Parenting and Education

Read an interesting post today titled Dealing with Parents  My own week as educator and parent has been insightful. My youngest son was preparing for a Grade 12 final exam of 160 multiple choice questions in a science class. Any parent of a child with a learning disability in reading can appreciate the challenge this presents. After much worry, we decided to step in and request a “reader” for this exam. While this may be a common practice in some schools, it had not been done before at this school. Arrangements were made. The night before the exam, my son decided that this might not be a good idea. He didn’t want to be a target for classmates because he took his exam in another room – he would just take the exam as usual – he didn’t care about the consequences. Luckily, the school administrator intercepted him in the hall heading into the exam and encouraged him to take the reader. Thank you! The phone call from the school the next day indicated he did well and they realized this approach was something they would need to consider in the future for other students. Score one for parents and educators listening to one another.

My second happy dance was shared by a teacher I have been working with. New to the school, the teacher had been warned by a staff member that she was in for “hell” with the class she was getting. The list of negatives about this class was enough to make anyone think twice about the coming year. I have been helping her with several projects incorporating technology into her students’ learning. The result? Five months into her year, this diverse group of students is happy, engaged and learning. She recently received a note from a parent thanking her for engaging his child by incorporating the many digital tools available for learning. He says their dinner conversations have become lively and engaging; his child is now sharing what is happening at school and is inviting various friends and family to view his writing on his blog; his child is excited about learning. The parent thanked the teacher for tapping into tools and strategies that his child had not experienced in the past. Score one for parents that are aware of educators who are listening to and understanding their learners.

~ by search4understanding on February 2, 2008.