Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/is-it-true-examining-assumptions-and-partnering-with-every-family/5027330/
Be Careful What You Believe
Several years ago, while studying to become an educator, I was faced with a pivotal moment that would shape my first few years in the field. On one of the final days of my 5-year Concurrent Early Childhood Education program, students were invited to a voluntary seminar from an outside organization on the topic of “Professionalism in the Field.” I decided to attend but did not realize the impact this one-hour session would have on the years to come.
In that seminar, they covered an array of “hot button” issues an educator may face related to professional practice, with the intention of helping us avoid common pitfalls. I do not recall all the information they provided, but I do remember one underlying message that left me feeling deeply unsettled: parents are scary and should be kept at a distance. The presenters recounted a series of alarming stories that described educators being “targeted by families.” Tales of educators being verbally attacked at parent-teacher interviews, receiving false accusations that caused daily strife, experiencing abuse so intense they decided to exit the field altogether, and many other stories of this sort. These stories did not align with much of the theory ...