I keep thinking about parent nights (Back to School Night. Parent Night. Curriculum Night). During these events schools tend to focus on educating parents. Schools educate parents on the curriculum, the school procedures, or volunteer activities to support the school. The teachers are the sage on the stage and educate parents on topics.
Educating parents. I think it is the wrong focus.
Schools should focus on parents parenting, interacting with there children. When a parent is in the building, schools should build opportunities for parents to interact with and their child. More than that, schools should focus on guided parenting. Guided parenting (like guided reading) gives parents scaffolded activities to allow parents to have a different interaction with their child.
Two scenarios as examples
1. Parent teacher conferences.
- Traditional: Parents and teachers meet to talk about students.
- Invite Students: Have students attend the conference. Students put their best work in a portfolio to share at the conference.
- Guided Parenting: Give parents some ways to interact in the situation, a rubric to help them reflect, and parents discuss the portfolio with the child.
2. Curriculum Nights
- Traditional: Teachers lectures group of parents about curriculum topic.
- Invite Students: Students attend curriculum night. Students and parents work together on something dealing with the curriculum
- Guided Parenting: Teachers give guidelines on how to give good feedback to the students. The student does the work, and the parents’ job is helping the student reflect.
There is a place for sit and get as well. But we need more opportunities for parents to have different interactions with their children.
I don’t like the phrase “guided parenting.” I just don’t have a better phrase for it. It is very teacher-y, but doesn’t feel very parent-y.
Notes For Kevin 