CAPACITY BUILDING
Transcript: Colon, Anthony. (2010, September 13). [Video file]. Retrieved from You Tube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=spxTcn0tapc Martin, Bruce. (2007, December 31). [Video file]. Retrieved from You Tube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=FWW4KogocfQ Sergiovanni, T. J. (2007). Rethinking Leadership: A Collection of Articles (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. In conclusion, I have included another great movie clip that shows one school that came together to achieve their vision. This is from the true story Lean on Me. Students and staff, though begrudingly, came together under the leadership of this unrelenting and caring principal. It's tough in middle school, where kids are beginning to want more independence from their parents, to find the right balance with activities that bring parents, kids, and teachers together. Here are a few ideas to make, and keep, parents part of this middle school family: 1) Have an event on Parent Teacher Conference Night, such as a Book Fair, as well as make sure all teachers have student work displayed in hallway. This shows all parents work from a teacher's class, even if they choose not to speak with each teacher. 2) Have more social/school-work display/activities nights. We often just have drama, band, choir, and the science fair. Aside from sports, this leaves a lot more activities that we could use to bring parents into our school community. All kids are doing great things! 3) Technology is great, but we can't just rely on websites and robo-calls to let parents know what the news in schools is these days. Newsletters aren't old-fashioned. They are a great way to write home and keep parents in the loop! References The following are what should NOT exist in classrooms in which a sense of family is developing: 1) Bullying or any feeling defined as harrassment 2) Violence of any kind 3) Inability to give or receive trust from the community 4) Extreme negative attitude, such as putting down of an individual or their ideas 5) Disrespect of any kind 6) Leaving a "man" behind or out 1) Leaders should make socializing part of meetings and to not leave this off the "to do" list as other meetings and gatherings are planned for staff. In school or out of school, get togethers are great! 2) Activities such as fun nights, carnivals, dances, pep rallies, etc,.. these are fun times for students are also great fun for teachers. Staff should be encouraged to take part, be included in a social way, and allowed to enjoy as well. They do not have to just feel as if they are "supervising" for bad behavior all the time. 3) Leaders should encourage an environment that acknowledges staff birthdays, celebrations of all kinds, and allows a venue for thank you's from other staff members throughout the entire year. The following is what you will find in classrooms that function similar to a family unit: 1) Mutual respect for all 2) All carry out their individual responsibilities go outside themselves, such as picking up trash that is not their own, for example 3) All know how to give and receive compliments 4) All know how to disagree nicely and have good discussions 5) All know classroom routines and expectations, as well as reasons they exist 6) Positive attitude prevails Classrooms as Family Additional Thoughts: Parents in Our School Community Trevor Moon 500/EDL February 17, 2014 Instructor: Kathleen McGovern Becoming a Professional Community I've included this clip because I believe it shows how important our role is as educators in the lives of children when it comes to even parents seeing their child's potential. This clip, from The Ron Clark Story, also shows how many teachers go to the extreme to get to know what the obstacles are in their students' lives. This is an important element in the relationship building with our students, as well as the students' parents. The shared values and commitments that a school community of staff and students should have, in order to reach their long term goals, are the following: 1) Respect for one another 2) Be responsible and active in the role they play within the community 3) Have a positive attitude 4) Be self-motivated CAPACITY BUILDING ANALYSIS The following are some ideas in which kinship, neighborliness, and collegiality may be increased among faculty: School & Parent Relationships Values & Commitments of a School Community -Teachers need to be comfortable in sharing the great ideas they are using in their classrooms. Leaders could be recognizing these teachers to help in encouraging them, through positive reinforcement, to share these ideas in content/team meetings. -School leaders need to allocate more money to be able to send individuals, possibly in pairs or teams, to professional development activities. Teachers need to be recognized for their involvement in their professional growth and encouraged to share their new found knowledge with staff. -In addition to new teachers having a mentor, there could be an "adopt a new