When I was growing up my parents were very involved in my education. Every school play, parent-teacher conference, school dance my parents were supportive and very present in my life. I would have thought that all parents be held to that same expectation then I was proven very wrong.

I have been sitting in on meetings through out the entire school and this week a big topic was parent engagement and how to keep parents in the loop.

Now there are a couple of big variables put into play that makes this an interesting conversation.

1. language barrier. About 95% of these students are ELL students. (English Language Learners). It is hard enough trying to communicate with these kids half the time but with the parents, it could seem impossible. When parents don’t speak English you have to get creative. Most parents keep up to date on their kids’ work through Eportfolios. The teachers upload all of the classwork online in the Class Dojo app and all parents have access to it. They can check it daily to see how the state standards are being met.
2. Opportunity. A lot of these students don’t seem to have the best delt of cards. That doesn’t mean there’s a limit to their potential. In these past few weeks, I’ve seen students come to school without a shoe, ripped tee-shirts, missing backpacks, and kids come into school so tired they fall asleep right on the desk. I have heard stories from these kids that are heartbreaking and said in a way so innocent that they aren’t even aware of the seriousness of the situation.
3. Parent Motivation. When the kids are this young it is hard to take school seriously. Our lessons are based on colors, letters, and figuring out the days of the week. These are important basics needed to make sure they are ready for 1st grade. Now counting to 10 may not seem like a big deal for a parent on the sidelines, but in the classroom, it makes a huge difference. When parents are just as motivated at home, as the teacher is at school the kids are encouraged to learn more. It’s about consistency, and kids being exposed to the same expectation in different environments.