Parent Involvement...Good, Bad, or Both?

I wrote this reflection in response to the article that can be found on this website:
http://www.edarticle.com/view/printview-2587.html

Parent involvement has been and is an often discussed topic in schools among teachers and administrators. I chose to reflect on the article by Ronnie Phillips about the importance of this issue because I feel it is a necessary part of student success. As I have seen in the schools I have visited there are always the parents who are involved and then the ones that won’t get near the school with a fifty foot pole. The article expresses the benefits of parent involvement which I feel all to be true but I am also a firm believer that too much involvement could possibly have a negative effect on a child’s ability to succeed.
The idea that a parent who is involved provides a more accessible and learning geared environment is none other than the truth. A parent who is involved is sending the message to their child that they value education. But what happens when a young learner is put under pressure by the presence of an overbearing or too involved mom or dad? This question arose when I was reading the article and I feel that as a future educator it is a legitimate question to ask.
Recently it has become apparent that in the academic setting children are being put under a great deal or pressure to perform. Standardized testing and No Child Left Behind have set the stakes high for each individual in every one of our schools today. With this being said I can see where too much parent involvement can have a child feeling much more heat. It is my belief that children should learn to express themselves and be comfortable in the classroom and who is allowed to judge of whether a parents presence is a positive or negative influence?
Personally, my mom was a room mother as well as a substitute teacher during my elementary school years. For the most part I can say that I had no qualms about her being in the school on any given day of the week. It was at times a struggle when she was my teacher for the day and I did not know where to draw the line between knowing she was my mom and having to pretend she was the teacher. My mother also did not require certain times for me to do homework or put pressure on me to perform in ways I was not capable.
The truth of the matter is when I experienced parent involvement the education system was not the same as it is today. I now see children get quiet, embarrassed, or almost unrecognizable when their parents are present today. School teachers are the ones who can recognize this change the most and I feel it is their job to keep the needs of the child their first priority. As for the article I am not disagreeing but only trying to look at things from the other side.

Past-Present-Future

During my time as an education major I have worked with many elementary grades. I was fortunante enough to experience 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade classes my first time in the classroom and enjoyed every minute! I am currently working with 5th grade students and am learning alot. The time in the life that a child goes through the 5th grade seems to be such a critical but stressful stage. It takes a patient and understanding person to deal with the attitudes and everyday ins and outs of a these children so I am keeping open eyes and learning good techniques from my current teacher that will hopefully help me in the future.

As for my future in education, I hope to work with as many different grades as possible through my college career so when I am done I know I made the right decision on whatever grade I chose to teach. Right now I feel most comfortable with 4th grade. Their desire to be at school is still apparent and they are willing to take part in active and fun learning. My ability to relate to this age group is why I feel like I would be best to teach at the 4th grade level. I hope to teach in Savannah, GA or a surrounding area when I begin. Also, I hope to teach a public school when I begin but at some point in time I would like to teach in private schools.

In all honesty I think whatever school or grade I find that makes me feel comfortable is where I will be happy and content. All I hope for is to be good at what I do and teach my students things they will remember for the rest of their lives!

Welcome

Welcome to my page- my name is Katherine and I am studying Early Childhood Education at Georgia Southern University. Currently I spend Tuesday afternoons at Mattie Lively Elementary and am hoping to learn a lot from my fifth grade students.