"Encourage parents from other countries to come in and tell stories about their native lands, share favorite books from their childhoods, talk about their hobbies, and so on." (Shalaway, 1994) Positive interventions in classroom management on the part of parents can also encourage parents of high-risk students, who might have had negative experiences themselves with teaching, to establish positive attachments to the school in a way that is helpful to the parent and to the student. "Some family stories...illustrated how providing help with rather than avoiding such issues led to both successful father involvement and improved family and child outcomes," even with estranged fathers. (MacAllister, 2004)
Teachers must take it upon themselves to set a pattern of parents becoming involved in the classroom from day one, beginning with holding an open house as soon as possible. "Several weeks after open house, send a letter home to formally kick off your parents-in-the-classroom program and include a list of volunteer jobs," including that of a classroom manager, "a schedule, and a sign-up sheet they can send back." (Shalaway, 1994) the perfect time to get parents into the habit of volunteering is when their kids first start school, not simply in terms of the year, but in the primary grades. A teacher can otate the less desirable jobs, so parents do not feel taken advantage of, adds one educator.(Shalaway, 1994)
But above all, says Leslie Shalaway, to engouage a sustained involvement, "don't have volunteers work directly with children until...
Parents need to know what to do if children get disruptive, if conflicts arise between kids, and so on. Also, make clear that you're there to step in if a situation comes up that the volunteer does not feel comfortable handling." A parent is not a replacement for an educator, rather having parents serve in key and close capacities in classroom management integrates parents in their parental function in a positive fashion into the school system. Discipline need not be a negative, rather it should be a positive, and it can be if it is critically integrated with the learning process, as well as the disciplinary process. More involved parents produce better scholars, and no classroom can funciton without proper discipline. Having parents become actively involved in classroom management creates more motivated students in more motivated classrooms.
Works Cited
Gazin, Ann. (August 1999) "Keeping them on the edge of their seats." Instructor. Retrived 4 December 2004 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0STR/is_1_109/ai_55471445
Shalaway, Leslie. (1994) "14 ways to get parents to volunteer." Instructor. Retrieved 4 December 2004 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0STR/is_n1_v104/ai_15669481
McAllister, Carol L. (Winter 2004) "From sports fans to nurturers: an Early Head Start program's evolution toward father involvement." Fathering. Retrieved 4 December 2004 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAV/is_1_2/ai_n6031095/print
