Description
Strong relationships that develop and blossom into mutually respectful partnerships with families are a foundational component to effective programs within the early childhood field. Consider the following scenario:
You have just been hired as the director of an early childhood education program serving children between the ages of birth and 5. In your first weeks on the job, you spend an extensive amount of time visiting each classroom and getting to know the teachers. When you ask about the relationships they have developed with children and their families, one response you receive seems to encapsulate the general attitude: "We are very busy making sure our curriculum meets state standards; we like to get to know the children but have to stay focused on getting these children to learn what the standards say so they will be ready in every way for kindergarten." When you ask about building partnerships with families, you receive a related response: "Families are most concerned that their children are learning and that they will do well in kindergarten. In fact, the families of the children in my class don't seem to want to be bothered with what's happening on a day-to-day basis; they're interested in 'end results.'"
Based on these conversations, you know that you need to work with staff to cultivate a shared understanding regarding the importance of building relationships to ensure family involvement and effective partnerships. To that end, you decide to develop an engaging workshop that provides information on current research and theory, practical applications, and benefits and challenges staff may encounter as they work to engage families; develop rich, respectful partnerships; and involve families in the lives of their children at your school.
For this Application Assignment:
- Review the Required Resources on the topic of Partnering with Families
- Print and complete the Workshop Outline form below
- Complete the Reflection worksheet attached.
Reflection
After you have completed the Workshop Outline, reflect on the process you experienced while developing it, as well as how building relationships and partnering with families is a critical component of effective early childhood programs. Envision a program of your own and what you would like to develop in terms of engagement and partnership between teachers and families and in terms of your own relationships/partnerships with families of the children in your program. With this in mind, articulate:
- Three goals related to building relationships and partnering with families
- Ways in which you would help staff recognize positive outcomes of building relationships and partnering with families, work with challenges, and realize possible biases
- Related areas and issues you would like to learn more about
For this assignment, submit:
- Your completed Workshop Outline
- A summary of the Reflection
Assignment length: approximately 3 pages
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Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Workshop Outline
Title of the Workshop: Building relationship to ensure families involvement and partnership
Purpose/goals of this workshop experience (3–5 sentences or bullet points):
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To outline the importance of relationship and partnership
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To set goals for the success of partnership and relationship
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Challenges the staffs face
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The benefits of building Partnership and relationship with families.
A rationale for why this workshop topic is important:
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The workshop is important because it outlines the goals, benefits, challenges and the
steps taken to ensure there is an effective relationship between the teacher and the
families for the benefit of the children.
Summary of topics that will be covered:
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The goals for the success of building the relationship and partnership
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Steps that need to be followed
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The benefits gained
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The challenges that the staffs face
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Changing the way things are being conducted
Suggestions for practical application:
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Introducing the Frog Street Pre-k program
© Laureate Education, Inc
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Conducting discussions
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Creation of field activities
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Conducting Meetings
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Engaging the children in question and answer activities
Overview of factors which the teaching staff may find challenging during implementation:
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Balancing the learning need
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meet both parents and children goals
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Being criticized
At least two articles or websites you recommend to staff annotated to provide an overview of
each and a rationale for your recommendation:
Epstein et al. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action.
Corwin Press.
Nitecki, E. (2015). Integrated School-Famil...