Initial thoughts:
1) I think teachers need to understand that there are a lot of responsibilities that come with a child with disabilities. Parent may not always be involved with school because they are involved with other things that child participates in. Also, if the child has siblings, the parents might have to focus on them as well. Also, teachers need to understand the parents emotions.
2) In order to build a positive relationship with families, I think a teacher should be in contact with parents fairly often. I think there should be multiple parent-teacher conferences and other forms of communication. I think that teacher's shouldn't just contact a parent when their child is acting out but also when they accomplish something great, like getting a good grade on a test.
I agree with you Ava about including positive information when contacting parents. It can be overwhelming for a parent of a special needs child to constantly be bombarded with negative comments about their child. Teachers need to share the positive experiences, stories, comments, and events that the special needs child is accomplishing during the week. I think a parent would feel more at ease if the teacher was able to find some positive traits in the child.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with you on your first point, your second is, in my opinion, is a bit unreasonable. I do believe teachers and parents should communicate with one another. However, it is highly inefficient and impractical for teachers to contact parents every time their child does something. Imagine having one hundred students and having to sit down with their parents every time they make an A on an exam, hold the door open for a fellow class mate or say "thank you."
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