LearningfromandwithParentsHomeVisitsandtheCo‐creationofa‘Kinder’GardenJenniferHeinrichsB.Ed M.Ed.

JenniferHeinrichs• B.Ed.(1996),M.Ed.(2015)• Educatorfor18yearsteachingmostlyKindergartenbutalsoK‐8Libraryandgrade5&6Music

• NewVicePrincipalforStobartCommunitySchool,DuckLake,Sk

ParentEngagementonandofftheSchoolLandscape• HomeVisitsResearch,ProfessionalandPersonal

• Parent’svoice:Recordedconversationswithparents

• HowIco‐createdagardenwithmykindergartenstudentsandtheirfamilies

• Learningfromagarden

• WhyitisimportanttohavethisconversationwithBoardMembers

WhyHomeVisits?• Workingalongsideallparentsprovideshighqualityeducationforall

• AHomeVisitbeginstobuildarelationshipbuiltonmutualtrust

• “The elementary school teacher, in particular, should visit the home of all of her or his students to be cognizant of each child’s strengths and weaknesses and to build a partnership with the parents”(Jeynes, 2006, 2010a, 2010b, as cited in Jeynes, 2011, p. 12).

• Effectiveteachingbeginswithbuildingstrongrelationships

• Jeynes, W.H. (2011). Parental involvement research: Moving to the next level. The School Community Journal, 21(1), 9-18.

WhatisParentEngagement?

Parentinvolvementvs.Parentengagement

• Parentinvolvement=workingwithintheschool’sagenda

• Parentengagement=workingalongsideoneanother,areciprocalbeneficialrelationship(Pushor 2010)

Pushor,D.(2010).Areschoolsdoingenoughtolearnaboutfamilies?InM.MillerMarsh&T.Turner‐Vorbeck (Eds.),(Mis)Understandingfamilies:Learningfromrealfamiliesinourschools(pp.4‐16).NewYork,NY:TeachersCollegePress.

LearningFromFamilies• Dispellingassumptions

• Deficitthinkingvs.Strength‐basedthinking,Flessa,Gallagher‐Mackay,andCiuffetelli Parker(2010)

Flessa,J.,Gallagher‐Mackay,K.,&Ciuffetelli Parker,D.C.(2010).“Good,steadyprogress”:SuccessstoriesfromOntarioelementaryschoolsinchallengingcircumstances. CanadianJournalofEducationalAdministrationandPolicy,101,2‐38.

Regardlessofincomeleveloreducationbackground,allfamiliescan—anddo—supporttheirchildren’ssuccess…Whenschoolsengagefamiliesinwaysthatarelinkedtoimprovinglearning,studentsmakegreatergains.Whenfamiliesareengagedinpositiveways,ratherthanlabeledasproblems,schoolscanbetransformedfromplaceswhereonlycertainstudentsprospertooneswhereallchildrendowell.(Henderson,Mapp,Johnson,&Davies,2007,p.3)

Henderson,A.T.,Mapp,K.L.,Johnson,V.R.,&Davies,D.(2007).Beyondthebakesale:Theessentialguidetofamily‐schoolpartnerships.NewYork,NY:TheNewPress.

BenefitsofHomeVisits• Research(Meyer,Mann,Becker,2011)

• Teacherslearnaboutstudents’backgroundsandhomelife• Providesamorepersonalandcomfortablesettinginwhichtogettoknowindividualchildrenandtheirfamilies

• Improvesattitudesofbothstudentsandparentstowardstheteacherandtheschool

Meyer,Mann,&Becker.(2011).Afive‐yearfollow‐up:Teachers’perceptionsofthebenefitsofhomevisitsforearlyelementarychildren.EarlyChildhoodEducation,39,191‐196.

Teacher/StudentBenefits

• Rememberingmyownhomevisit• Creatinganeasiertransitiontoschool• Developingrelationships• CompelledtosharethiswithcolleaguesinSchool

Division

BenefitsforParents:LearningFromCassandra

• Hearinga“Family’sStory”vs.hearing“Storiesoffamilies”(Huber,Graham,OrrandReid,2010)

• Benefitforchildandparent• HonoringFamilyKnowledge

“…walkalongsideparentsforthetimewearewiththemtosupporttheminachievingtheirlife’sworkfortheirchild”(Pushor,2013)Huber,J.,Graham,D.,Murray Orr,A.,&Reid,N.(2010).Literatureconversationsforinquiringintotheinfluenceoffamilystoriesonteacheridentities.InM.MillerMarsh&

T.Turner‐Vorbeck (Eds.),(Mis)Understandingfamilies:Learningfromrealfamiliesinourschools(pp.79‐94).NewYork,NY:TeachersCollegePress.

Pushor,D.(2013).Bringingintobeingacurriculumofparents.InD.Pushor &theParentEngagementCollaborative,Portalsofpromise:Transformingbeliefsandpracticesthroughacurriculumofparents(pp.5‐19).Rotterdam,NL:SensePublishers.

OvercomingFears• Parents‐ itisimportanttomakethatfirstinitialphonecallorcontactwhenaparentcomestoschool

• Administration/Teachers

• “Ourstudentsgothereeveryday.Whycan’twe?”(Brizard,ascitedinMatthews2011)

• Focusonthechild“Thebestwaytocommunicateempathyforparents,andtokeepthechildinfocus,istominetheparent’swisdomabouttheirchild”(Lawrence‐Lightfoot,2003)

Mathews,J.(2011,April18).Shouldteachersvisitstudenthomes?TheWashingtonPost.Retrievedfrom,http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class‐struggle/post/should‐teachers‐visit‐student‐homes/2011/08/17/gIQApbzoMJ_blog.html

Lawrence‐Lightfoot,S.(2003).Theessentialconversation:Whatparentsandteacherscanlearnfromeachother.NewYork,NY:RandomHouse.

InformingCurricula

• Includingallculturesandkindsoffamilies

• Invitingparentsintoteachalongsidetheteacher

Eng, C. (2013). Rethinking practice: Families representing themselves. In D. Pushor & the Parent Engagement Collaborative. (2013). Portals of promise: Transforming beliefs and practices through a curriculum of parents (pp.  193‐203). Rotterdam, NL: Sense Publishers.

Theimportanceforboardmembers

•Supportivepolicies,timeallotment,safetymeasures,budget….Butnotobstacles

Questions

TheCo‐creationofa‘Kinder’gardenJenniferHeinrichsB.Ed M.Ed

“Schoolsandearlychildhoodsettingshavebothanopportunityandanobligationtoadvocateforchildrenandnature”.BanningandSullivan(2011)

Letusteachthemtolovethenaturalworld,beforeweaskthemtohealit’swounds.Gruenewald(2003)

Banning,W.,&Sullivan,G.(2011).Lensonoutdoorlearning.St.PaulMN:Redleaf Press.

Gruenewald,D.A.(2003).Thebestofbothworlds:Acriticalpedagogyofplace.EducationalResearcher,32(4).Retrievedfromhttp://www.pieducators.com/files/Critical‐Pedagogy‐of‐Place.pdf

ConnectingourchildrentoourbelovedprairiesLinktoYoutube

Whatisthisareafor?

NothingIt’sonlyforbabiesThere’snothingfunforkidsThere’snothinghere

Whatcanwedowiththisspacetomakeitbetter?

Howwouldcocreatingakindergartenoutdoorlearningspaceintegratecurriculumandextendchildren’slearning?

WeaskedforhelpfromourcommunityWewrotealettertoacommunitymember:

DearMr.H,

Wearebuildingagarden.Canyoupleasegiveussomeofyourgravelanddirt?Wehave$200topayforit.Wewouldlovetohearfromyou.

From,

Kindergarten

• Herespondedbydonatingeverythingweneeded!

IntegratingCurriculum• Math,Phys.Ed. • Science,ELA,

OurKindergarden,Fall2013

Whatwelearnedfromourgarden….

Working….

Playing…

Playing andLearning…

Discovering…

Children’slearning:• Developedasenseofwonderandawe,acultureofinquiry

• Collaboration,cooperation,workingasateam

• Watchedthemiracleofvegetableproductionfromseedtovegetable

• Gainedanunderstandingoftheimportanceofgardencreatures,earthworms,ladybugs,beesandbutterflies

• Learnedplantsarelivingandbreathingandrequirecareandattention

• Asenseofprideinaccomplishingataskthatwasplannedoutandcompletedtogether

Communityconnections….andfutureplans• Communitymemberscomplimentedthebeautyofthegardenandofferedtohelpcareforit

• Peoplearestillaskingiftheycandonateperennials,seedsandgardensuppliestous

• Expansionofthe‘Kinder’garden tocreateamuchlargeroutdoorplayandexplorationareaadjacenttoit

• Parents,Grandparents,TheAffinityCreditUnion,Divisionoffice

ImportanceforBoardmembers

• Policiesthatsupportthecreationofgreenspace

• Supportingcommunities,facilitystaff,andschoolstocreateandmaintaingreenspaces

Questions

Thankyou!

OurGardenJune30,2015