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Saturday, October 4, 2008
Communties
In chapter ten, there was great emphasis on what we can do to ensure our teachers and schools are the best for the future generations. This chapter describes adolescence development and what they need to best make their transition from childhood to adulthood. In the many lists and explanations that were provided the one that interested me the most was the concept of community. It suggests in chapter ten that in order to transform our middle grade schools we need to "create small communities for learning," "reengage families in the education of young adolescents," and "connect schools with communities." (171) There were others listed but the concept of community seems to be so important because we as teachers only get our kids for 8 hours out of the day. The rest of the day, and every Saturday and Sunday, our kids may not be in such a safe environment or they may not be getting the influence and role models they so desperately need at this age. Therefore, the idea to reinforce the sense of community as an environment that cooperates and reinforces the importance of education can really have a great effect on our future students. (Especially the future students who go to school in an urban setting.) You always hear older people say things like "that would never fly when I was in school" or "I was more afraid to get my punishment at home when I got in trouble at school." I think that this is true, and it's not that we should enforce the idea of kids being afraid of going home after they get in trouble at school, but maybe if they understood that people cared...or rather...adults cared outside of the school walls, in their community, they would take their lives and their schooling more seriously. For instance, when my mom went to school, the police officers in the area knew the students and their families, so if someone ever skipped school and was seen around the area, they better have permission from their parents. I think that if more schools communicated with and established a relationship with the surrounding community then students would have a better time staying on task and realizing how their education directly affects the world around them and their future. My question is, how do we get our communities to want to be involved and want to help our schools when some people in the surrounding community don't have kids in school or don't think they are responsible for helping our middle schools?
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2 comments:
I agree with you about the importance the community plays in students' education today. You brought up an excellent point that the community needs/should be a positive role model for our students, even though sadly, that may not always be the case. In answering your question though, I couldn't help but wonder if we need to find a way to involve the whole community. I think the most important part of the community that needs to become involoved are the parents/guardians. As sad as it is, some people in the community who do not have kids in school don't feel the need to support local education. In this case, maybe schools should not worry so much about those people, and try to encourage the parents/guardians to become more involved. Perhaps through fundraisers, car washes, school carnivals/fairs,bake sales, etc. I know those were major ways to get parents involved in my middle school. By involving the community in this way, students will hopefully feel even more safe, and continue to enjoy the supportive environment/atmosphere that their school provides.
Good points both of you. Getting the community involved definitely starts by getting parents involved. If more parents modeled positive community interaction, then more kids would probably take part in it. Many of the same advice I've heard for teachers; show students you care, model good behaviors and techniques, etc. goes for parents too. Jenny, I agree that parents/guardians are the most integral part of creating community cohesiveness which is important for all of a community. By parents, students, and schools collaboratively planning community events and inviting community members to partake, communities can build on their interrelationships.
The problem is sometimes may be getting as many parents involved after a long day or week of work, but if all parents put in a little, a lot will be gained.
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