The ancient African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” has truth. Research shows that when teachers collaborate and communicate with families, it ultimately benefits the child. However, as times have changed, so have family dynamics and societal challenges. Families may face trials that prohibit them from being involved in their child’s education, from classroom activities to school functions. Teachers can help alleviate some of these challenges by offering alternatives and solutions so that all families have the opportunity to be active participants in their child’s learning and well-being.
Select three of the parental/caregiver challenges from the list below to address at a Family Information Night:
Financial issues
Limited opportunities for recreation and leisure
Sibling issues
Constant care and supervision of a child with a disability
Strain on family relationships due to hardships and difficulties
Logistical issues such as transportation
Difficulty getting time away from job
Frequent disability-related crises
Health issues of family members
Difficulties obtaining appropriate educational services
Other family dynamics, such as foster care, group home, parent/guardian away due to military/career
Part 1: Family Challenge Presentation
Design a 10-15 slide digital presentation for families that outlines the selected challenges.
Within your presentation:
Describe each challenge.
Provide potential solutions to each challenge.
Provide strategies to put potential solutions in place.
Identify resources that could help parents facing each challenge.
Discuss how technology could also be a resource for families that face the challenges.
Indicate that your desire is to provide support, not to assume that you know exactly what the families are going through. Consider including a relatable personal experience that, when mentioned briefly, could bridge the gap between you and the families.
Include presenter’s notes, a title slide, and a reference slide.
Support your presentation content with 3-5 scholarly resources.
The digital presentation should include graphics that are relevant to the content, visually appealing, and use space appropriately.
Part 2: Communication Plan
Write a 250-500 word communication plan, for a grade level of your choice, to ensure collaboration with families and caregivers. Your communication plan should include how you will communicate with families throughout the school year and identify various communication methods to meet the challenges some families may face. Explain how your plan will incorporate technology.
