Midterm

THE BASICS

Basic Communication Skills Nonverbal attending Minimal encouragers Closed questions Open questions Perception checks Paraphrasing Reflection of feelings

Reflecting skills

Introduction to Communication Reflecting feelings: responding to the emotions being expressed Reflecting content: repeating ideas in new words for emphasis

Summarizing skills

Introduction to Communication Summarizing: pulling themes together. EXAMPLE--Let's take a look at what we've decided so far. We have agreed...

Leading skills

Introduction to communication Indirect leading: getting a conversation started Direct leading: encouraging and elaborating discussion Focusing: controlling confusion, diffusion, and vagueness Questioning: inquiring about specific procedures

How to start the conference

Lawerence Hunter The tone of the opening statement conveys the teacher's attitude toward both the parent and the importance of the conference plus sets the stage for subsequent interaction Full attention must be given to parent's concerns

I Want Statements

"I want you to do this" or "I would like you to do this" when referring to a specific behavior. Also: "I'd like you to do this," "Would you do this?" "How about doing this," or "I'd appreciate it if you'd do this." Examples: I do want to know what I did that made you angry but I don't want you to call me names. I would like to think about your question and then get back to you. I would like you to come on time for our meetings. Effects: The statements help you to clarify (for yourself and the other person) what you really want. It gives the other person information, not a non-negotiable demand.

The Basic Tenets of an Assertive Philosophy

1. By standing up for our rights we show we respect ourselves and achieve respect from other people. 2. By trying to govern our lives so as to never hurt anyone, we end up hurting ourselves and other people. 3. Sacrificing our rights usually results in destroying relationships or preventing ones from forming. 4. Not letting others know how we feel and what we think is a form of selfishness. 5. Sacrificing our rights usually results in training other people to mistreat us. 6. If we don't tell other people how their behavior negatively affects us, we are denying them an opportunity to change their behavior. 7. We can decide what's important for us; we do not have to suffer from the "tyranny of the should and should not." 8. When we do what we think is right for us, we feel better about ourselves and have more authentic and satisfying relationships with others. 9. We all have a natural right to courtesy and respect. 10. We all have a right to express ourselves as long as we don't violate the rights of others. 11. There is more to be gained from life by being free and able to stand up for ourselves and from honoring the same rights of other people. 12. When we are assertive everyone involved usually benefits.

IMPORTANT POINTS

Assertive communication 1. There are ethical boundaries surrounding all rights 2. Accepting our rights carries the responsibility to accept consequences 3. Our rights never negate the rights of the other person with whom we are communicating. Rights are balanced, providing protection for both parties

KEYS TO ASSERTIVENESS

Assertive communication Assertive communication requires both an acknowledgement of one's rights and a willingness to act on these rights in a responsible manner. We can use assertiveness to equalize power in a relationship

SUMMARY

Assertive communication Components of an assertive situation --Confidence in basic human rights --Ability to identify a specific behavior to which you will respond --Awareness of feeling reactions to this behavior --A specific behavior you would prefer --Consideration of consequences to both parties

ASSERTION ALSO IMPLIES...

Assertive communication Directness in communication Honesty Appropriateness (location, timing, intensity, frequency) Body language that matches our words

ELEMENTS

Assertive communication Specify the situation clearly Determine our goals and subgoals. Be clear on what we want to see happen and how we want to behave Identify the rights of both parties Explore our self talk and consider self-defeating and inaccurate thinking, assumptions Make a plan and give it a trial run. Practice assertive techniques, get feedback, view your efforts as a learning experience Decide how to tweak your plan so that you achieve results closer to your expectations

SOME BASIC RIGHTS

Assertive communication The right to act in ways that promote your dignity and self-respect as long as others' rights are not violated in the process The right to be treated with respect The right to say no and not feel guilty The right to experience and express your feelings The right to take time to think The right to change your mind The right to ask for what you want The right to do less than you are humanly capable of doing The right to ask for information The right to make mistakes The right to feel good about yourself

DEVELOPING AN ASSERTION PLAN

Assertive communication To master the skills of assertive communication, we work first on our own behavior To modify our behavior, there are many goals, outcomes, or skills to be selected and developed

RESPECT

Assertive communication Treating others with respect implies that you honor their basic rights. Respect is not the same as deference Assertion also implies respecting or valuing oneself (being your own best friend)

BASIC TENETS

Assertive communication includes both a set of techniques and a philosophy to govern human interaction. The techniques and the philosophy are linked: there is no "assertiveness" without belief in the underlying philosophy

Minimal Encouragers

Basic Communication Skills Sounds and words that keep the conversation going Sounds like "hmm" or "uhm" and words like "O.K." and "oh" can be used to let another speaker know that you are listening, interested, open for more information. You are encouraging the other person to tell you more FACTORS --Voice level, pitch, fluency of speech can influence how the parent interprets your minimal encouragers --Combined with nonverbal attending, minimal encouragers provide a powerful signal to the parent--Please keep talking!

Closed questions

Basic communication skills Closed questions tend to have a yes/no answer or a narrow, even single possible response (e.g., age, weight) Serve to --Narrow the topic of discussion --Obtain specific details --Give focus to a conversation --Specify definitions of a problem or issue IMPACT --Closed questions are very effective in limiting the scope of a parent's comments. You will be able to elicit specific items of information and check details --If your intent is to stimulate the parent to provide an opinion or information on a topic on which you have little prior knowledge, the technique will be of little value

Reflection of feelings

Basic communication skills Functions to --Encourage the parent to express feelings --Focus the parent's attention directly on feelings --Help the parent to consider the impact of affect on actions and thoughts --Guide the parent to acknowledge and manage feelings --Help parent to discriminate among feelings

Open questions

Basic communication skills Primary purposes --Begin an interview --Encourage elaboration to obtain broad information --Elicit examples of behaviors, feelings, and thoughts --Motivate the parent to communicate WHEN TO USE --Open questions are important early in a relationship, when both persons don't know much about each other --Open questions draw out information-- "What have you done to discipline Susie at home?" --Open questions allow the speaker to elicit opinions and emotions

Perception checks

Basic communication skills Question about a feeling. A perception check is an important signal--tentative, highlights affect, willingness to listen. Use when information can be used Two forms --Closed: "Were you upset yesterday?" --Open: "How did you feel when he yelled at you"

Paraphrasing

Basic communication skills Rephrasing of the content of the parent's comments. Helps to provide a focus on the words, themes used Functions as an anchor for subsequent discussion Can be distinguished from similar techniques used in counseling

NONVERBAL ATTENDING

Basic communication skills The basis for effective helping is good listening Parents and teachers exchange a great deal of information without using words. Our eyes, facial expression, posture, and body positioning signal our emotions (even thoughts) to others EYE CONTACT --For many speakers, the most powerful nonverbal signal is eye contact. When we focus on a person's face or eyes, the message can be that we are paying attention or are interested in what the person is saying --Comfortable eye contact is an individual, even a group, decision EYES UP! --To look away is usually interpreted as a sign of disrespect, anger, or other negative affect --This is usually not the case among many immigrants from Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean cultures, who avoid eye contact as a sign of respect. Be aware of the differences in eye contact and don't be quick to make cultural conclusions OTHER NONVERBAL EXAMPLES --Facial expressions (e.g., smile, frown) --Movements of the head, limbs, entire body --Touch --Nonverbal signals can provide recognition of the other person, provide encouragement, indicate interest SMILES --A smile connotes an open, happy, and friendly demeanor, but in many countries, a smile can cover embarrassment, happiness, confusion, and even anger. In some cultures, smiling in a formal situation is interpreted as a lack of respect --Different cultures have evolved a wide variety of different cues in which everyone in that culture participates. Gender, age, and status can affect the "correct" response in a social situation FACTORS --Nonverbal attending can be affected by cultural and personal factors. Some people are more responsive to specific forms of attending --Physical proximity has been shown to vary widely across cultural groups. Some groups converse within 12" of a partner; other groups must be 18" or more apart to feel comfortable

Techniques To Overcome Standard Blocking Gambits

Broken Record. Assertive Agreement. Assertive Inquiry. Content-to-Process Shift. Clouding. Defusing. Circuit Breaker. Assertive Irony. Assertive Delay.

Guidelines for communicating

Introduction to communication Monitor voice tone and body language Be specific Give your point of view as information Be honest and direct about what you expect Share "on air" time Show respect Don't assume your message is clear Focus on the positive--5 or more/1 Avoid jargon Don't soft pedal

Listening skills

Introduction to communication Paraphrasing: responding to basic messages Clarifying: restating a point or requesting restatement to ensure understanding Perception checking: determining accuracy of feeling or emotion detected

Johnson: Increasing credibility

Introduction to communication Dependability, predictability, and consistency influence perceptions of reliability Intentions and motives--be open to effect you want message to have Expression of warmth and friendliness important, if genuine Majority opinion is very influential. If our friends tell us someone is trustworthy, we tend to believe them Relevant expertise is important Assertive speakers are seen as more credible than passive speakers

Basic types of assertive messages

I want I feel Mixed feelings Empathic assertion Confrontive assertion

David Johnson: Effective messages

Introduction to communication Use first person singular pronouns- "I", "My" Make messages complete and specific Make verbal and nonverbal messages congruent Be redundant Ask for feedback concerning the way messages are being received Make messages appropriate to receiver's frame of reference Describe behavior without evaluating or interpreting

Faulty assumptions

Introduction to communication You always know what I mean I should always know what you mean Misunderstanding is common because clarity of communication often does not happen

Preparing for reporting conference

Lawerence Hunter Collect data on student Prioritize according to parent and teacher needs Determine student's participation If student not involved, determine how student will be provided with information on discussion

Preparing for a conference

Lawerence Hunter Deciding what can be accomplished Establishing the conference objective Planning for content How to start the conference Formulating the message Checking back on what was heard Closing the conference Judging success

Preparing for problem solving

Lawerence Hunter Describe problem in ways that elicit cooperation Identify what parent could do to help Acknowledge that teacher has final responsibility for what happens in classroom Determine what behaviors will constitute evidence of success

Planning for information getting

Lawerence Hunter Determine how to state the concern about the student Provide data that will highlight concern Formulate questions to elicit information Assure parent on how information will be used Determine how to follow-up with parent

Judging the success of the conference

Lawerence Hunter Evaluation of the conference can proceed in several ways: --Teacher reflection on meeting --Informal follow-up with parent --Formal evaluation of meeting by parent --District-initiated assessment

Deciding what can be accomplished

Lawerence Hunter Expectations need to match --The amount of time available --The skills of the teacher --The parent's emotional receptivity --The complexity of the message or task for that parent

Parent's goals as collaborators

Lawerence Hunter Identify behaviors that need changing Determine what teacher will do Identify behaviors at home that are same or contribute to school problem Identify parent behaviors that may accentuate problem Agree to something within his/her abilities

Four conference formats

Lawerence Hunter Introductory group conference Reporting conference Information getting conference Problem-solving conference

Preparing for an introductory conference

Lawerence Hunter Invite parents and request ideas for agenda Determine what to include Select examples of student work Feature advance questions from parents Insure that focus remains on general concerns and issues End on time

Establishing the conference objective

Lawerence Hunter Parents and teachers need to go through the process of establishing objectives for the conference by --Knowing wishes for use of conference time --Clearing stating these wishes --Acknowledging possible differences --Reaching an agreement on how time will be spent

Introductory group conference

Lawerence Hunter Parents have a chance to become acquainted with teacher Parents see classroom materials, hear expectations for child (including homework) Parents learn ways they can assist child and teacher to accomplish goals and what to do if there is a problem Parents are informed about how and when they will receive more specific information about the child Parents can raise general first-of-the-year concerns and have their questions answered

Planning for content

Lawerence Hunter Preparation for the conference will depend on the type of conference being planned: --Introductory group conference --Reporting conference --Information-getting conference --Problem solving conference

Problem-solving conference

Lawerence Hunter Problem solving follows any of several models Basic model: problem identification, analysis, implementation, evaluation Schon's concept of problem setting focuses deliberation on factors that influence parent and teacher perceptions Situations fall into three categories: --The student is not physically or emotionally available for learning --The student needs additional practice or exposure to certain experiences --The student needs acknowledgment and recognition of improvements in behavior

Problem-solving goals

Lawerence Hunter Select strategy that will alter behavior Select reinforcers that will promote behavior Be clear on role in plan implementation Carry out plan at home Follow-up with teacher, get feedback and support, evaluate success

Checking back on what was heard

Lawerence Hunter Teacher checks on understanding to be sure parent understands teacher's message Summarizing main points of a conference is useful technique We can check the meaning we assign to nonverbal messages Checking back can increase focus and listening

Information getting conference

Lawerence Hunter Teachers can seek information to assist them to make better decisions on children's academic programming --To design school program --To assess the school program's effectiveness

The angry, verbally abusive parent

Lawerence Hunter Techniques for addressing verbal (not physical!) anger: --Listening without speaking --Acknowledging parent's anger --Telling parent how you feel without becoming emotional --Stopping the conference

Reporting conference

Lawerence Hunter The reporting is the most commonly encountered format; some would even argue that the format can be viewed as a ritual Academic, social, emotional, physical, and behavioral development can be featured Information can be presented in four major ways --Performance compared to an age group --Growth within a period --Strengths and weaknesses --Response to special help

Emotions influence communication

Lawerence Hunter Three sources generate a person's emotional state at any given moment: --Characteristic emotional state (e.g., personality, feelings about child, experiences as student) --Temporary emotional state --Relation of present situation to person's value system

Closing the conference

Lawerence Hunter Two actions can be addressed at the close of the conference: --Summarizing what has been discussed. Teacher and parent can compare outcomes with initial expectations and agenda --Bridging to future can be highlighted. Teacher and parent can schedule a meeting or discuss ways in which they will remain in contact

Formulating your message

Lawerence Hunter What language to use Words that block communication Enabling phrases --Invitational statements --Time-referenced statements --Comments on parent's contributions --Supportive comments --Comments to maintain focus

Successful negotiation addresses

Negotiation skills Interests Options Standards Alternatives Proposals

Win-win negotiation

Negotiation skills Signal intentionsIdentify problems before solutions Seek mutual trust and respectAreas of greatest potential first Share information step by step Reward positive signals, concessions Avoid defensiveness, legalistic posture

Barriers to success include

Negotiation skills Your reactions Their emotions Their positions Their dissatisfaction Their power

Perception checking

determining accuracy of feeling or emotion detected

Confrontive Assertion

Statement is appropriate when there are discrepancies between, for example, a person's words and deeds or a conflict between a job description and what you are asked to do. The Confrontive Assertion has three parts: 1. Objectively describing what the other person said would be done 2. Describing what the other person actually did do 3. Expressing what you want. Example: I thought we had agreed that you were going to be more considerate towards students. Yet I noticed today that when two students asked for some information, you told them that you had better things to do than babysit for kids. As we discussed earlier, I see showing more consideration as an important part of your job. What is making it hard for you to carry that out? Effects: When discrepancies are confronted simply by describing them, it is much easier to deal with conflicts. Confrontive Assertion is a good follow-up assertion to use when the other person has previously agreed to change behavior.

Empathic Assertion

Statements consist of two parts: first you recognize one or more of the following-- person's situation (e.g., pressures, difficulties, lack of awareness), feelings (e.g., sad, glad, scared), wants (e.g., to discuss a topic), or beliefs (e.g., have been unfairly treated). Second, you describe your own situation, feelings, wants, and beliefs. Examples: I know it's hard to say when you can give me a response, but I would like your best estimate. I know you would like to discuss your own feelings, but I would like to consider your child's situation first. Effects: The statements are useful when you want to reduce the chances that the other person will be hurt or become defensive. People may be more likely to hear your assertive message given in this form.

Building bridges

Susan Johnson As part of a broader study of 115 teachers, Johnson reviewed literature on parent involvement and engaged teachers in discussions of parents

The school's role

Susan Johnson Results suggest strongly that schools can do much to encourage or discourage, promote or impede, greater interaction between parents and teachers. Teachers who seek closer working relations with parents achieve those relations far more readily in schools where parents are often present and active in school life and where norms that endorse close home/school connections are well established

Schools as mediators of parental involvement

Susan Johnson Sometimes teachers wanted to bridge the cultural and economic distance between them and their students' families but did not know how Open schools and active parents were more likely to be found in privileged communities where parents insisted on becoming involved, but there were exceptions

Johnson's study

Susan Johnson Teachers believed that parental involvement is essential for children's academic success. They hoped for parental confirmation that students were learning, and sought parental insight and support when they were not. They urged parental involvement in school and classroom activities. Virtually all agreed that they needed parents' presence and support if they were to educate all children Most teachers thought of parents as potential partners and mediators of school success Many teachers saw a connection between a child's readiness to learn and the family's social class Most saw SES as the best predictor of a parent's attendance at school events

Johnson overall

Susan Johnson Teachers were grateful for parents who were attentive to the child's experiences in school. They were annoyed by the few parents who discounted teachers' expertise and treated them like functionaries, but they were tolerant of parents who demanded more than their share of attention and influence, perceiving them as well-intentioned

Johnson's findings

Susan Johnson To explain low parental involvement, teachers mentioned that working class and poor families were more likely to believe that schools would be unresponsive and intimidating, and that often these expectations were well grounded They believed wealth did not inevitably lead to more productive home/school relations Teachers working in schools that served upper-middle-class or wealthy populations were more likely to report that parents challenged their practices than were teachers in working class or low income neighborhoods

Teachers and parents as rivals

Susan Johnson Waller (1932). Parents and teachers are natural enemies, "predestined each for the discomfiture of the other" Lightfoot (1978). Parents and teachers have fundamentally different views about how children can best be schooled Lortie (1975). Teachers preferred to be gatekeepers, regulating and restricting parental involvement in schools

What works

Susan Johnson When parents are present in the school, they were perceived to have a better understanding of how the school worked and what teachers expected. Moreover, they influenced teachers' expectations. Their presence indirectly conferred the community's endorsement of formal education Teachers seem able to achieve cooperative working relations with parents under two sets of circumstances Affluent schools where parents initiate such contact or respond to teachers' invitations whether or not the school is organized to support their involvement Less advantaged schools where principals and teachers purposely welcome parents, give volunteers meaningful work, and provide support services to those in need

School-to-Home Transmission Model

Swap models Assumptions: Continuity of expectations, non-school contributions help Advantages: Programs succeed, parents seek direction Disadvantages: Parents not equal partners, hard to draw boundaries between school and parent roles

Curriculum Enrichment Model

Swap models Assumptions: Continuity of learning, values and culture central Advantages: Incorporates parent involvement into children's learning, increases resources Disadvantages: Heavy investment of time and energy, curricular adaptations difficult, differences hard to address

Protective Model

Swap models Assumptions: Parents delegate, hold school responsible, educators accept responsibility Advantages: Protects school from intrusions Disadvantages: Exacerbates many conflicts, ignores potential collaboration, rejects resources and support

Partnership Model

Swap models Assumptions: Partnerships require new visions for school policy and practices, collaboration important Advantages: Would transform school culture Disadvantages: Difficult to achieve, challenges assumptions of professionalism

Four basic parent involvement models

Swap models Protective, School-to-Home Transmission, Curriculum Enrichment, Partnership model

I Feel Statements

The statements take the form, "When you did that thing, I felt this way," "I liked it when you did that," or "I didn't like it when you did that." That thing is a behavior that the other person did, and this way is your specific feeling. Examples: I liked it when you helped me put together the packages. When you raised your voice during the meeting, I felt attacked. Effects: The statements help you express your feelings without attacking the self-esteem of the other person. The statements clarify your feelings and prevent you from being misunderstood.

Mixed Feelings Statements

These statements take the form of naming more than one feeling and explaining where each originates. Example: I've got some mixed feelings about what you just said. I'm thankful that you are willing to work with a raw beginner to develop lesson plans and that you pass on tips about how I could improve. Yet I don't like the way you told me. The extra comments about how naive and inexperienced I am--that's unnecessary, and I find it irritating. Effects: When people have mixed feelings, sometimes they say nothing. When you communicate positive and negative feelings in response to the same situation, your ability to communicate is improved.

Litwak and Meyer

Why Partnerships? Differences between families and schools are structural Family structure is diffuse, non instrumental, face-to-face contact, and relatively permanent relations School structure is bureaucratic (hierarchy of authority): impersonal relations, fixed definitions of policy, rules used to guide behavior

Theoretical underpinnings of a partnership approach

Why Partnerships? In today's society, schools cannot meet all children's needs. The sheer number of at-risk children, problem situations, and changing demographics of American society dictate a collaborative approach Children learn, grow, and develop both at home and school. There is no clear-cut boundary between home and school experiences for children and youth; rather there is a mutually influencing quality among home and school experiences. Time in school is not purely school time; time at home is not purely family time A learning environment is educative when it enables the individual to learn and develop specialized skills; it is miseducative when it fails to encourage positive development. An educative community is produced when learning environments of the home, school, and community are linked and coordinated to serve the developmental needs of students

Fullan's advice

Why Partnerships? Make parent involvement a fundamental part of school activities, from planning to implementation to evaluation Set up parent involvement activities that each teacher can implement When new activities or programs are created, involve parents in every phase of the planning process Designate an in-school person as part-time coordinator of home-school relations Develop district-wide policies and programs to recognize and build on all forms of involvement

Governance

Why Partnerships? Parent groups are very effective in influencing decisions and improving schools, provided they are assisted in three major areas of skills: the capacity to gather accurate information about the system, mastery of techniques for intervention, and capacity to insure that their group functions effectively as a group

Terminology

Why Partnerships? Parent involvement focuses on the parents' role in becoming involved in their children's education Home-school collaboration focuses on the relationship between home and school and how parents and educators work together to promote social and academic development of children

The curriculum of the home (Walberg)

Why Partnerships? Parents directly or indirectly influence eight determinants of cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning: student ability, student motivation, quality of instruction, amount of instruction, psychological climate of the classroom, academic stimulation in the home, peer group, and television

Don Davies

Why Partnerships? Parents frequently report having little or no communication with school personnel. When they hear from educators, parents report that the communication is primarily negative and concerns problems at school. The major function of many contacts is to share negative information about behavior, attendance, and children's progress

James S. Coleman

Why Partnerships? Schools must bear a major part of the responsibility for parent passivity Parents will not gravitate automatically to school activities Addressing specific needs is important Parent education can be a draw Technology can be used to break down barriers

Michael G. Fullan

Why Partnerships? Teacher attitudes are direct predictors of parent involvement practices--the more positive, the more frequent and successful the collaboration Parents have specific expectations of teachers regarding parental input

Parent expectations

Why Partnerships? Teacher must understand parent work schedules Parents want teachers to advise them about how to help the child at home Parents want teachers to do a better job of providing information on classroom expectations and goals for children's learning When parents are guided by teachers on how to help the child at home, they do so more often than do other parents without teacher guidance The school's practices to inform and involve parents are more important than other factors in encouraging involvement at school and guiding them to help at home

Walberg

Why Partnerships? The curriculum of the home predicts academic learning twice as well as the socioeconomic status of families Important that parents talk with children about everyday events, encourage and discuss reading, monitor and discuss television, express affection and interest, help children focus on long-term goals

Conclusions on parent involvement

Why Partnerships? correlated with student achievement. When parents are involved, students have higher grades and test scores and better long-term academic achievement affects non-cognitive behavior: student attendance, attitudes about school, maturation, self-concept, and behavior improve when parents are involved There are benefits for parents, teachers, community, and schools when parents are involved. In general, there are more successful educational programs and effective schools all forms seem to be useful: however, those that are well-planned, comprehensive, and long lasting offer more options for parents to be involved and appear to be more effective achievement gains are most significant and long lasting when parent involvement is begun at an early age. Several researchers point to important of parent involvement in early childhood programs

Fundamental principles

Wikelund Focus is on the child and his/her success All children can learn•Parents want what is best for their children The school cannot do it alone Parents are key resource in child's education Partnerships of families, schools, and communities can succeed

Types of involvement

Wikelund Fulfilling basic parental obligations for a child's education and social development at home Taking an active role in home learning activities Being an audience for school events Being a participant and supporter of school events and programs Being a learner Volunteering or being paid to be a classroom aide or providing other assistance at school Being an advocate for the school Being an advisor or decision maker

Retention strategies

Wikelund Get to know parents as individuals Offer activities based on parent priorities, needs Be sensitive to local customs and values Seek regular feedback Reinforce ownership of programs Frequently show appreciation

Potential barriers

Wikelund Involvement limited to traditional activities Lack of training Little time assigned to support teachers Teachers see themselves overworked Most communication with parents one way Most contacts with home negative Low expectations of families Parents may have had negative experiences with schooling Parents may not understand school's expectations Parents may not feel welcomed Working parents have limited time Parents often lack transportation or child care

Recruitment strategies

Wikelund Newsletter Publicity on school events Community-wide events in support of education Coordination with local businesses and civic groups Using public forums for announcements

Essential ingredients

Wikelund Parent involvement is a school-wide priority --Written policies support parent involvement --Sufficient funding is provided --Time and training is provided --Leadership is taken by administrators Parent involvement is a community-based effort

Outreach strategies

Wikelund Regular phone calls Message recorders or message services Parenting hotline Homework hotline Outreach programs (school staff, parents) Community-based activities that support involvement with school

Key players

Wikelund School administrative leaders Teachers Outreach staff Parents and family members Community members Children

Focusing

controlling confusion, diffusion, and vagueness

Direct leading

encouraging and elaborating discussion

Indirect leading

getting a conversation started

Questioning

inquiring about specific procedures

Reflecting content

repeating ideas in new words for emphasis

Paraphrasing

responding to basic messages

Reflecting feelings

responding to the emotions being expressed

Clarifying

restating a point or requesting restatement to ensure understanding