Week+4+Experience


 * Sept. 20th, 2010 - Sept. 24th, 2010**

This week seemed like it lasted forever! Don't get me wrong...I enjoy myself and I really do feel as though I am making a difference in all of my students' lives each day when we learn together, but as both a University of Central Florida student and a teacher myself, it can be difficult to balance my time and work load. This makes me wonder how teachers with families do it? I can certainly respect and understand how important time management is to all that we do as education professionals. Preparation and forethought is everything in this field! I just can't wait until I've crested that "new teacher" hump and have a little more personal experience to fall back on! On Thursday of this week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend our school's open house. It was phenomenal to meet with some of the parents of my students, to see the kids so proud to show off the hard work they've done so far, and to know that I've become an integral part of all of this. I'm proud to say that no matter the questions they tossed at me, I really felt confident and comfortable carrying on conversations with each parent or family member with whom I talked. Some key points to keep in mind during an open house, or any similar setting in which several parents will be visiting at once, are to keep discussions positive. I would never want a child's parent or family member to become unhappy or frustrated during such a happy and public event. Also, an ethical teacher won't discuss grades or detailed progress during such an event. If the parent or family member is curious and you feel them pushing the talk in that direction, encourage them to schedule a progress meeting with you at another date. way, everyone's privacy is respected, you can devote time to conversing especially with that family, plus as a teacher - you can prepare for the meeting by having work samples, grades, and other nice items detailing the child's progress available to share. Helpful Hints for Open House > > >
 * Let your students do some of the sharing - this is their time to shine!
 * Remember, parents and family of other students are listening - keep discussions positive & ethical.
 * Encourage parents and family members to return for a progress meeting.
 * Parents are the first teachers, so this is a great time to ask for classroom volunteers!