The role of parents in the education of children is critical. I have talked with many teachers and they have told me that parental involvement is crucial in a child's learning process. There is no substitution for that. As a parent, I completely agree and take an active role in my daughters education. I also write children's books and many of my books deal with the importance of family. I believe that families provide the foundation upon which a child's education rests.
http://www.kevinmcnamee.com

 

 

 agree with Larry and with Elmer in that our child's education begins at home and should be reinforced at home throughout their life in our home. I am a firm believer that teachers are actually "co-parenting" our children for the duration of their school career. It amazes me that more parents are not in more frequent contact with their children's teachers outside of teacher conferences and parent's nights. I certainly would not allow a baby sitter or nanny or even grandparent to care for my child 8 hours a day 5 days a week without reporting in with me and/or notifying me of the child's progress and behaviors. And I certainly would not wait for a 20 minute meeting every six months to discuss an issue, problem or concern.
I believe parent conferences should be a time to get to know one another, talk about the unique qualities and interestes of your child and create a plan for communication and success for the whole team.

It amazes my children when I ask them if they have homework and they try to say no...then I reply with "Actually, you have a quiz tomorrow on lesson 52 in spelling." Or when I have a surprise waiting for them when they get home because they had such a fantastic day...

Just as I would expect my husband to tell me about my child's day, I expect the same from their teachers. When we are all on the same page, and we all have each other's back, we create a more successful team and everyone wins. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Teamwork and collaboration of teachers to acheive results in any initiative are the key to the successful running of a school. Team spirit is nurtured only if the principal is caring and strong.

Building successful schools has to be about collaboration and community. We will never reach the goals we are striving for unless everyone is on board. I, too, took over a failing school and turned it around by showing respect for the ideas of all. This took place in the 90's under School Based Management/Shared Decision Making in Miami. Our teachers loved being included in decisions involving the budget and personnel and curriculum. I have since gone on to be a presenter at state and national education conferences. I talk about building a positive climate and culture through inclusion, caring, and respect. Feel free tocheck out some of my presentations on my website: www.coaching4educators.com.

The bottom line becomes communication between administrative ideas and practical uses in the classroom where all are seeking to enhance student learning. Once this honest communication takes place, real change can happen. Technology has been a problem for some teachers to incorporate into their classes. The key is how technology can help them AND help the the students. Pushing an idea that "this is good for you" does not work but when a teacher sees their own ammount of grading go down because of the use of a new technology, no more convincing is necesssary.

Experiences and situations in which colleagues work together, cooperatively and/or as a team are beneficial when the goals in mind are positive and not self-serving. In situations where I have been placed in a group with people who are not like-minded, and perhaps, not quite as intuitive or sensitive toward placing themselves in others' shoes, the outcomes - to me - have not seemed to be as good as they could be. In these situations, all colleagues in the group or team should consider the other team member and achieve compromises that include the interests of that team member, as well.

For example, in one parent conference with my team of teaching colleagues, the mother of a 7th grade boy asked us if we approved of and/or would recommend that her son be friends with a particular boy. The other boy was a gang member - he had all the signs of belonging to a gang. All three of my other three teaching colleagues supported and approved of the woman's son being a friend with this other boy! I was the only one who disagreed and disapproved. Because my other three teaching colleagues spoke up, together, she immediately believed them, and discounted my perspectives. Unfortunately, teams can work together to help others and/or to hurt others.

Also, I would appreciate if you could take some time to read my posts in my LinkedIn group, "Educators Against Retaliation," and you will become aware of what I experienced when several administrators retaliated against me in one of my places of employment. That was also a situation in which their teamwork made a negative impact on my life and career. You will be astounded. 

Response posted by Laura Lynn Walsh:

A relative of mine has had a similarly negative experience with working on a team. She is an outstanding teacher and has been required to work on a team with the rest of the science teachers in her high school. Members of this team seem to have personality conflicts and the team meetings end up to be haggling over trivial matters and, in general, a waste of time.

I have had a similar experience in a group where teachers are simply looking out for themselves and not working toward the broader goal of student achievement. Stepping up and trying to bring the group together was challenging since the principal chose to turn a blind eye to their strong individualistic nature.

Elmer Sir
Working in a Group is always interesting and productive." Egoism and Self Centered" actually , is a hindrance for a good group.

I have also experienced the power of group. A Few years ago ,when I was transffered to a remote tribal area , the attendence of the students in the classroom was quiet low .Naturally , the pass percentage was not upto the mark .
With the continuous team effort the strength rose upto 660 from 209 in just Two years and the pass percentage of the student touched at a height of 89% .

Rightly it is said -" Strength lies in Unity "

One way is to find out how that business or corporation or school district or school building works/functions. Second, get to know everyone, how they work, how they think, and their likes or dislikes. Third, don't do what they do if it is against company policy or what you were hired for. Fourth, act like you know and do what you know to maintain your purpose, assignment and tranquility.

Remember, everyone body are not or really are not equipped for team work. Most of the people are game players getting nowhere but letting the team players do all their work.

Finally, look to change or make change in your environment for the better........be a problem solver to all their issues or solutions they are not willing or really are not capable or qualified to bring about change.

I used to be a tiny kid in class/grade two. I shared a table with children who were much older than me. They would get most of the homework wrong and I would be quick to tell them so. They would wait for me after school and beat me up. At home, I would fear going to school and fake sickness. My teacher Mr. Zani discovered this and became protective of me. He would tell everybody in class that if they would like to be what they dream of becoming in life, then they must write well the way I did, and that him and I would help everybody write well. He made the boys who used to bully me promise that they would stop doing so and in return I taught them how to write well. I started liking school again because of Mr. Zani. God Bless you Mr. Zani.

IT´S ALL IN " THE POWER OF LOVE " WHAT A MIRACLE ;)))

Yes, love is the answer. Teaching our children that profound fact is crucial. The power of love is paramount to teach, I show and remind my students with compassion. While teaching children to accept differences in others and celebrate their own differences is a start. But I have learned that to eliminate racial tension must begin by teaching connectedness, we are all connected, the same but different is the most perfect sense. My students begin to realize while our cultures may be different we all have similar feelings, dreams and desires etc. When I teach connectedness, compassion follows. Then I wrap up the lesson by teaching how to celebrate differences, to accept and embrace being different. Listening to my students and parents, knowing I care, shifts any mistrust and begins to build bridges to long lasting friendships and partnerships. It's about our students being the best they can be. They can and will if we teach them the power of love and acceptance of others.

 

Nice: to communicate that caring in such clear terms that no one can deny that it is true.

When we as educators make the parents feel comfortable in our teaching, then their children will most likely feel comfortable in our classrooms as well. In American education, the trust between parent and teacher and also teacher and student, is not automatic. It must be created. I feel like I do that by sending home a daily folder and by sending an e-newsletter (just a simple text e-mail containing what we are learning about in class). It is actually quite simple, but it doesn't just happen.

Bridging the gap between school and home is just as essential in some cases as the curriculum we teach. Parental involvement and partnership helps to instill a sense of pride in the entire community. It shows parents that they are not alone in this struggle and with their help, it show teachers that they are not alone in this endeavor.What is the most efficient method of getting parents involved though? Many parents/single parents are struggling with finances, unemployment, divorce and other outside factors that can negatively affect their child's performance. We need to be compassionate and sympathetic to the individual situation and meet the parent(s) where they are and help/encourage them to come along side of us. Any ideas of how to best do that without offending anyone's sensitive nature?

I look forward to reading your book! Congratulations on compiling such amazing ideas to help those of us in the trenches. I think I will know how to reach my newest student, Pablo, who is an at-risk 5 year old, receiving English as opposed to bilingual education.

Hi folks! Great question. When approaching the issue of parent involvement and support, we really need to first look at our own agenda. Do we believe that we are the ones making the difference in the lives of children? That we are the ones who know better, and we need parents to support us with both their attitude and involvement in our process? Unfortunately, just about all of us have at least a little bit of that agenda present. After all, we believe in what we are doing. We know our students, and we have expertise that can really help them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this way of thinking.

But here we are, without that support, and without that involvement. So here's another way to approach the issue. I assert that getting to know the student MEANS getting to know the parent. Remember, the parent is the #1 teacher in the child's life. If you are really good, you might be #2. Therefore, developing the learning of the child is a co-creative process. You and the parent are co-teaching. Just as when co-teaching with another teacher, reporting the child's progress and your teaching with the parent, as well as asking questions regarding the same is an on-going process. You do NOT have to engage in the family struggles. Simply share and ask questions regularly regarding the academics of their child.

What I'm talking about is greater than differentiated instruction. It is individualized instruction based on the whole child, and the parent is a huge part of that. "Going for" parental support and involvement should never be the objective. Building co-creative, academic relationships with parents in service of creating personalized learning experiences for your students is the way to go. The results are nice too. When a parent knows you (1) care about their child, and (2) care about the teaching they are doing/have done with their child, support and involvement become a natural response.

I invite teachers to look at how they can develop this relationship with parents. What structures can you put in place that allow for this on-going, necessary communication. Great luck, and have a great 1st month!

Fantastic points. I really agree with what you have said and am looking forward to getting to know my parents as much as my students. Being an educator is so much more than simply teaching anymore. It is time we as educators stop complaining about what isn't working and find solutions that do work. Out with the old, in with the new.

Very well said everyone, as educators it is important to realize that on the flip side how the parent feels about the educator and the school also affects the child's willingness to be a art of the process. A positive influence from within the home about the teacher and the school will create a positive effect in the child's education process and visa verse. In as much as the educator has a great influence on the child the child is more easily influenced by the parent. So getting to know both the parent and the student is important for the success of all.

Can the power of caring turn a difficult school assignment from a place of chaos into an environment where children really enjoy coming to school and where parents take pride in and support their child's school and teachers?

My first assignment as an elementary principal was in a large inner-city school, which was considered to be a very difficult assignment. The previous principal had a difficult time and another person had been assigned as principal of the school but refused to take the job.

As the new principal of this school, I was determined to give it my best shot; and if I could do no more, I would at least communicate to children, teachers, and parents that I really cared. That was my game plan, and I began to create tools (which are shared in my book) to make it work.

My staff soon caught on and we worked the plan together. Did the plan work? Oh, yes! ...and I learned a great success secret regarding the power of caring early in my career which I used over and over in the years that followed. The degree of community pride and support that developed against great odds during my five years in this, my first assignment as a principal is still hard to believe. I could share many miracle stories, but please consider this one fabulous illustration.

One of our teachers just happened to be in a certain supermarket over the weekend to purchase some groceries. One of our parents just happened to be in the same store. They both just happened to get into the same checkout line but did not recognize each other. The parent was in front and was overheard by our teacher saying to the cashier, “Well, I have learned that there is at least one school in Columbus that really cares about kids, and it is Eleventh Avenue School.”

It was our school she was talking about. Talk about winning the lottery! Wow!

Elmer caring is the foundation on which success can be built. Once students recognize that teachers care students will do almost anything for that teacher and will more often than not get their parents involved. Of course al problems will not disappear but there will be gradual overall improvement and most students would strive for advancement because they know the teachers are in their corner.

Respect and caring, can go a long way to bring about positive results in any situation.
Thanks for sharing.

While there is no single simple answer to complex problems, I do believe we need to pay attention to some of the intangibles - those that are not easily measured - when considering the variables of school improvement. Caring, showing concern and demonstrating compassion (the 3Cs) are all invaluable factors in building relationships, and help in putting students ahead of testing and other accountability measures. It is important, however, that the staff refelcts this same philosophy. While modeling these behaviors by the principal must be evident to all, modeling alone may not be enough. As opportunities present themselves, the hiring process must consider the non tangible variables as being as important as knowlege of teaching, curriculum, etc.

I believe in this too. Too many times teachers have the “us against them attitude”. We like to preach the motto “teamwork" but we don't follow it. We have to accept each one of our families as different and that what works well for one may not be working for others. We see it in the way children behave at school. Once the children and parents know that our goal is to make their child succeed as far as their capabilities can take them there will be no problems.

Respect and caring, can go a long way to bring about positive results in any situation.
Thanks for sharing.

So glad you are promoting institutionalized caring in schools! Awesome

Yes the staffs attitude and caring can definite flip a childs perspective and as a community of learners it change the perspective of individuals.

One day this precious child was sent to the office with a note from her teacher. She wanted to know if she could win ten tootsie rolls by writing the motto, creed, and pledge for Mr. Winner, rather than reciting them.  Of course, I would have accepted this proposal but I had an idea I had to try first.  I shared that I would really like to allow her to write the motto, creed, and pledge but I did not know if that would be fair to the other kids who had to recite them in order to win the prize.  I acted like I was thinking really hard and then said something like, “I think I have an idea that might work for you and still be fair to the other kids.  What if I turn the tape recorder on, leave the room, and shut the door.  Then you can recite the motto, creed and pledge into the tape recorder.  That way, I can listen to the recording later when you’re not here and if you get everything right you’ll still win ten tootsie rolls.” She nodded her head that she would like to do that and believe it or not, she did it! Talk about an empowered child, Wow! And of course when she picked up her prize I told her how much I enjoyed hearing her recite the motto, creed and pledge and that she had a beautiful voice.

Thank you Elmer for your comments. I think that if children can be brought up in an environment that recognizes all their successes no matter what size they have more chance of surviving the schooling system. Unfortunately I think that the schooling system does not give children enough room to develop their own unique talents, therefore it is more challenging for some to succeed.

I totally agree with you that every child is good at something. As a teacher and school counsellor, my passion is to help students find their strengths and have confidence in their abilities.

This is an idea that other teachers may be interested in........

Since this is the last week that I will have my Year 9 Drama class, I have bought little notebooks for each of the students and have written comments about their individual abilities and the personal qualities that I have observed. I have also added comments about setting their goals and believing in themselves.Then in the last lesson, I will ask each student to write positive comments about each other in their notebooks, since I believe that praise by their peers can be as effective or even more effective than their teacher's. I hope that these notebooks, packed with such positive feedback, will empower each student in the future, especially in times of hardship or sadness.

Please add to or comment on this list of seven things principals, teachers, and parents can do to motivate children and help them reach their potential:

1. Love them (care for them and communicate it)! Children will often respond to a caring spirit when they won’t respond to anything else.

2. Believe in them! Children need to know that you really do believe in them in order to have the confidence to push forward.

3. Notice them and listen to them! Respond to something that they have done or said in positive ways. Yes, even laugh at their silly jokes.

4. Find and use the tools that will help you get the job done! By tools I mean techniques, approaches, activities, resources, etc. If you don’t find many such tools in my book, then I have failed you. You must increase your skill in using the tools that are available to you. You must also keep looking for even better tools, tools that really fit your hand and work for you. Be creative, and yes, sometimes you even need to be an inventor.

5. Discover the special interests and skills of children and use them in your teaching! They may be interested in a variety of things including sports, art, storytelling, acting, helping the teacher, jumping rope, etc.

6. Rejoice over small victories! One success if properly celebrated, often leads to many more; and it’s best to usually work on one big problem area at a time. The big victories in the lives of children will one day come about as a result of the rejoicing that took place over the smaller victories earlier on.

7. Be persistent! Never give up! Don’t allow apparent defeat and failure cause you to do anything but try a little harder. There will be disappointments. There will be setbacks. There will be days when you will think you missed your calling, but keep trying and you will make it! Sometimes beginning teachers get off to a really bad start and have a terrible first year; but I have found that in time many of these same teachers do get it all together and become some of the best in the building. And to be honest, even successful teachers sometimes hit a plateau or a dry stretch when nothing seems to be working; but they “stick to their guns” and are soon back on top again. The only way I know to explain or understand these hard times is to recognize them as a necessary part of our “On the Job Training.” My philosophy has always been, “Do your best and don’t worry about the rest.” I had to adopt this philosophy and really internalize it in order to escape burnout! It’s worked for me and I believe it will work for anyone who will really believe it and practice it.

Great list, Elmer. And it's so refreshing to see a conversation on motivation focus on teacher affect and students' intrinsic motivation rather than rewards and other common efforts to motivate students by manipulating them--including through the overuse or misuse of praise, which I wrote about on my blog a few months ago: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2011/04/motivation_or_manipulation.html

I am new to teaching (...still seeking employment.) and appreciate all this magnificent information. I use most of this in my tutoring business and will transfer all to my classroom. Thanks again for sharing with us novices.

Participate in engaging activities that are centered around learning. Things like www.spellathon.net are a great way to motive kids.

Motivating children comes with a respect for you as their teacher. Every year I make sure to build family in my classroom. We begin our day with a meeting in which I read the book Together, by George Ella Lyon. It only takes a few days before they are choral reading and memorize the book. This philosophy of working together to accomplish things in our classroom has worked for me for 16 years, even with my toughest kids.

I treat every task as though it's the most exciting thing in the world to learn about! It's really entertainment and it captures them every time.

Show them that they are valued. Remember the things they talk about. Their likes and dislikes. Ask them how the birthday party went. How many fish did you and your dad catch? How long did it take for you to hike to the top of the mountain? Engaged them and then come back and ask more detailed questions.

It's this top 7, that are wonderful reminders to all educators on a daily basis! In fact, as my own reminder, I'm going to keep a copy in my planning book! Thanks Elmer!

I agree with Bridgette! And would like to add, 'enthusiasm' Thanks Elmer for sharing!

Motivate students by providing lessons in which they have prior knowledge and interest in.

Be positive, and encouraging, around our children don't put them down and I agree celebrate the small achievements they grow into bigger ones.

This is awesome! I totally agree with each of the suggestions. I have seen many of the concepts first hand. The bottom line is never give up! There are no limits to student success. It is important to aim high, try new ideas, listen, laugh, play but above all focus your time and talents in helping others be the best that they can be.

I agree with Diane. Dont put your kids down is the most important thing.. even Labeling them in many ways limits the possiblities that your child has available to them.

This should be the education montra of all schools:

Education is KEY to Economic Prosperity
Motivation is KEY to Education
Connection is KEY to Motivation
Meaning in Education is KEY to Connection

I am Claudia's husband. She showed this list to me and I wanted to respond. I was a high school teacher for 15 years. I really LOVED your list. There were two maybe three things (off the top of my head) that I would have added to it (briefly):

1. Be consistent. If you set a rule, don't vary from it at your convenience. With my own kid, if I do break my own rule I talk with him about it and let him know why I did what I did.

2. Be Honest. Kids can smell BS from a mile away.

3. Try to relate with them... on your grounds. You have to be yourself though!!! Don't try be like them (see #2). This is one of the main rules I try to live by... I try to treat kids my way. What I mean by that is when I was teaching I would often tease kids and make up names for them. That was my way of interacting with them. Other teachers would be so amazed that I could talk to the kids the way I did. I could get away with this because of your rule #1 which is also MY rule #1. I would tell my students on a regular basis (at least weekly, if not daily) that I loved them. Yes, I would tell even the huge mean looking kids ... especially the huge mean looking kids that I loved them. Like Robert Frost said "And that has made all the difference."

My main regret is that I didn't start doing that earlier in my teaching.

Give them a reason why things are for their benefit not the parents or the teachers. My grandaughter had problems with the multiplication tabels (who didn't). Most thought she had a learining problem. The real issue is she did not know why she had to learn them. I turned the card game of war into a mutiplication table game (picture card were a 10 and the ace a 1). She had it in one hour! Why? There was an outcome and reason she could relate to!

What would you add when it comes to
How do you motivate staff?
How do you motivate volunteers?
How do you motivate parents?
How do you motivate yourself?

I see a lot of common items for all.

Dr. Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum really motivates my students and me too! We use it all year long in my classroom and have a ton of fun with real meaningful tasks to meet goals! :D She's an excellent speaker too!

I motivate my pupils with a game related to our lesson...lots of fun...

You gotta teach to their individual learning styles. Otherwise you may as well be beating them over the head with a ruler.

By example!

Make sure children understand that intelligence is not fixed, it is malleable. Praise effort and overcoming obstacles not 'intelligence'. If students think they did well because they are 'smart', they will give up if they encounter a challenge.

Sometimes a child just needs to hear a kind word from an adult at school that has nothing to do with schoolwork. David makes some good points. I have found that something as simple as telling a little girl what a pretty dress she has on goes a long way to brighten their outlook/day

True Christine, just today, I told this little girl who had colorful ribbons in her hair that she reminded me of a rainbow and her smile was more precious than a pot of gold!

Don't forget to bring them joy in their learning every day! Something else I have learned is that you have to listen to them finish their thoughts. Sometimes it takes a long time, but when you let them speak and actively listen, they feel confident and it promotes further thinking on their part. Ask questions that extend the conversation. Time consuming yes, but it can take a child to higher levels of thinking in the long run.

Thank you all for these reminders. I want to pass on another reminder that a friend shared with me recently in the form of this article on the impact of what we say to little girls: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html?&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
I found it challenging and crucial to how I work with and motivate children, and being conscious of what values I wish to pass on. I would love your feedback.

Play with them.

Great suggestions Elmer. I think good teachers recognize your commitment to the students and interesting, motivating and hands-on ways to teach the curriculum.

By making sure my motivation and attitude stay in "on" mode! As stressful as teaching is these days if the teachers can't put that aside when the students walk into your room you have lost the motivation before they have even started the day!

In my opinion caring brings out a feeling of belonging in the children and that is the most positive feeling one can have. Caring is connection and is a relationship that will lead for sure to better results.

Caring can be a powerful tool in the learning process. It can make or break a student (or even a parent(s)), as Elmer illustrated. It has worked for me in the past, as I'm sure it has worked for countless others.

Response posted by Karyn Hodgens:

I think you need to have caring and effective communicating before anything real gets accomplished. And, as in your example, we often need to model it. The good news is, it makes us AND them feel good and that can lead to positive changes.

It's obvious that all parents care for their kids. the challenge is in how to communicate it.

Wow, that was beautiful. It's so sad when parents are too busy to appreciate their child in their accomplishments. Children need to feel that love and care from someone in order to help them grow into mature adults. I'm sure anything that we can do as educators to help both child and parent, or even anyone for that matter, to be caring and appreciative will go a long way.

Don't forget about NON-verbal communication. Sometimes our non-verbal cues communicate more information to our students than our verbal messages. If our actions communicate one message while our words comminucate a different message, students become confused and you lose any ability to initiate positive change.

Working in KG, good eye contact, a smile and a nod can make all the difference.

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