Opportunities for Parent Involvement by Teacher Academy

Margherita

marghe_ian74 — 2017-10-09 11:54:49 UTC

n my school we have one hour a week in the morning to meet parents and four opportunities durinig the year in the afternoon. At the beginning of the year we meet all the parents of each classroom to explain them the activities. There are also specific events in which parents can be present and see their son's works and abilities.

laura brazabeni italy

2017-10-09 12:12:38 UTC

laura brazzabeni italy

2017-10-09 12:12:38 UTC

Teaching in a vocational school besides normal meetings with parents at the beginning of the school year and before Christmas and Easter there are other opportunities when they come to our laboratories to be their children s models for hairdressers and beauticians or tasting dishes with cooks or cocktails fora ex. With waiters

Sofia Rosado Dias, Portugal

sofia_rosado_dias — 2017-10-09 12:39:08 UTC

The idea of welcoming parents at our school is challenging. There is much advantage in that: students get more motivated, they want to look good, show successful learnings and there is great pedagogical value in their involvement. Once they come to school for different reasons than those related to bad behaviour or lack of work, there will be a new stimulus or students.
I personally don't have these kind of activities at my school but am eager to suggest the school board.

Selma Rego, Portugal

selma_rego — 2017-10-09 13:01:05 UTC

In my school we organize an event called "professional show" wich consists of a professions fair. Each parent has a stand where they are representing their profession, and the students visit the fair for a day, interacting with parents and knowing a little more of the professions presented.
After all, I think that the Parents' fairs where parents act as audience for students work is a perfect idea to implement in my school, and I will sugest that.

Vasiliki Psaridou/Greece

psaridou — 2017-10-09 13:41:00 UTC

I face some difficulties reagrding the above mentioned questions in my school. The difficulties start and finish at the fact that parents do not speak fluently and sometimes not at all greek. Everything I do or want to do and I have to explain to them or to get help by them I have to have a colleague to translate from greek to turkish. This means that you depend on other's traslations

Maria Duarte,

2017-10-09 13:43:22 UTC

Portugal
In my school we try to have an approach to the parents and have the more data about them. The problems with the comunication only get bad with absent or ethnic parents. Many parents want to get involved, but their professional life doen´st allow.
On the other hand, I liked the idea of the vídeo, about signing a contract at the studen's home with the family. Unfortunetly Portuguese teachers Schedule doesnot permit that.

Chiara Sabatini - Italy

chisab72 — 2017-10-09 14:03:13 UTC

Every year I involve my students in etwinning projects and I also ask parents to follow our activities. I have a blog where I share some activities we cary out at school and we also share them in the website of the school So in this way parents know what we are doing. They like to have news about these activities and they usually support me in letting their children bring to school smartphone or tablets. In the past years in other schools I also invited parents to see their children's work in a parents' fair at the end of the school year. I will organize such an event in the new school this year too.

Christina, Greece

crest_lou — 2017-10-09 14:43:50 UTC

There aren't as much opportunities in my school or/and classroom. Although parents can enter thschool whenever they want, there isn't any kind of participation in student learning. I think that teachers should educate parents somehow before entering the classroom. The results would be impressive!

Carol (Italy)

carol_f — 2017-10-09 15:04:31 UTC

In Italy parents use to subscribe a contract with all the rules that students and school have to respect. The name of this contract is “Patto formativo”. Anyway I think that many parents and students don’t have a real perception of the importance of this document. In our school we usually organize meeting with parents at Christmas and in June. At Christmas students show their parents all the crafts made at school. In June the school orchestra and choir organize a performance.

Laura Pagnozzi,Italy

2017-10-09 15:33:12 UTC

Every beginning at the elections of the parents' representatives in the class councils and in the councils of the Institute, parents signed a training pact with the school, pointing to the rules that boys must respect at school. They also organize open-days for parents and exhibiting the school's educational offer.

Helen, Ireland

helen_p_english — 2017-10-09 16:26:48 UTC

I organised an evening of poetry and music for parents of our international students. It was just before Christmas and the atmosphere was celebratory and festive. The parents were very appreciative and for me it was a great opportunity to meet them in an informal, non-threatening context.

Teresa Maia, Portugal

mariateresalcobia — 2017-10-09 16:27:17 UTC

In Portugal, in public schools, the parents of each class elect their representatives in the meetings of the class council. At the beginning of each year, parents and students take notice and sign the School's Internal Regulations. This regulation is approved by the General Council, where the parents are also represented. The General Council also approves the Educational Project of the School and the Activity Plan.
At my school parents engage in fundraising activities, shows and exhibitions of student's work. There are also some online platforms where students' works are posted so parents can appreciate them.

Jenny (Evgenia) Karoumpali, Greece.

jennykaroumpali — 2017-10-09 17:28:37 UTC

In Greece there is information about parents’ job alone. There is no official information about their interests, skills etc registered at school. A teacher can be informed inofficially about parents’ interests, skills etc by another colleague who lives in the same neighbourhood with the parents.

Three or four weeks after the beginning of lesson at schools parents meetings are organized by most of the teachers. At these meetings parents are informed about the learning procedure and school rules. They do not sign any contract between them and the school.

Parents can see the (artistic) work of their children during the school celebrations (which are organized during the national anniversaries, Christmas and summer). Parents attend these school celebrations more often in primary education than in secondary education. I have never experienced fair, where parents act as an audience of their children’s work in maths, language or other subjects. I have experienced charity fairs organized in December (before Christmas holidays) where the artistic work of the pupils, the teachers or even the parents is sold for charity reasons. These charity fairs take place more often in primary education than in secondary education.

I sent a letter to the parents in order to inform them about the pedagogical value of my work, when I work in primary education, as during the parents meetings I am not available usually (I teach in another classroom, in another school etc.).

Adriana T

adritoderic — 2017-10-09 18:03:59 UTC

Parents meetings.

Dimitra, Belgium

2017-10-09 18:24:49 UTC

For very young pupils (kindergarten) parents play a very crucial and very important role in their education. I believe they are more eager to get involved in educational activities and cooperate with the teacher. In my school, at the beginning of the year they fill in a special document, where they mention their skills, hobbies and interests. Also, an afternoon meeting takes places, when the teacher presents the general frame of the annual program. The idea is to give parents a general idea of the thematic units that the teachers are planning to work on and discuss possible ways of cooperation and participation.
On the other hand activities such as "breakfast with the parents" are organized, when the parents for example are invited to see to "portfolios" of their children (kind of evaluation on their child's progress).

2017-10-09 18:54:33 UTC

Laura Italy: I invite the parents to meeting and we decide together the best strategy to follow

Fernanda, Portugal

2017-10-09 18:58:55 UTC

My school creats several opportunities for parents to have an active role and I know that my ideas or my collegues' ideas or projects concerning this subject are always supported and welcomed.
Personnaly, as a teacher, I really like to envolve my students with the community services (such as day care centers, nursing homes ...) and whenever I prepare such an activity I always ask for parents' envolvement.

Patrick UK

patrick_carroll — 2017-10-09 19:03:27 UTC

We have parent assemblies where children present what they have learnt to parents.
At the end of each topic / unit parents are invited in to celebrate the topic with us. Eg: a picnic or a street party.
We have coffee mornings for parents to come in and share ideas with staff. We also have a specific representative group who come in all day Thursday to encourage parental participation. Members of staff attend so that the can work with them.

Adriana

adryanaanton — 2017-10-09 19:12:17 UTC

Sessions with parents organized periodically

Matilde, Portugal

matildecasaca — 2017-10-09 19:16:58 UTC

In the beginning of the school year parents and me decide about the best day and time for our meetings. This year we will join on Wednesday, at 17.30. We try to join once per month. Next Wednesday we (students, parents and me, sometimes some colleagues like coming to my classroom too) will have a meeting in order to read the letters of our Finnish friends and organize the answers. I don`t know if you can imagine, but it is a great moment for everybody. Parents also learn English with their children. They are always happy. We are so motivated!! It`s soon!!

Alina, Romania

saftaalina — 2017-10-09 19:33:08 UTC

We have a week A week different in school and cooperate with parents in doing activities. I have an hour on every week to talk with parents.

Jurate, Lithuania

jurateorloviene — 2017-10-09 21:48:04 UTC

During the first meeting we tried to find out the information about parents desires, establish the framework of communication and tried to find opportunity to involve them in pedagogical life. However, just few parents accept the invitation to come to school, collaborate with teachers and share their experience with students. The club of active parents is created in our school however; it is not such active as it could be.

Adriana Miranda - Oiã, Aveiro, Portugal

2017-10-09 22:03:32 UTC

At my school teachers try to create several opportunities to get parents involved, such as school parties, school field trips, school meeting. However, they usually don’t appear. For instance, the have a Theatre students group that usually prepare school plays, but none of the parents took part on it. This group prepares school plays to present in the end of each term in s small school party, but parents don’t go to school to watch the play.

We also have a register that students take home to fill about personal information, but is more directly to students rather to parents.

I also use my own, that is to parents fill about the information of the languages they speak at home.

But none collects information about parents’ time for joining with me in the classroom.

I believe that when I invite parents to come to my classroom and teach the subjects contents in their mother’s tongue, I’m creating an opportunity to let parents became a pedagogical value at my work at students.

Antonella -Italy as I write before in my school parents are get involved only when there are meetings to explain some shool project or to assist to a mini concert . But I can count it for the 40 per cent . Probably creating a mini project in a subject can get involved more ... like a PP presentation at the end of the year...

2017-10-10 06:35:22 UTC

Joana Almeida, Portugal

2017-10-10 09:34:39 UTC

Throughout the year, and if I am a class leader, I try to set up meetings / conferences with parents, where their children are often called on to participate, to address non-achievement of the strategies and goals outlined by the students and find ways and means. joint forms of action (teachers-family) to overcome difficulties. Another form of parental involvement, which I have used as a teacher, has been the invitation of the parents to exhibit their children's work, be it research work or participation in special fairs, namely the São Martinho Fair, or even in the development of projects, such as the characterization of the means of origin of the group, effecting the survey of special or iconic land places, for the etwinning project that I developed with my classes in the last school year. I believe that approaches to parental involvement can be many and distinct, yet they must be based on a premise of true relationship and co-responsibility, in order to achieve the educational success of our students.

Lúcia , Portugal

2017-10-10 12:13:24 UTC

Having seen this video, I wonder if we actually do enough to involve parents in the various aspects of their kids’ school life. I believe it happens more often with younger children, but as they get older we tend not to involve parents as much in the kids’ school activities. Occasional exhibitions and fundraising events for a school trip or a end of the school year show are usual at my school, but maybe we could try to implement more activities that involve parents in their children’s learning.

Despoina Amarantidou, Greece

damarant — 2017-10-10 12:24:44 UTC

There are not many opporunities for parents' involvement in my school. Anyway, there are some festivals during which parents can actively participate.

Vicky Archondi, Greece

vicky_archondi — 2017-10-10 16:05:47 UTC

Parents' involvement in my school is always welcome but it hasn't been 'scheduled ' in the sense presented above. However, when all sorts of festivals and celebrations are organised they are more than urged to actively participate in them.

Patrizia- Italy

2017-10-10 16:30:25 UTC

In my school a female parent went a theatre activity in the afternoon whith a group of students. they have learn and interpreted a poetry at memory as a theatre show. at the and they went a video

Isaura Ventura, Portugal

2017-10-10 16:49:51 UTC

It isn't common to have parents in the classroom. As for other activities, we usually get them ready and open them to the community and at the end-of-the-year show entire families come but just as an audience.
I agree that it is important to keep a record of the parents' interests, skills and spare time so that we can figure out how and when to ask for their cooperation.
I realize we haven't been doing enough to attract them to school, apart from providing information about their kids' performance. We need to do much more and the video presents suggestions I am eager to explore.

Adérito

2017-10-10 16:54:10 UTC

Walks for for foreign

students and their

families of to places in Portugal, near Lisbon, related to them

Dimitra, Belgium

2017-10-10 17:55:37 UTC

In my kindergarten class I try to put in action every year a so-called "School - Parents Collaboration program". It includes 1) short actions that support and complement thematic approaches and other innovative programs we are working on at school. These actions take place at home, during the weekend. The purpose is to give children the opportunity to discuss with their parents about the issues we work on at school and to create together a final product. The ultimate goal is to help pupils get acquainted with working with the parent (something that will have a positive impact when the child gets in the primary school and there will be a need for daily child-parent cooperation). Additionally, in this way kindergarten pupils can become more responsible.
2) I also try to promote another form of action: "Parents as co-educators of their children"
This form of action requires:
* Parental involvement in class
* Organization and preparation of a brief educational activity by the parent (under the guidance, the support and the coordination of the teacher, as for the content and the presentation of the material)
* Presentation of this activity in the classroom
The issues I usually propose to the parents to deal with are:
- Art related topics (art, theater, music, motion and dancing)
- Issues related to special talents and knowledge of parents
- Issues related to children's favorite feasts
- Educational - informative issues (Nutrition, Health)
- Cultural issues (from the countries of origin of the parents)

The idea is that parents possess valuable insights related to their professional life or personal interests and talents. Through programs of this kind, parents are given the opportunity to offer some of them, not only to their own child but also to his friends and companions, on their first “trip to the sea of school life” .... and make them feel much proud of their parents!!!

Cristina, Romania

2017-10-10 18:00:24 UTC

We didn't have many opportunities for parents to be really involved in the classroom. This video give me great ideas and inspiration. I do work with students in many projects... I will invite parents to give feedback and evaluate their children work. It will be motivating for students because they want to impress their parents.

Giorgia , Romania

giorgiagroza — 2017-10-10 19:02:11 UTC

Yes, I have a registr for the class where I`m teacher counciler where parents can write anything that they want me to know about them and their childrens. We organized common activities > students, teachers and parents as taking care of the garden, reading together, cooking together

Vanesa

2017-10-11 05:24:06 UTC

We don't have many opportunities for parents in classrooms.
We had several School's open days where parents were involved.

Christos, GREECE

2017-10-11 07:19:03 UTC

In my school we don't have many opportunities for parents in classrooms but we try to make an effort to get parents close to class. The parents are not so involved with their kids' education but we try to involve them as much as it's possible. We call them in meetings and I tried to invite them in a lesson that took place at school late in afternoon. The attendance was not very promissing but we will make efforts to gaun more attendance next time

Actually we don't have anything like this when it cames to parents involvement at school. All we do it's tring to involve as much as we can in their kids life.

2017-10-11 08:33:43 UTC

Maria Calà, Italy

2017-10-11 09:46:18 UTC

There is no official register of parents with information on their interests and competences, but generally they ask for general information about their parents. I would like to organize moments where parents act as audiences for student work, involving them directly in their learning process and would like to provide feedback to reorganize the work.

Lígia, Portugal

ligiasantos_pt — 2017-10-11 12:42:50 UTC

As I give student support, by teaching study skills and providing learning strategies it is important to understand their background and what kind of support they have at home. So, in the first meeting, I feel a register form with parents and student, to collect some useful information about the student and his family, such as academic and reading habits or who is available to follow students’ work at home.

Márcio, Portugal

2017-10-11 12:52:31 UTC

For example, at my school, parents are often invited to meetings with school partners and personnel so we can discuss various subjects like “study methods”, “children social skills”, “parent-children communication” and “parenting strategies”. Another example is that, regularly, once every 2 or 3 months, two parents per class participates in teacher’s meetings to discuss student’s behavior, motivation, success and involvement in extracurricular activities or in wider school projects.

Michela, Italy

2017-10-11 13:13:47 UTC

We don't keep such a parents' register in our school, but I think that's a brilliant idea for parent involvement. We organize an art fair every year. I think a good idea would be to create a parent resource centre at school, where materials on issues of concern to parents are provided, together with a regular meetings schedule for discussions.

Marco, Italy

2017-10-11 14:17:12 UTC

I think that is important the parents involvement but it's very difficult, in my school, to make it with all parents. During the years, for two times, meet the parents to discuss about the topics and the vote

We try to engadge parents with fair in November for the chestnut fair, in December and for carnival

cristina_floriddia — 2017-10-11 14:17:33 UTC

Tiziana, Italy

Tizianateacher — 2017-10-11 14:49:56 UTC

Parents come to us twice a year. These are formal meetings but I wish we could learn more about them and be supported by them when teaching their children. I think parent fairs might be a good idea for working and learning about them.

Maria Carmela, Italy

2017-10-11 16:37:21 UTC

The family-school relationship is an important factor in promoting pupils' learning, it is a dimension to which it is necessary to invest because it produces benefits at all levels, but above all because it promotes learning and well-being in pupils. A parent's opportunity with me would be to establish parent-child parenting, parental help in homework, and the involvement of families in non-teaching activities. At the end of this path, both have a say in this regard.

Roberto, Italy

2017-10-11 16:44:02 UTC

An opportunity for parents to engage with me would be the realization of a literary path in different languages. With the support of parents of different ethnic groups, we will program the activities, initially in mother tongue, then the same will be proposed in different languages.
Following the end of the activity, participants will be invited to express free reflection on this matter.

Maria Stafilakou

stafilakou67 — 2017-10-11 18:57:39 UTC

We have the regular meetings with parents to talk about the kids' progress but we try to engage them by helping them organize bazzars at Christmas or Easter , or the end of the year party at school.We could ,of course , do more such as a universal dinner party and cultural celebration since our students come from a great number of countries.That would give us a chance to be more relaxed and en
gage all of us in more free conversations .

Betty

bettyaggeletaki — 2017-10-11 21:30:56 UTC

As i know in some schools of my country organize cultural evenings, bazaars, or excursion. But general they did not involve in class

Maria, Portugal

2017-10-12 00:46:03 UTC

At our school we aren't used to having parents in our classrooms. We try to involve parents through a project "school for parents" and nothing else happens. Last year I organized a session to deliver the prizes to the students that won and participated in some English contests. For the first time I asked parents to be present in spite of the skepticism of our director. Parents loved to be there and see their children being rewarded. They told me that parents should be asked to come to school more often for other purposes than meeting with a class teacher to get aware of problems. They're right. Definitely!

Vilija, Lithuania

2017-10-12 07:04:15 UTC

Parents can take part in the Christmas fair, they attend different concerts. If there are some kind of issues with the students, parents can visit lessons.

Rosy,Italy

rositone73 — 2017-10-12 09:10:46 UTC

The video is very interesting and it made me think about new way to operate.
In my school parents are involved at Christmas time and at the end of school year, when students show them the risulta of their activitise during school lessons.

Paola, Italy

paola_l — 2017-10-12 09:58:03 UTC

I agree that exhibitions and fairs are a great opportunity, such as stalls with the vegetables of the school veg garden and final shows in general.

Miryam, Italy

miriamscafatihpg23 — 2017-10-12 15:34:12 UTC

In my school parents can take part to the lessons every day. My school is in hospital and parents are always present.

Paula, Portugal

2017-10-12 16:07:42 UTC

I really liked the video that was shared on this topic. Regarding the work I do with parents at school, it has been an invitation to attend certain colloquia on topics that will be of interest to them and often to come and talk about their professional experience. From the knowledge I have, from the comments I sometimes hear from some teachers, they are not very adept at having their parents in the classroom in order to help them in their school activities. Is it because he is afraid that his work will be called into question? I often hear that "parents are very complicated, they are all concerned, they question everything". Perhaps this is linked to the way most teachers program their classes, even in a very expository way, not accepting very well when asked about any subject or pedagogical strategies used to promote learning.

Adélia, Portugal

bentesa — 2017-10-12 21:18:45 UTC

Frequently I invite parents / family to como to my classes to share reading experiences, for instance; as well as to be audience to pupils.

José Carvalho, Guarda, Portugal

joseantoniocarvalho — 2017-10-13 09:16:40 UTC

At my school there are not many opportunities for parents to participate pedagogically in their children's education. The relationship with the parents is exhausted in the transmission of information about their use, behavior and attendance. I think it is necessary to create other types of opportunities for parents to actively participate in their children's education and school tasks. The holding of fairs, events, training, manual exchange programs managed by parents, sports activities, among others, can represent good opportunities.

Rasma, Stuokiene

rasmastuokiene — 2017-10-13 09:36:34 UTC

A register and regular parent fairs are great ideas for parental engagement. We don‘t have a register, but we organise a Christmas concert given by students to their parents after which parents are awarded papers of appreciation for their children achievements at school, city or even state. Once a year parents take part in a trivia contest and sports event together with their children and teachers. These events help to strengthen school community bonds. We don‘t have a tradition to invite parents to lessons, but sometimes we ask them to share their successful career stories. I think it would be great to work on a common school plan for parental engagement in teaching students.

Jagoda Gauta

2017-10-13 09:51:09 UTC

We organize parents meetings in which they can see product of students work periodically, often connected with some holidays and we try to get them in school as teacher for some fields of their professional expertize.

Helena Paixão, Portugal

helenagpaixao — 2017-10-13 12:02:34 UTC

This video was very inspiring! I usually call parents to came to school to talk about the problems with their kids. Maybe i can call to show them students work. I´m thinking also of having a reunion to discuss study techniques. Thank you everyone, i´m learning a lot from your experience!!

great ideas

2017-10-13 13:59:54 UTC

maybe we can do it

Cecilia Italy

2017-10-13 17:03:04 UTC

In my school, twice a month, there are parent-teacher talks. every week there are cultural events (concerts, book presentations...) organized for parents and children. unfortunately participation is minimal.

Céu, Portugal

2017-10-13 17:15:45 UTC

In my school, parents were always invited to participate as audience in activities of start and end of school year activities, but never was invited to be an audience for student´s work. We don’t have a register of parents with information about their interest, skills or time for joining us. It seems so simple. It´s a great idea because students will work for a real purpose. Students who will see a meaning for their work, work better. I could create something like that: a pedagogical value to students works.

Laskarina, Greece

laspolemi — 2017-10-13 17:40:48 UTC

I have often asked my students to discuss and sign our classroom contract, but in my school we have never asked parents to participate in such an activity. It is really inspiring! Thank you

Gabriella Italy

gabriellaricci — 2017-10-13 18:13:53 UTC

In my school there are some events, as literary events or scientific events, or theater performances in which the parents are invited and they are very happy to share what their children have done at school

Natavan,Azerbaijan

2017-10-13 19:45:16 UTC

There are some cases when parents attend the school. It mainly happens during "open days",Awarding ceremonies, regular parental meetings and etc. But the events mentioned above do not take place but I would gladly be for it. Really amazing things!! Thanks

Argiro, Greece

Argiro — 2017-10-14 10:36:42 UTC

Unfortunatelly, in Greece, this kind of activities are not common practise, although most teachers try to involve actively their students' parents.

Vlad Alexandra-Anamaria, Romania

vladalexandraanamaria — 2017-10-14 15:27:59 UTC

Every year we organize an "Other kind of school" in which we develop novel activities for an entire week, and parents usually come to kindergartens and schools to participate with students and teacher on multi-cultural trips. We also have seasonal feasts celebrations with students playing
theater plays with traditional costumes, and parents come to be part of the audiences. We organize the "Open gates"programs in order to inform parents about the activities we usually develop at school and kindergarten, so they can become aware of the multi-possibilities that we can provide for their children development on the educational areas.

Pietro-Italy

idiotshater — 2017-10-14 16:14:46 UTC

Teaching in a professional cooking school is a daily exploration and discovery, students are engaged in so many practical activities which are periodically shown to their parents during fairs, meetings or exibithions. Last year a huge musical about the Cafè Chantant was set up by our students and all parents were invited to see the show in the school theatre. The show was a great success and parents congratulated teachers and students for their commitment. Cooking competitions are also held by the school where students compete among
themselves to create the best dish to savour
right in front of an audience made up of parents.

Stathis, Greece

slikidis — 2017-10-14 16:26:06 UTC

Parents' involvement in our school is always welcome and the most of them always participate in any kind of events our school organize

Natasa, Serbia

NatasaHerweg — 2017-10-14 16:44:26 UTC

My work abroad was about teaching mother tongue, culture, history and geography. Many of students do not speak mother tongue of their parents. Parents play a major role in education because they create a base. The atmosphere in the family has a lot of influence on the quality of teaching. If the family does not care about the mother tongue and culture, the classes (once a week) can not help much. In a large percentage of grandparents play a crucial role in preserving the identity of these families.

Fulvia Italy

leardini — 2017-10-14 17:36:22 UTC

Teaching in a superior school where parents are always busy and if their children are not in trouble they don't come to school but we try to meet them in some occasion for example we invite them to theater drama whith students.

Loredana Italy

loredana_mangano — 2017-10-14 20:12:47 UTC

True, at the base it is important to know the parents and establish a good relationship of trust with them. This has happened with the parents of my former schoolchild, which I have called several times a "five year of grace" because a very nice group was created, open to sharing where the educational intentions between me and them were common. I hope to do the same time I have a class before primary school but it is crucial first to establish mutual trust that will allow parents to eliminate the anxiety they now experience for their puppies that are growing. Knowing that parents are the first to suffer for school leaps, they are worried about behavior, whether they eat at the cafe or not, when they learn to read and write, the school time that could tire their children .. After this first moment, I hope I can establish a good reciprocal relationship with them. I will start right tomorrow, that we will have a collegial meeting, to present myself with a coffee thermon of coffee and some cake to make a boring meeting a convivial moment.

Maria, Volos, Greece

2017-10-14 22:59:11 UTC

Great video and inspiring presentation!! Of course, if a Greek teacher paid a home visit to a pupil, that would seem like a giraffe entering their living room, still these ideas are a strong motive to try and find innovative ways to actively involve parents in our classes. They are surely already engaged in seasonal fairs and bazaars, in various workshops and book exhibits and sometimes in displays of their children's projects, but I think we could work more on getting to know the parents more (their skills, talents, traits, backgrounds), anything that could help us bridge the gap in our communication to the benefit of every single kid.

Dora, Greece

ntanouth — 2017-10-15 08:04:17 UTC

I created a secret group for parents with children of my class where we share ideas, and information.

Ispir Iuliana, Romania

ispiriuliana — 2017-10-15 08:06:01 UTC

We conduct joint activities preschool-parents-teachers, in addition to monthly meetings that we develop.

Patrizia, Italy

2017-10-15 10:12:43 UTC

At the end of the school year in my school we organize exhibits, or open labs where children can show what they have done.

Ida, Italy

2017-10-15 10:45:36 UTC

In my school a group of teachers proposes to have pm courses of It security for parents.

LOREDANA RUBA

rubaloredana — 2017-10-15 12:35:13 UTC

Romania
Yes, it is important to have a genuine relationship with parents. It is one of the issues i ve been working on since this year. The meetings on other places different than school help a lot to create friendship and collaborative skills among parents.

Andreas, Athens-Greece

2017-10-15 13:44:50 UTC

For the year 2017-2018 my pupils are participating in a eTwinning project. So parents can get into the platform and take a look of what their kids are doing during this project, how they communicate with other european schools. what are they drawing according to the project etc.

Maria Fernanda. Portugal

2017-10-15 13:53:07 UTC

Some of the events presented in the video are no different from those we ´ve been carrying out for the last decade. Even so, parents´ involvement is irregular and frequently the attendants are always the same. Regardless our effort parents Keep on avoiding school. I think this behavior is probably due to unpleasant experiences or reasons to attend school events. But it all depends on parents availability .

Tânia

2017-10-15 15:33:00 UTC

A few years ago I worked in a private school and they organised a carreers fair where parents were invited to visit. The fair occured during friday and saturday to give all parents the opportunity to came to school. Some parents participated in a small conference to talk about their carrer. I think it was a very good idea!

Elsa, Portugal

2017-10-15 16:14:30 UTC

In our cluster of schools we can have special need students and students that are at risk of early school dropping training in some parents’ stores, restaurants… so that can get life and work skills and parents assume teacher/supervisor role.

Barbara, Italy

barbara_galavotti — 2017-10-15 16:35:11 UTC

In my school we haven't register about parents' informations. but I think it's a wonderful idea. we meet parents two times a year, but If they need, we meet them every week

Vanessa Algarvio, Portugal

vanessalgarvio — 2017-10-15 16:42:08 UTC

At my school, where most parents work in shifts, it's hard to get them involved in the activities, but as I mentioned earlier, when we ask them to help their children with work, it usually goes well and we notice that they care.

At the beginning of the year, at the first presentation meeting, I give a small questionnaire on family habits and I always try to arrange meetings that meet the parents' availability.At the end of the year we hold an annual school fair. All classes present their work. Parents are usually satisfied and it's a great time to share.

Angela Metallinou, Athens/Greece

gelametal — 2017-10-15 19:22:14 UTC

At my school we involve parents in various activities, fairs or bazaars, but I thing it is not enough.... I would like to involve them in actions, as I saw in the video... I hope, that as soon as this MOOC ends, that I will have found the right idea...

Rute Parente, Portugal

luis_parente — 2017-10-15 20:10:39 UTC

At my school parents can participate in some activities, working together with their children, in common tasks to fulfill a goal, for instance: build a science project; build a character for arts, and so on. At the end of the year we have a fair where the best projects of each grade are presented to the community and parents can see them and also, as an audience, they can watch their children performances as singers / dancers... Unfortunately we don't have any register about parents interests or skills; just the common register about their work; studies and some information about each children's home routine. Probably if we knew parents better, we could develop other forms of work.
About the video we saw, I don't agree with that sort of contract signed at home. In my opinion, I agree with contracts between parents / children / school for particular situations. I don't agree that the teacher should visit their students' house. As far as I'm concerned, there must be a limit; a line between school life and family life. Children's way of living must be private and the school mustn't replace the family nor be responsible for everything that happens in each home. Families must be watched by professionals, other than teachers and only if the families and the students suffer from any particular situation or are at risk.

Edmundo, Portugal

edmundo_ramos — 2017-10-16 00:18:56 UTC

In my school parents only participate in some activities organized by the school, such as parties, poetry show or small sports activities. I am not aware of any parental involvement in the pedagogical part or in the classroom. But I'm curious to hear other opinions.

In my school the involvement of parents starts with meetings with teachers, psychologist, and a coordinator of a project "Beeing happy". Relating to parents information we have a register in my service (SPO-Psychology)

2017-10-16 09:27:10 UTC

Helena Pires, Portugal

hcpires — 2017-10-16 10:53:07 UTC

I invited a father to share his professional experience as part of a project related to Renewable Energies. He came to explain the importance of solar panels for environmental sustainability.

João Eusébio

2017-10-16 13:54:54 UTC

In my school, parents only participate when requested for formal meetings (beginning of the school year, assessments, disciplinary problems, ...)

some parenst are more willing to get involved them others. Usually their involvement in formal school activities like meetings and evaluations is bigger when their kids are younger and by the time they are in their final years (secondary school), the parent's involvement seems to decrease. Parent register only has basic personal information needed to fill the students registers. No additional info is added.

2017-10-16 14:50:58 UTC

Laura, Italy

2017-10-16 20:17:21 UTC

the only time I could organize something with parents was when our school needed to raise funds. Actually the parents worked together outside school in organizing the fair.
I really would enjoy if it was possible have a situation as shown in the video.

George Kyriakopoulos

2017-10-16 21:15:30 UTC

Lots of fairs and collaborating in order to visit museums or other extra scholastic activity. Parents' participation is very active mainly with primary school students. Parents feel like being active members of their children's education

Inês, Portugal

2017-10-16 21:37:21 UTC

They are invited to formal reunions and also to school parties, but usually they don´t have a active role in things

Antonietta, Italy

miaaba — 2017-10-17 16:30:14 UTC

Parents are regularly invited in official meetings such as events or evaluating meetings. I usually involve them as audience and supporters for special kind of work.

Valbona Mata

valbona_mata2 — 2017-10-17 19:39:00 UTC

the work with parents is always regular in my class. We take monthly meetings about the behaviour and different problems with their homeworks.I cooperate with parents on entertaintmen activities, different trips and they take part on teaching time

Rosa Medeiros, Portugal

rosa_medeiros1 — 2017-10-17 21:34:44 UTC

One of the parents' contributions was in a project: traveling book. It consisted in putting a picture of the child as a child and describing their personal characteristics, preferences, etc. This book went through all the families.
Another project: Adopt me. It was a study visit to a tree nursery to collect trees. Each family helped their son to plant and care for the tree.
Another project: The professions. Every parent was invited to come to school to talk about their profession / job. Later the group went to visit some work places of the same.

João Adelino Santos

joao_santos2 — 2017-10-17 22:09:40 UTC

At our school, parents are free to enter and speak to their child's teachers, except when they are in class. Similarly, they can go to the management to expose problems, request information or other initiatives. The class directors and class teachers are seeking to record a summary of the issues addressed in the parent meetings. Every year we organize a flavors fair, addressed to parents and the surrounding community, and the "Fathers Day", students' activity for parents, under the guidance of teachers. On the other hand, the parents are represented in the class councils, in the process of internal and external evaluation of the school and in the general council.

Reneta

2017-10-18 15:22:40 UTC

Reneta Raicheva, Bulgaria

2017-10-18 15:22:40 UTC

Parents can be involved regarding to project - based & challenge - based learning at school. They can help related to motivate their children for successful work.

Maria Antonietta Italy modulo 3Opportunities for Parent Involvement

2017-10-19 09:38:37 UTC

I've been teaching for several years, now I teach in a class 5 full time, I always taught with enthusiasm, I taught and I teach promoting inclusive methodologies: Cooperative learning, gamification, flipped classroom, coding.I'm an etwinning member for three years. my kids have won the quality certificate on a project: "Show me your classroom now". I have always tried to be honest with my parents and to report on the planned didactic educational path. I've been trying and trying to get involved in school life by sending whats apps and emails and inviting them to view internet sites I've adopted. However, it is very difficult to establish good relationships, there is always one or two parents who put the school to the last place

Maria Susana, Lisbon, Portugal

maria_susana_fernandes — 2017-10-19 11:37:11 UTC

In my school parents are invited to participate in some activities that also envolve external partners like the Residents Association of the Neighbourghood and local "municipality" - School Day (ehibitions and workshops) - Theatre performance by the schhool club - some talks related to health care and environment.

sonialeao — 2017-10-19 21:54:06 UTC

Silvia Patrizia RUGGERI

silviap_ruggeri — 2017-10-20 10:41:02 UTC

In my school, that is a secondary school of second level, there exist the following opportunities for Parent Involment:
- elections of parents representative;
- mettings with all teachers of the son's or daughter's class and students representative;
- a hour per week every teacher has to meet parents;
- two times per years there are general consultations;
- online register;
- students' notebook to give written communications.

Daniele - Italy

danvir — 2017-10-20 14:29:22 UTC

What kind of opportunities exist at your school or as part of your classes? Do you have a register of parents with information about their interests, skills, time for joining your work in the classroom? Do you organize regular parent fairs where parents act as the audience for students’ work? What opportunities have you created or could you create to let parents become a pedagogical value to your work with students? Share any ideas and reflections in this Padlet.
My school does'nt have any particular activity planned for parents, except the electonic register. This is thought to garantee an immediate communication between school and parents. Parents can control children's absences, marks and general situation. As in every Italian school parents are part of scholastic organization at many levels (School Council, Class Council, etc.). In addition to this every week as teachers we are asked to stay at school for one hour to wait parents for meeting them and twice a year we spend an afternoon for a general meeting. Above all I try to show kindness and being accomodating: in fact some times parents see the school as an enemy and not as an ally to help their children to reach educative goals.

Paulo Dionisio, Portugal

paulo_dionisio — 2017-10-20 20:54:30 UTC

In twelve years of experience in the organization of school exchanges, parents are invited to participate in the preparation meetings of the students' exchange activities during the exchange week.
In these meetings, where the theme of the project and the work to be done by the students are presented, parents not only analyze and debate the proposed activities but also suggest other ones, participating in them directly. This partnership between the parents, the school and the teacher brings positive impacts not only to the life and training of the student, but also vivifies the school.

Anisa, Albania

2017-10-21 17:41:26 UTC

Hi all,
We get in touch with parents very often. We organize Teacher-Parent Conference every month, as well.

Athina, Greece

aginoudi — 2017-10-21 19:24:47 UTC

We work with parents in our school theater club, where parents design the costumes and organize bazars. We work also together in our trekking club in which we organize common trekking activities.

Miroslava Takeva

newfoundland30 — 2017-10-22 13:03:13 UTC

Bulgaria
Unfortunately, there is no established practice in my school to involve parents in any educational activites. I have tried to create a few opportunites in which parents acted as an audience to products their children created. I have also invited parents to be present in class as part of a solution to discipline problems.

Edyta, Poland

2017-10-23 09:54:32 UTC

My students's parents are ready to any cooperation. They always ask me what they can do. They wait for any projects I start with my students to be involved as well.

Vesna, Serbia

2017-10-23 19:32:54 UTC

I really like this idea of kids doing books for other kids. That is something that I can do with my students and have them show their work on a school fair to their parents

Isabel Quirino, Portugal

isabelquirino — 2017-10-24 07:54:59 UTC

Most of the time, in my school, we call parents only in formal and burocratic moments. But sometimes we organize specific activities to envolve parents in school life; in this moments, individual invitations are more effective in bringing parents to participate. Parents come to school when they feel they are needed.

Cinzia, Italy

attasonitabas — 2017-10-24 08:24:26 UTC

This school year I have started working in a Vocational school in my town. Students are not motivated to learn and to be involved in activities and parents only take part in school meeting just to know their kids ' school profit. Parents also take part in school exibitions or particular events.

Carla - Oman

cfaulder92 — 2017-10-24 15:15:06 UTC

There is currently very little in place. But many ideas are being trialled. Parents can volunteer at various points in the year to share their expertise of what they do in work. In primary school each class has a parent attached to them to encourage communication and participation. There are a group of parents who volunteer in the library to help with admin but also read with students

Konstantina, Greece

2017-10-24 19:39:03 UTC

In my school there are opportunities for parents in order to get involved for example at school festivals, school bazaars, meetings for organizing events or discuss about a variety of issues.

Fernanda Cunha, Portugal

fernanda_mcunha58 — 2017-10-25 13:37:08 UTC

In my school there is not much in the habit of including parents in the activities we develop. They are limited mainly to participate (and few) in activities more "bureaucratic" of school life. Usually they only get involved if they are called to a very specific activity (e.g. a special day's celebration) and in the first levels of teaching: as children grow up, they lose the habit of being involved and participating in school activities. Exceptions to this rule are very rare ...

Azize Ozcan,Turkey

shiningforthelife — 2017-10-26 20:42:46 UTC

We invite parents to school when the students prepared a theatre play or a quiz show.We also hold certificate ceremonies and invite them.We invite them to spelling shows too. We have also formal ceremonies.They attend those ceremonies too.In the kindergarden and primary school,the students display their learning portfolio and the parents are invited to that event

Melinda, Romania

nagymelinda992 — 2017-10-28 14:41:33 UTC

We have no opportunities to let parents become a pedagogical value to our work with students.

Paola, Italy

paola_oggi — 2017-10-30 16:45:33 UTC

In my school in addition to the institutionalized moments I've talked about (monthly and general interviews every 4 months), parents are invited to participate in various activities that take place during the year. Often help the teacher to perform jobs if they have skills.

Maria Michael Kollyfa

2017-10-30 21:38:21 UTC

We invite parents in ceremonies (3-4 times a year), we organise with the school parents associatiion fairs (2-3 times a year), once a year I invite parents to participated in a lesson and learn with their child, I invite them in my class if they have a certain knowledge.

Nicoleta, Romania

mercur_mercur — 2017-11-01 11:22:19 UTC

In my school and in my class, opportunities are all year present. And most parents are envolved, not all, all the time. There is a mutual understanding to be part of class and school activities so that children are supported by all, as a community.

Teuta, Albania

2017-11-22 18:32:16 UTC

The only way of having better results in Education is cooperation with parents. It is a triangle that should work together.

İSHAK KURT - TURKEY

kurtishak16 — 2018-06-28 12:17:36 UTC

We are informed regularly at parental meetings. We also invite parents to school trips and provide students with observations outside and around their friends. We send them electronic messages for information purposes.

Hümeyra YENER

hs_yener — 2018-07-19 20:24:51 UTC

We organize class meetings every month to inform them about their child's progress. I organize weekend brunch with my students but next year I'm going to invite parent to weekend brunch. I hope a warm atmosphere let them know each other well and don't feel out of a place. When parents know each other well, they can contribute to class success.

nehas5_win — 2020-05-31 18:40:04 UTC

nehas5_win — 2020-05-31 18:40:10 UTC