PTS Name: Developing as a Professional Educator
Element: Working with families to improve professional practice
Indicators
As teachers develop, they may ask, “How do I…” or “Why do I…”:
- Value and respect students’ families and appreciate their role in student learning?
- Develop an understanding of families’ racial, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds?
- Engage families as sources of knowledge about students’ linguistic and social backgrounds?
- Promote positive dialogue and interactions with all families and respond to their concerns about
student progress?
- Ensure that communication with all students and their families is understood?
- Provide opportunities for all families to participate in the classroom and school community?
- Present the educational program to all families?
Descriptions
Examples may include, but are not limited to:
- Planning and facilitating parent workshops to share the curriculum, student learning goals, and strategies for supporting their children’s learning
- Inviting family involvement in class activities (e.g., chaperoning class trips, speaking about their careers/life experiences, participating in fundraisers, reading with students during independent
reading time)
- Helping ensure that written, phone and in-person communications are translated into families’
native languages
- Informing parents of school events (e.g., plays, concerts, book fairs, presentations, athletic games, assemblies, award ceremonies)
Problems of Practice
Challenges with this element frequently include:
- Communicating with families only when there are problems or concerns about student behavior
- Avoiding communication with families throughout the school year due to low comfort level (e.g., fear or lack of confidence)
- Failing to continue outreach to families that seem to be difficult to reach, seem indifferent, or are non-English speaking
- Missing the opportunity to utilize tacit family knowledge of student interests, motivations, etc. in supporting student learning