Cristina+Luther+Collaboration+with+Parents



Cristina Luther MAT Student 2 Year Program  criskayl@hotmail.com

My name is Cristina Luther and I am in the first year of the two year MAT program. I received my Bachelor's in Business Administration in 2006. I worked in the business field for several years, but found it to be less than fulfilling. I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher and decided to go for it last year.

I was born in Hillsboro, Oregon and raised in Salem. I have a sister, Jessica, who is sixteen months younger than me. She is now a CPA working for a prominent firm outside of Salem. My father worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation for 30 years and my mother was a homemaker. I was raised on a large property with many animals. During my preteen and teen years, I showed and jumped horses.

Many things in this world bring me joy, but my son brings me the most. He is a first grader at Lone Pine Elementary in Medford. Volunteering in his Kindergarten classroom was so fun and inspiring that I decided to go back to school. Currently, I volunteer in my son's first grade class and head the school's Peer Mediation Program with two other moms. Teaching and Volunteering brings me a lot of peace and I look forward to doing it full time.

There are several things about teaching, however, that I fear. I worry that I will not be able to get through to the students and teach them in a way that is fun and easy to understand. I also worry about keeping students motivated about learning. My goal is to show all students that learning is cool and they can become anything they want when they grow up, regardless of their religion, race, disability, ethnicity, etc.

Collaboration with Parents Introduction: I selected the topic of “collaboration with parents”, because of the numerous benefits that can come from a successful parent and teacher partnership. When families are involved in their children’s education in positive ways, the child achieves higher test scores and grades, has better attendance at school, completes more homework on time, and demonstrates more positive attitudes and behaviors. Communication is an important part of any collaboration. Families who receive frequent and positive communication from teachers tend to become more involved in their child’s education than parents who receive inconsistent or negative communication. While researching this topic, I discovered numerous resources which included strategies to improve parent teacher collaboration and communication. It is my desire to share these resources with other parents and educators.

Things That I Learned:


 * It is always better for teachers to work with the parent of a student instead of coming up with ideas on their own. Parents know their child the best and are an incredible resource for learning about the child’s behaviors and abilities


 * School situations can have a direct impact on home life, and vice versa. For example, if a child does not eat breakfast prior to school, their classroom productivity can be affected. If a child feels they have no friends or are victims of bullying at school, they may have a difficult time sleeping or may feel depressed and anxious.


 * Homework is a great way for parents to learn what their child is doing at school. When a parent helps or looks over their child’s work, they can ensure the child is doing their best.


 * Homework is a valuable way to reinforce classroom lessons. Students and teachers can collaborate to develop strategies to motivate a child to complete it. Creating a system to hold students accountable for their homework is a very effective way to motivate them.

Top Resource:
 * A growth plan can be an effective way for parents and teachers to collaborate. Parents and teachers can sit down and create “mini goals” throughout the year for the student.

media type="youtube" key="e4MFsnsx_bU" height="243" width="359" Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, and Rich Bagin, executive director of the National School Public Relations Association, provide tips and information about what teachers and educators can do to get parents involved in schools. Parental involvement is incredibly important in the academic success of a child. Increased parental involvement leads to better grades and test scores, better attendance, and an improved overall attitude. I would rate this video a 5 out of 5 because of the tips and wealth of information the video provides. Additional Resources: media type="youtube" key="-z-A77ybAuA" height="291" width="354" The information contained in this video is invaluable. It provides the viewer with statistics and strategies for increasing parental involvement, which is essential because the best predictor of a student's academic success is the level of parental involvement in their lives. I give this video a 5 out of 5.

media type="youtube" key="Uo0pRf1w10U" height="217" width="356" This video gives an overview of the importance of communication and collaboration between teachers and students. It gives advice on how to initiate and maintain the relationship. Overall, I would give this video a 4. While it had a lot of useful information, it was not long enough and did not provide enough detail.

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This short video is by Good Housekeeping and it lists websites that provide free tutoring and homework help. The websites mentioned in the video could help a parent gain the skills they need to assist their children with their homework. In my opinion, this video deserves a 4, because I do not feel like it is long enough nor did it give enough detail.

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This is a video montage of media perspectives on parent/teacher collaboration and communication. This is an honest and amusing video, but it lacks information and depth. I would rate this video a 3.

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This video is of a parent teacher conference. During the conference, it is suggested that the parents send their child to a Special Education school. The communication between the two sides is incredibly interesting and taught me some phrases and words I may want to avoid during a conference or meeting. Overall, I would rate this video a 3.5, because there is not enough information about collaboration.

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A parent at Parks Middle School in Atlanta describes her involvement at the school and how it contributes to improved results for students. Engaged parents helped Parks change from a chronically failing school to best in the district. I would rate this video a 4.5, because it shows how important collaboration and communication really is.

[|Teachervision]

This resource is full of articles and information for teachers and parents about the importance of a positive and effective partnership. It also provides resources on the subject of parent teacher conferences and open houses. I give this website a 5 out of 5.

[|Rutgers PDF]

This is very large booklet that describes the principles of effective parent/teacher collaboration. It gives the reader an overview of the issue and then methods on how to implement the new strategies. I give this website a 5 out of 5, because of how thorough the information is.

__Community Based Learning Project __

For my Community Based Learning Project, I chose to observe a 6 year old male child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in his home. Currently, I have the pleasure of watching this child, which I will call "Bryce", in my home after school every day. While at my house, he exhibits a lot of frustration when dealing with peers, because of his desire to be the center of attention. Observing him in his home, without the distraction of the other children, was a valuable and eye opening experience.

I went to Bryce's house during the around 3PM on a Saturday. His mother, Joanna, informed me that Bryce tends to be somewhat cranky and tired in the afternoons, especially on weekends. Bryce is the only child living in the home, and often relies on his mother for companionship. According to Joanna, Bryce has difficulty making friends and is often alone. After spending 5 minutes in the home, I notice Bryce trying to gain his mother's attention by threatening to write on the wall with a permanent marker. His behavior toward his mother is very different than his behavior toward me. He often speaks to her in a rude fashion and can get physical with her when frustrated. Fortunately, Joanna was able to divert his attention to another activity. It was at this time she informed me that both of them were victims of serious physical abuse by the child's father. This has really affected his self-esteem and also causes him to shut down when an adult, especially a man, raises their voice toward him. This information was valuable and helped me to understand some of his behaviors during my observation.

I decided it was best for me to take a seat and observe their overall afternoon routine. Bryce's mother has a daily schedule, which lists school times, afternoon activities, daycare, tooth brushing, etc. After my arrival, the first task is homework. To keep it consistent, his mother has a work book for him to do on the weekend. She does her best to make each day the same, so Bryce always knows what to expect at all times. Joanna sits with Bryce, and I immediately notice he often says he can't read. He is quickly frustrated and is becoming increasingly angry. His mother decides to set his writing work book aside and have a talk with Bryce. During their conversation, she tells him that his behavior is not appropriate. She tells him he has a choice. He can be positive and complete the assignment and get a reward, or he can continue to be negative and be punished and lose a privilege. Back at the table, Bryce seems more focused and even reads some of the sentences on his worksheet.

After homework, Bryce is rewarded with an activity. Today, he is allowed to ride his scooter an extra 10 minutes. He seems to be at ease while riding it all over the parking lot of their apartment complex. Bryce even managed to make a new friend. After their outdoor activity, Bryce is told there will be a change in the schedule because of my visit. She warns him 30 minutes before the change will occur. He is reminded every 5 minutes. Joanna says that Bryce becomes insecure and even scared if there is a variation. We sit down and begin our interview, while Bryce is allowed to play with his Hot Wheels and watch "The Imagination Movers".

Below are some highlights from our interview:

__Interview:__ Question: What is that chart on the wall?

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Answer: It is a behavior chart. We track his behavior each day using stars. If he finishes a task or makes a positive decision, he gets a star. We tally up the stars at the end of the day and he can earn rewards depending on the number of stars he has, For instance, 5 stars will earn him extra activity time, allow him to choose an activity for the day, get new pencils and erasers, etc.. He can also save his stars. If he earns 25 stars, we will go bowling and 75 stars will earn him a trip to the zoo in Portland. Question: What interventions or approaches do you use? What is the most effective?

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Answer: When I notice he is beginning to get amped up and angry or frustrated, I try to correct the behavior. Depending on how agitated he is, I will often redirect him to another toy or activity. Redirection seems to be the most effective technique if implemented early enough. I have to be careful, because he can become very physical toward me or purposely break things. If I ask him a question, I make sure to word it in a way he will understand and I give him adequate time to answer. He has trouble finding his words, so giving him time is really important.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Question: What techniques do you use when his behavior is out of control? Which method is most effective? Answer: When he becomes a danger to himself or others, it is necessary to "Bear Hug" him. That is when an adult sits behind a child and restrains them until they become calm. His teachers and their assistants also use this method. We try every other technique first, but the Bear Hug is sometimes our only option. It is definitely the most effective technique, but I absolutely hate using it. When the behavior is escalated and redirection doesn't work, I take him outside and try to take his anger and aggression out on the swings or scooter.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Question: Does he use over the counter or prescription medications to control his behavior?

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Answer: No prescription medications. I do not believe in drugging my child. Bryce has been diagnosed with several disabilities. One doctor will said he had Autism and another said it was only ADHD. Before additional testing was done, I chose to stop trying to diagnose my child. Honestly, It wouldn't make a difference in my care or treatment. For education purposes, a diagnoses was necessary so we retested him. They found he does have Autism. Had we listened to the doctor that said he only had ADHD, he could have been severely affected by the stimulants used to treat it. After his diagnoses, I did a lot of research, and learned about herbal remedies. I have experienced great success with them. He gets a lot of vitamins B and C, Focus Formula, Mood Calm, and several others that I order from a company named Native Remedies. Some people think I am crazy, but they really work! I also avoid certain foods and additives, such as food dyes, MSG, hydrogenated oils, caffeine, and salt. I try to give him a high protein diet, which also contains a lot of complex carbohydrates. Question: Has Bryce's behavior and abilities changed since he began attending a public elementary school?

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Answer: Bryce is in the Special Education class through the entire day. They have the same recess as other first graders, but that is about it. I actually prefer the separation.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Question: Why do you prefer separation from students without disabilities? Answer: I understand it is important to expose the students with disabilities to those without, because it brings awareness to both sides. However, when Bryce was fully integrated, the other students did not understand him and his life was hell. He often got very frustrated and was physically aggressive toward the other kids. The general education teachers did not fully understand how to properly deal with him. Instead of growing, he retreated into himself. Bryce became distant and his education really suffered. I think he is so far behind in reading and writing because of it.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">Bryce is exposed to non-disabled children at his afterschool care. He has a group of kids who rally around him and try to support him. They seem to understand what to do if he calls them names or doesn't react he proper way in social situations. I am really lucky to find him a great and supportive environment for him.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">__Reflection:__ I learned so much about children and disabilities through my observation. Even though I watch this child 5 days a week, there were so many techniques and approaches that I hadn't ever considered. Joanna often counts backward from 4 (4-3- 2- 1). If she makes it to 1 and his behavior isn't corrected, she may take something away from him. Joanna's view of supplements, medication, and food was very informative. I understand why she is against stimulants, but I had no clue that there are so many herbal supplements and a long list of foods to use and avoid. While I feed the children in my care very healthy foods, I never considered avoiding dyes and feeding a high protein/high carb diet. Her use of a written schedule seems to be one of the best techniques she uses. At my home, I try to stick to a routine, but it is not always possible. She helped me realize that I need to try harder, because children thrive when they have boundaries and structure. Having a child with special needs can be very difficult and frustrating for both the parent and the child. Effective communication, patience, and understanding seem to be the key. It is easy to forget that I need to give some children additional time to answer questions or that I may be moving through a lesson too fast. Observing Bryce taught me to slow down and take my time.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">__ Observations and Things I Learned: __
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Slow down when explaining things
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Children with special needs, specifically ADD/ADHD, may benefit from a high protein/high carb diet
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Diverting the child's attention is an effective technique
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">It is important to correct a child's behavior before it escalates and becomes less manageable
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Allowing a child to work out their aggression through physical activity can be helpful
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Rewards/punishments are very important and must be consistent
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Predictability, structure, and a routine helps children feel safe
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Keeping a chart makes the child more accountable for their actions and gives them an opportunity to be rewarded for good behavior
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Not all children can be treated equally, because some require more attention or direction than others