“Paradigms create worldviews on which future comparisons can be drawn. They provide concrete representations of what something could look like” (Holland, 2017). In the classroom, paradigms determine how teachers interact with the families of their students. Ellen S. Ametea’s, Building Culturally Responsive Family-School Relationships, describes each of the three paradigms that teachers tend to fit under when it comes to relationships with the families of students in their classroom. These paradigms include the separation paradigm, the remediation paradigm, and the collaboration paradigm. Each of the three differ, increasing parent involvement in the classroom as they shift from separation to collaboration. Building Culturally Responsive Family-School …show more content…
Those who advocate for the separation paradigm believe that communication between teachers and parents of students must be restricted as much as possible. This view understands parent-teacher interaction as simply means for conflict. Ametea’s, Building Culturally Responsive Family-School Relationships, explains the view of teachers who fall under this paradigm, "Educators who embrace the separation mindset consider this ideal for minimizing conflict and maintaining their professional autonomy” (Ametea, 2013). These educators believe that the only role parents should have involving their children’s education is to enforce the demands of the school. The paradigm consists of one way communication from educators to parents where input and contribution from parents is unfavorable and inconvenient for the teacher. The paradigm places the parents at fault for a child’s setbacks, and believes that the poor and working-class families are unable to contribute positively to the classroom. This paradigm fails to communicate with the families of students, likely resulting in a lack of knowledge of each students’ background. With that being said, I strongly disagree with the separation paradigm. I do not think that the paradigm puts students first. Rather, I believe that the lack of communication with families is a result of negligent teachers. A major issue arises when parent-teacher communication is cut off: teachers do not know …show more content…
The definition defines the paradigm as the “usual or accepted way.” Therefore, a change to a paradigm goes against what we know as normal and acceptable. Thwink.org (2014) explains the resistance, “if a person or system is biased toward its present paradigm, then a new paradigm is seen as inferior, even though it may be better.” As explained in Building Culturally Responsive Family-School Relationships however, recall that Thomas Kuhn found that every significant breakthrough in science begins with a break in tradition, or a shift of paradigms. With that being said, the shift from separation, to remediation, to collaboration, each made advancements that improved the quality of education provided to children. In my ideal classroom, parents will be welcome to visit and volunteer, and communication between myself as the teacher and the parents will be my pleasure. I recognize that when parents feel involved in the classroom, they are more likely to provide additional support at home. I know that communication between myself and my students’ parents will help me to understand each student’s unique background, allowing the best possible support to each students’ needs. I hope that my future classroom will reflect the collaboration
3. Delpit, Lisa D. Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York: New, 1995. Print.
Warren, Hong, Rubin and Uy (2009) encourage teachers to take a slow approach to engaging with parents/carers and do it in a more authentic way through meaningful conversations. Even a short, five-minute conversation can help “1. Make a personal connection 2. Share your hopes and concerns about the student 3. Leave a lasting impression” (Major, 2008, p. 318). Major (2008) offers another way to engage parents/carers, by holding a ‘gala’ night with awards, food and an exhibition of student work and including other classes or even the whole
Graham-Clay, S. (2005). Communicating with parents: Strategies for teachers. School Community Journal, 15(1), 117-129. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195462342?accountid=34899
Effective partnerships between families and school emerge from a mutual trust, respect and understanding of each other’s values and goals. By maintaining such partnerships, we create a healthy environment for children to develop. All families have something unique to offer and educators need to recognize this and make the most of it by incorporating all families into the school community.
When the majority of teachers in America are White, middle class women who only speak English in a country were students are starting to come from a multitude of backgrounds it is no wonder problems are arising. As more people from different cultures and religions immigrate to the United States the average classroom is losing the cultural uniformity it had in the past. Though the faces in classrooms are steadily changing many teachers have not been able to adjust as quickly to the ever growing diversity taking place. One would expect for teachers to still be able to teach students effectively whether they share a similar background or not, but in actuality cultural conflicts between teachers and students are only getting worse. Especially when
Questioning whether or not job culture has expanded at the expense of family culture, forces one to consider how they define “family.” The GOP republican platform holds that family starts at the marriage of one man and one woman and includes the subsequent children that follow, and of course we saw in Weston’s book that we are redefining the meaning of family all the time. Families of all sorts are faced with allocating time and resources between family and career. The way society is continuously evolving; the gap between the two, I believe, will grow and grow.
In today’s classroom environment instructors are apprehensive about negative parent involvement. It is this involvement that inhibits rigorous and demanding structure. It will be those stern teachers that reinforce basic fundamental
Sensitivity to family diversity within the field of education is integral for schools and teachers to better support the identity formation and needs of their students. Much of the literature that exists on this topic tends to focus on becoming aware of issues related to language, culture, gender and socioeconomic status and often how these can intersect with each other to create varied and unique situations. While topics of partner violence and substance abuse may be intertwined with these themes, they are not always the focal point of discussing family diversity.
Sometimes a student is successful in one area and having difficulty in another or a student has trouble using their words to communicate and becomes aggressive. At this center, the teachers have the tools to assess each child and the parents are interested in knowing the strengths and supports their child needs. The article Understanding Families, states that there should be “opportunities for families to discuss their beliefs about their children, what they want for their children, and how they support their children’s development” (Christian, 7). As conferences occur every 6 months, parents also communicate with the school and teachers via email and during drop off and pick up times. Another great example of parent communication is in the article Building Bridges from School to Home. The teacher builds relationships with parents by getting them to understand the areas that their child struggles and continues to strive in. Making sure they know that their child will master these skills when they are ready (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 2). At Staples Child Care Center, all teacher will assessments and observations about the child and a few suggestions that the child will benefit
In 1995, Delpit published Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. Although the excerpt analyzed in this paper is from a larger work, it was written by Delpit (1995) as a self-contained speech. This excerpt includes many of the concepts Delpit believes to be the basic cultural conflicts in the classroom, which are stereotyping, child-deficit assumptions and student isolation and invisibility. Delpit's goal is to "remove the dynamic of oppression that are inherent in any classroom…that come together when (primarily white) teachers spend time with 'other people's children'" (Delpit, 1995, pg.69). Through Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, Delpit lays the foundation for multicultural education and details ways teachers can solve the inherent problems that arise as a result of many cultures interacting in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is an analysis of this text through an analytic, interpretive and normative reading.
A teacher today needs to have an ability to relate to and create partnerships not with their students, but also families, administrators and other professionals. This ensures that all persons involved with the education of the student are on the same page. All involved then work in harmony and help each other achieve the common goal of educating the student in the best possible way for the best possible result. (Wesley, 1998, p 80)
We spoke about the important people in the classroom which includes the child’s family, the child, and the teacher. The family is not physically present in the classroom each day. However, the children are products of their home environment, and the relationships
She believes some of the challenges contemporary families are facing are the economy, healthcare, loss of employment, lack of basic necessities, and broken homes. Despite these challenges, schools and families can work together to make schools stronger by creating a positive learning environment and show the student that they are there to help the student in any way possible. She also states that it is important for the teacher and parent(s) to be on the same page and support each other in regards to learning styles and techniques.
I have decided to become a teacher because I love children. I enjoy watching them grow, and I want to make a difference in the lives of my students. As a teacher, I will do everything that I can to ensure that each becomes a productive, successful citizen in life. In order for me to obtain this goal, I will create a loving, positive, respectful, and safe learning environment where each student will be treated equally and be encouraged to do his or her best. Keeping this in mind, there are four elements that I must remember which includes (1) how young children develop, (2) what they should know and be able to do, (3) instructional strategies that I have learned, and (4) my feelings regarding parent involvement.
Coming into this class, I figured we would learn about how to handle different kinds of situations from a teacher’s standpoint. As it turns out, the class is much more than just that. I figured there would be group discussions consisting of some controversial issues, but I had no idea how the course would make me feel as a person and as a future educator. So far, this class has brought to light the incredibly difficult decisions I will have to make as a teacher. Not only will those decisions affect the child and parents of that child at hand, but myself as well.