Formal education may stop when the bell rings at the end of the day, but children can and should keep learning and exercising their development at home. However, with many families being too busy or unprepared to aid in their children’s learning development, how can you ensure the young children under your care are being active and engaged after they leave your classroom?
The key is to prepare and equip families with the knowledge and resources they need to continue fostering their children’s learning. After all, “Parents are their children’s first teachers,” says Joyce Monfort, instructor at the Rasmussen College School of Education. “Children watch everything they do and say.”
It’s important to leverage this family dynamic to help support and solidify what’s being taught in the classroom. Here are four examples of ways teachers can include and aid families on their child’s educational journey while away from the classroom.
Creating a website is quite simple and a great way to keep parents and families informed on the goings-on in your classroom. Teachers can keep a calendar of topics covered, along with any assignments or expectations. Parents can then aid in their children’s development by reinforcing what’s learned in the classroom and preparing for what is coming next.
A great way to encourage participation from parents is to get them inside the classroom. Providing opportunities for parents to be involved in the learning atmosphere gets both kids and adults excited. Volunteer options can range from assisting with educational activities during class to chaperoning on field trips, or helping to plan classroom parties and events. Be sure to offer flexible options for working parents, such as organizing fundraisers or helping out with any after-school programs. You’ll also want to ensure you are adhering to any regulations your school or center may have in place.
One of the most important things you can do for families of your students is have an accessible method of communication. Whether it be an email you check daily or a direct phone number, this will encourage parents to reach out with any questions or concerns they may have. Share this contact info at the beginning of the school year, along with examples of what they can talk to you about. The more open and accessible you are, the more likely parents will be to discuss important matters about their children with you.
Many parents and guardians work during the day. Remember that scheduling an open house in the morning or conferences in the afternoon may not be conducive to all schedules. Be open to providing a variety of options to encourage participation from all families. The more flexible you are, the more likely parents will take an interest and attend.
Parental involvement is crucial to child development and continual education. As a teacher, there is only so much you can contribute during the school day—the rest is left in the hands of the families. Preparing parents with the right tools and resources can make all the difference in the lives of your students.
But what do you do when parents aren’t as pleasant as you hoped? Check out these expert tips for dealing with difficult parents.
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Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
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Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
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