents to see that they can make a difference in their child's life with the practice of just 30 minutes a day will allow them to reconsider and participate. Volunteer work is another great way for parents to be involved and it allows them to see the different methods used to teach their students. The way Education is taught continues to change every year and therefore I believe it would benefit parents to be in the classroom when possible to gain a better understanding.
ReplyDeleteYou right parents’ involvement is critical for children’ life successful, but it’s true most of them work or go to school, and is very hard to get involve. Congratulations because you are taking the first step to encourage them to participate in their early child education. When children feel their parents participation they develop better self-esteem, and learn more, definitely we need parents participation working together with teachers.
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