Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.
The involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools are highly important since it can create a supportive environment around students. When families and communities engage actively in their children’s learning, it can enhance students’ academic outcomes and well-being.
Teachers can use open and respectful communication channels like newsletters, emails, phone calls, and online platforms to contact parents and guardians and keep them posted about their children’s learning. Families also feel empowered as they are partners in their children’s education, which strengthens the overall learning environment. I have seen that Veritas Catholic School uses student-led conferences and educational learning days to allow parents know how their children perform at school. Suwilaawks Community School uses teacher-parent conferences to contact parents about how to better support their kids. Teachers and parents can both voice their concerns at the conferences to come up with education plan for students. My coaching teacher showed me how to use conferences to work with families to create and update Individual Learning Plans for some students with diverse learning needs in the class. Parents felt valued and involved in their kids’ development and were willing to collaborate with my teacher and school.
Teachers may also ask for support from local organizations and Indigenous communities to create projects and events where students can have hand-on learning experiences. Collaborating with local Indigenous elders and communities can help students experience traditional perspectives on community, providing culturally enriching activities and authentic Indigenous knowledge/cultures.
