• I believe as a teacher I cannot begin or continue to inspire learning without being a learner myself. I  must continuously learn what is new in teaching, constantly examine and reflect on my own teaching and finally be  a student of society and the ever changing world in which my students live. I eagerly and readily learn from my students as they learn with me.

• I believe learning is individual…... shaped by feelings, attitudes, beliefs and experiences. When learners experience success the feelings of self-worth, self-esteem, and confidence give them them the courage to take risks, make mistakes and learn from their experience. 

• I believe children need to be provided with learning experiences that are hands-on, and engaging. Teachers must be concerned with more than “delivery of instruction” as we strive to involve students’ voices, hearts, and minds in learning. Learning must be purposeful and meaningful. This means helping students to make connections between what they already know, what they are learning, and where the new understanding fits in their lives and the world. Teachers must be prepared to help students see the larger context, think critically and to respond openly to students who ask the question “So what?” with respect to their learning.

• I believe students actively construct and transform their own knowledge based on past experiences and prior learning. I believe students do not all learn in the same way or at the same rate. It is my responsibility as a teacher to seek out my students’ interests, abilities, and prior knowledge. I must plan learning experiences that will both challenge and allow every student to think and grow.

• I believe the home-school connection  is so important in a child's education. The quality of relationships between and among adults and students fosters learning for everyone and in the end makes a positive difference in the school experience. With parents, students, and teachers communicating with each other on a regular basis, it makes for a more enjoyable educational experience for all. We should all have one common focus and goal, and that is the success of the child.

In our busy day of juggling papers, lesson planning and managing sometimes more than a hundred students, we can easily forget the group that could give us the much needed support as teachers -- parents and families. I’ve made some realizations from my experiences in the classroom and as a parent. I’ve realized that we’re all on the same team and we need to be supportive of each other. We need to have a mutual respect for one another. All parents have a genuine desire for their children to be successful at whatever they’re doing. Teachers have that same desire. I’ve learned not to make assumptions and that perceptions are often times wrong. Seeking to understand each other by communicating expectations is key in having a strong relationship.  When both a child and a parent feel supported by the teacher and vice versa, students will have a greater advantage in their ability to be successful.  

Both parents and teachers have an important role to play; their roles do not replace but rather complement and reinforce the other’s role, thus providing the student with a consistent message about reading and learning. Thinking of parents and teachers as “partners” refers to this mutual effort toward a shared goal. It also implies shared responsibility of parents and teachers for supporting students as learners (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001).

We've all heard of communication as being a two-way street.  As teachers when do we reach out to parents …..typically if a student is struggling with academics or their behavior is interfering with their learning, a phone call or email is sent to the parents.  Are we expecting parents to initiate communication first?  Do both parties assume no news is good news?

Actions speak louder than words….. maybe as teachers we need to take that initial step towards communicating with all parents both positive and negative information .

Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for student success. The more parents and teachers share relevant information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically. I believe parent communication is an essential part of the home-school connection. Technology has changed the way we teach. It has given students the opportunity to collaborate with other their peers within their schools, as well as across the world. Teachers can now find materials to support their classroom lessons with a quick Google search. An important aspect of classroom life that can be enhanced with technology is parent communication.

Today, More than 90 percent of families own a mobile device, and nine in ten (94 percent) families have some kind of internet access, even among families below the poverty level.  And we know that regular updates on children’s growth can encourage families to engage in more learning-related activities at home. Leveraging the technology they are already using can be a powerful strategy to re-ignite parental involvement.

 In today’s society many people use social media in their daily lives. Creating a classroom Instagram  account is a great way to share information and photos of daily classroom life, homework assignments and upcoming school events. Instagram allows your user account to be set to private. This means that only approved members can see your posts. My son’s teacher had this in her classroom and it was a great way to initiate conversations with me son.  I was able to ask more specific questions about his day based on the pictures that were posted.  His teacher posted a few pictures throughout the week.  

  I’m excited to try out Remind  to send reminders to parents and students about homework, major assignments and school events. This website and app allows teachers to communicate with parents and students who have a smartphone without using their real cellphone number. Teachers create their Remind account and parents sign up for the reminders with a code. When a message is sent from the teacher the parents get a text or an email depending on their preferences. The Remind website has a great one-minute introduction video that you can watch to see if this would be a good fit for your classroom.