Principle H4: Honor Family & Community Involvement
The Hope Principle H4 asks teachers to honor family/community involvement in the learning process. In my belief, family and community is a critical feature of learning for every student, and as teachers it is important that education be accessible and in relation to the social world that revolves around the young people we work with. Students do not learn and grow up in a vacuum, the people and groups of people that live, work and play with each student are a part of the learning process and so must not be dissociated with the process of student growth.
There is an opportunity for teachers and schools to broaden and expand on academic or social learning outside of the classroom, to involve parents, family, community, etc. in the learning process, and that opportunity can be with extra-curricular activities. The Redmond Middle School athletics department summarizes its goals for students that also honor family and community involvement in the learning process:
When we stop and analyze the athletic experience, the reason we want our kids to participate is to provide an opportunity to develop physically, emotionally and to enjoy themselves. The side benefits are they have a terrific opportunity to learn how to work and get along with others and to take good risks in a public arena and survive. They learn to set and achieve goals by developing positive work habits, learning how to succeed and fail with dignity, and develop friendships outside the family unit that last for a lifetime.
This week after school I spent some time observing after school Girls Junior Varsity Tennis practice and a match. The coaches, who are volunteer teachers, help facilitate what I feel are very important social skills learning opportunities for students outside of the classroom. There is an obvious contrast between the structure and attitude of students when they are in this different role as team member. I observed a much more open and informal social atmosphere between the girls and their coaches, and I especially noticed that some girls I considered “shy” in class (ones I know) were not so shy in this situation. The dynamic of power shifts to the students because they are doing something that is optional and extra, and they recognize their level of participation and effort are purely their responsibility. It is evident that some students are there to practice the sport, while others (the majority) are there for the fun social environment. Family and community are a big part of social learning, and through extra-curricular activities, students can invite parents and peers to observe, or assist in practice for these activities, even if it’s just talking about it or inviting them to watch. Parents especially can benefit from seeing their child socialize and interact with peers and adults, because they will know how well their child socializes and participates, an observation not easily made otherwise.
I think the importance of extra-curricular activities is very high, and I realized that after this observation, because it gives students a chance to practice being themselves in a safe, but much less structures situation than the classroom. Students get to interact with adult coaches on a more informal level which is very beneficial for communication and social learning. Finally sports and extra-curricular activities are a window for parents and community to look through to see how students interact and achieve as individuals. Students must learn to keep score, communicate differences, ask for help, and push themselves to achieve goals and successes they choose to pursue.
In the future, I would like to volunteer to be a coach or leader of an extra-curricular activity or sport. I think it would give me a better, broader, opportunity to connect with students and the greater community on a more “real-world” platform that is casual and honest. I think I could be a good role-model for students as a leader outside of my expert discipline, as a person who likes to have fun and who can get along with other people in any situation, especially when there is competition.
Susanna Jones bPortfolio 