Presented By: P oints P ondered S usan A . M orrow Level 5 Credential Number:70069

1. Building a BridgeWith your Families Presented By:PointsPondered Susan A. Morrow Level 5 Credential Number:70069 (Expiration 06/22/15)

2. Building a Bridge With your families Our children live with parent(s), grandparents, other family, neighbors, in trailers, apartments, houses, buses, tents, & condos Each brings a different backpack of culture to our classrooms. Once we value what each can offer, then we as professionals can offer to build a bridge and invite them in.

3. Building a Bridge With your families To build a bridge between your classroom and you families homes, you first must feel a need to establish this relationship. • Do you want this bridge built? • How far are you willing to go to see this happen? • Can you teach with out assistance?

4. Let’s look at the building aspect Family – Personalities – Time – Negativity– Previous Experience Barriers that can prevent the bridge building: Necessities for a strong bridge A need. Communication. Respect. Understanding. Commitment. Child focus.

5. How can we build this bridge more efficiently/effectively? Most early childhood educators understand the unique relationship between parents and their young children. However, despite this intellectual understanding, staff members' day-to-day experiences can often lead to frustrations and disappointments. Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Chronis, P. L. (1994). Communicating with parents. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), *Child care center connections*, 4(1), pp. 4-5. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

6. Like each of us, parents want to be viewed as persons, not as roles. The relationship between teachers and families like every other relationship, depends on people getting to know and trust each other. Initially, people get to know each other by being friendly and showing interest. Often a simple and sincere, "How are you?" is enough to get a conversation started. Subsequently, asking about a job interview, midterm exam or other life event lets parents know we see them as individuals.\ Let’s begin by referring to our parents by name, Ms. Wilson, not Joey's parents.

7. We need to make classrooms welcoming places for parents. • We can do this by the greetings we offer and our willingness to reach out and include parents in classroom and other activities. • Offer a compliment about the child to the parents often. This will help later when you need to address a concern or problem.

8. Welcoming Atmosphere • Making parents comfortable requires just as much effort as making sure that the children are comfortable. Every child who comes to our school needs to feel a sense of belonging. Moms and dads need that feeling, too. • Being creative and open-minded is essential. But keeping a positive, humorous and compassionate perspective of moms and dads will serve to strengthen my relationships with the children in my room • ... and that, in itself, is a reward!

9. Above all, we must not compete with parents. • What we know about children is different from what parents know, primarily because we observe, interact with, and experience children in group settings. • While our observations and experiences are different, they are not necessarily more valid than those of parents.

10. Ideas to try: Having a notice board in the entrance of the school with informative news and other important documentations. We pin up the latest photographs of the children during various activities and we always have a sign announcing the current theme. ECERS: Item 38 Provisions for Parents

11. Welcome Having an open-door policy (parents are welcome to come in the classroom with their child all year long). ECERS: Item 17 1.3 Parents are not welcome in the classroom. 3.3 Parents are allowed to bring children into classroom. 7.3 Staff uses Greeting/Departure as info sharing time.

12. Library Letting parents borrow any books or publications they wish. We have a little library at their service in the entrance hall and they are welcome to borrow any literature that they interest them. ECERS Item 17 & 38

13. Home to School Diary • Have a notebook (Composition Book) for each child. • All week it stays in their cubby and throughout the week I make entries. Tell cute stories about what they said or did, how they helped another child, concerns about a tooth, … • On Thursday or Friday,, it goes in their backpack. Families see it, respond in it, write back, ask questions, and enjoy a snapshot of the week. • With older children we use a behavior chart if necessary. Parents can reward good choices and address concerns.

14. Creating a DVDs & CDs • Lots of photographs of the kids, music playing in the background. It gives the parents a glimpse of what they children do in class, how happy they are, who they play with. • Make Cds of the songs you sing at circle time. Even offer to down load on their iPods or Mp3 players.

15. Dear Family, Welcome to Imagine Preschool! We are so excited to share our passion for young children’s learning with you. Each day you will hear from us and your child about the delightful experiences that we’ve shared together. Our goal is that your child will come home everyday bursting with excitement and anxious to tell you about the wonders they’ve discovered and the adventures that they’ve had throughout the day. We will be encouraging your child to ask questions, to explore their own ideas and to document what they learn through play to become independent learners. For your child to enjoy and benefit from all of our learning opportunities, we ask you to partner with us by preparing them for each day. This handbook will help explain how you can support them, what you can expect form us and what we can expect from you. On occasion, we may find it necessary to add or change information in this handbook. In that, case we will provide you with a printed addendum. We welcome your questions, comments and ideas. Our preschool is a learning environment -not only for children but also for parents and staff. We look forward to partnering with you in your child’s education. Sincerely, Ms. Teacher

16. Always be aware and strive to work on: • First Impression • Body Language • Approachability • Sincerity • Respect Remember cultural influences.

17. If you always speak of a child as if the child and their family are standing behind you, you will never say the wrong thing!

18. In the final analysis, as one looks back on a teaching career, it is the relationships one remembers.

19. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmxJ7OzhCTY

20. PointsPondered by Susan A. Morrow pointspondered@yahoo.com • Resources: • The Engagement Training Series, UK, HDI, KECTP, 2010 • Bridges out of Poverty, Ruby K. Payne, 2001 • Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 1998