Last week I took on 25 parent-teacher conferences with a new perspective. Reading Campano's book has opened my eyes to how much I really don't know about my students and their lives. I know bits and pieces here and there and I can certainly ask probing questions, but I used to think it wasn't my business. Now I'm beginning to see that not only is it my business to understand where my students are coming from, but it is equally important to show their families that we are partners in creating the best learning experiences for our students.
At Parent Teacher Conferences I changed my approach with most of the families I met with. Instead of routinely stating positives and areas of improvement, I asked questions. I let the parents/guardians guide me in the conference and prompted them to be open with me about the child's home life. I was so surprised at how many of them seemed to relax when they realized I wasn't focused on behavior issues, for example, but more focused on the why behind the issues. I learned things from this approach I would have been privy to otherwise.
Once parents opened up to me about divorces and separations, the difficulty of the child's parents living in another city, the long commute to school because they had to stay in a new place, or the competition between siblings, I came to see my students in a whole other light. I felt knowledgable and honored that the parents could trust in me and share their worries and frustrations and that I could reassure them we were going to do it together. I wanted them to feel as though their ideas and what they valued mattered to me because it truly did! I just never thought to ask.
Now that I understand my students' lives a bit better, I have already aligned activities and curriculum that can connect more to them. It's a work in progress, but knowing where they are coming from gives me more meaning to where they can go in the classroom.
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