Module 4: Observing and Interacting With Families of the Children

I returned to the first grade classroom I previously observed. It has been a wonderful setting to walk into. This teacher’s learning environment screams her advocacy for learning through play. Her reading area includes puppets, felt boards, comfy chairs, and is tucked away behind the class. There is a large group time rug, which you don’t see in a lot of primary grade classrooms (at least not ones I have seen). Her shelves are lined with learning games and toys. She even showed me her own closet full of “goodies” she uses as tools for learning. They are all toys and games/ activities that will engage her students in learning.

Last time I visited I left a survey with the teacher to pass out to the parents. I got 11 of them back. The survey was as follows:

1.     Do you have any concerns regarding daily structure, grades and test scores?

2.     How do you feel about the educational systems focus on academia?

3.     Do you have any concerns about your child’s behavior in and/or out of school?

4.     Would you like to be involved in advocating for change regarding those concerns?

5.     What resources do you have that you know of regarding advocacy?

6.     How do you feel about the recent changes regarding the longer school day, and recess?

7.     What are your thoughts on the concept of learning through play?

8.     Any other questions, concerns, comments, feedback?

After reviewing the answers I concluded that most parents are concerned with making sure their children retain as much knowledge as they possibly can. Some even went as far as stating they would like their children to be competitive in the realm of academics. They want their children to score the highest, ace everything, focus on reading, science, and math. Most parents like or “LOVE” the longer school days, and the given time for play- recess, so they are able to “get their wiggles out in order to focus on learning time.” The irony here is these are the same parents who seem to have trouble getting their children to focus on academic activities at home because all they want to do is play when they get home. There has to be a correlation there.

A lot of parents also commented on learning through play as “ok of a concept” or “there is a time for focus and a time for play”. Very few said things like “learning opportunities are everywhere” or “children learn through everything around them, so we, the adults just have to find those moments to teach.”

A few parents had concerns about the daily structure as far as children sitting at a desk for long periods of time. One parent took me aside and raved about this particular teacher. She loves how her daughter learns using games, songs, dances, books, etc. She went on, and on this, which was exciting to hear! She says her daughter has trouble sitting still and this teacher understands her in a way that keeps her learning!

The focus on academia was split just about in half. Parents like the boost in academia but some are worried the children are getting too much information at once so they aren’t retaining it all.

Lastly there were a lot of lunchtime questions. Lunch is very early, 10:30am! Kids are coming home hungry. I passed that along to the teacher.