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Our Classrooms, Our Turf
June 21, 2011
It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.
-Fred Rogers, American television personality, 1928–2003
-Fred Rogers, American television personality, 1928–2003
"For many of us who teach young children, abstract and well-intentioned discussions of 'parent involvement' and 'parent partnerships' have become commonplace. Yet many of us hold parents at a safe distance, not truly involving them in the life we share with the children in our programs; not building genuine partnerships with them. Too often, we construct boundaries around our classrooms — literally and metaphorically — that keep parents out, at least in any meaningful way.
"As teachers we are protective of our classrooms; we claim them as 'our turf' and we have a lot of power there. We establish the classroom aesthetic and the rituals and rhythms, which shape our days with children. We create the culture of the classroom and set the tone for the relationships that grow in it. We determine the curriculum, choose the books and toys, and lead the circle times. And often, we expect children to leave their families at the door.
"We don't truly invite parents into our classrooms, for that would require us to share the power we have in the classroom. Even in conversations about cultural relevance, many of us hold back from sharing the power in our classrooms; we limit ourselves to consideration of things like music, artifacts, and food as ways to bring the lives of families into the classroom, holding back from asking parents to collaborate with us as we arrange our classroom environments, establish daily rhythms, and make decisions about how we'll handle conflicts among children. It is challenging to let go of the power we hold in the classroom, to embrace the work of true collaboration with parents. Collaboration promises disagreement, negotiation, and compromise, as well as new understandings, warm intimacy, and shared pride."
This volume of Exchange Essentials includes 13 selected Exchange articles, in pdf format, providing tools and perspectives on communicating with parents:
- The Ten Ps of Parent Communication
by Timothy Wayne Borruel - Parent-Child-Caregiver: The Attachment Triangle
by Bettye Caldwell - Developing Meaningful Relationships With Families
by Margie Carter - From Borders to Bridges: Transforming Our Relationships With Parents
by Ann Pelo - Living in the Real World — Managing Expectations: Notes to Parents
by Jim Greenman - And 8 More!
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Comments (1)
Displaying 1 CommentUnited States
This is a complex subject that I think is over-simplified in this article. In the field of early childhood we use some key terms very broadly (i.e., teacher, classroom), so it might be that the context I'm visualizing is very different from what is actually being referred to in this article. My perspective is that of a licensed teacher in a preschool classroom. My comments focus on three quotes from the article:
"We establish the classroom aesthetic and the rituals and rhythms, which shape our days with children. We create the culture of the classroom and set the tone for the relationships that grow in it."
YES... we create the rituals/rhythms- and we know that it's essential that these rhythms are constant and predictable for the children in our charge. There are some things that must be kept "sacred," so to speak, because it is best for the children, and we can't lose sight of that. We have to think of the group as a whole, as well as thinking of the children as individuals. What we know to be right for our students (based on research) should not be negotiable.
"We don't truly invite parents into our classrooms, for that would require us to share the power we have in the classroom."
It's not a question of "power," but rather a question of responsiblility (and accountability, for that matter). Parents aren't always aware of all that must be considered when planning for the education of a classroom of students with varying needs. The classroom teacher must consider the curriculum, content standards, instructional methods, assessments, and specific intervention strategies to meet the needs of each child within the context of the class as a whole. Nothing is done on a whim, but is carefully planned. Routines, procedures, materials, activities, and every word spoken are carefully chosen. The teacher also must be able to adapt and make changes as each moment/day/week/month/year progresses, based on the ever-evolving needs, abilities, and interests of students. It's not about power... it's about being given a responsibility to educate students following best practice. Again, there are some things that cannot and should not be negotiated.
"...holding back from asking parents to collaborate with us as we arrange our classroom environments, establish daily rhythms, and make decisions about how we'll handle conflicts among children. It is challenging to let go of the power we hold in the classroom, to embrace the work of true collaboration with parents."
Decisions about classroom environments must be made based on what we know about how children learn, and what will help them develop successful social relationships with peers- period. Everything physical (lighting, wall and carpet colors, furniture and it's arrangement, materials selection and placement, etc.), and abstract (rules, routines, procedures, policies), must be considered based on what we know about how children learn- and this should not be compromised.
A classroom teacher isn't worried about "power," but about doing what they need to do to meet the needs of students. One thing to remember is that parents come and go (their child will only be in a preschool classroom for a year or two), and every parent has a different opinion. Not every parent has a broad knowledge base regarding child development in general. Not every parent understands or fully appreciates the value of play. Not every parent understands that children the same age develop very differently (and may have communication delays, cognitive delays, difficulty regulating behavior, etc.). Not every parent views the teacher as a knowledgable professional. Not every parent considers the needs of all the children, because they are so focused on the needs of their own child. Not every parent respects other children's right to privacy. Not every parent respects the rights of children to have a stable, predictable schedule and consistent routines.
Collaboration is tricky business in any context, so one should be careful not to over-simplify the process. To suggest that it all boils down to "turf" and "power" is to ignore the truth. Best practice in early childhood is based on an incredible amount of research that has been gathered over many generations, and across cultures and continents. To open everything up for discussion and debate in the name of "collaborating" serves no real purpose in terms of meaningfully supporting any child's development. There are plenty of authentic and meaningful ways parents can participate in a classroom setting without compromising what we know is best for all children.
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