Engaging parents and the community in the development and education of young children is essential. The involvement of each party will assist in educational decision-making, encouraging appropriate responsiveness to the needs of the children. The second-grade class profile reviews students’ diverse needs, demographics, and strengths. Schoolchildren have different ways of learning and coping with the teaching techniques used in school. These differences are often reflected in their academic result or their cooperation. Therefore, parents and the communities of these children should elucidate the areas of concern and how well these challenges can be addressed. Parents often know better what approach and training will serve the interests of their children to attain superior outcomes. Moreover, ethical considerations are necessary for creating this plan because they build trust and respect between the teachers and the community. The proposed plan for the second-grade children will incorporate the strategies and opportunities that the parents, volunteers, teachers, and the community can engage in improving students’ learning experience.
Methods of Communication
Effective communication between parents and teachers is paramount in an effective prospective plan. Parent involvement is constantly ranked as one of the highest constituents to the making of a successful education system. The survey results of one school in Macedonia showed that a predominant number of parents preferred the traditional one-way method of communication (Popovska et al., 2021). This method of communication refers to the direct participation of the parents and the school administration in the students’ activities. This form of interaction can make parents feel involved in the school’s activities. Since many guardians or parents do not always have the time to attend meetings, an indirect form of communication may also be considered. Connecting using technology can be a way that will allow making busy parents to feel involved.
Rationale
Considering the class profile information, half the students have internet access at home while the other half do not. This plan would incorporate both direct and indirect forms of communication to ensure flexibility. Some parents are more compelled to have an in-person communication system with the teachers and get their feedback immediately. These direct forms of interaction include organized monthly meetings, written report cards, and an advisory corner for teachers and parents. Direct contact breeds mutual interest and helps to resolve misunderstandings instantly. Furthermore, the importance of mutual respect and following moral principles during these meetings cannot be overstated. On the other hand, other parents may decide that an indirect method of communication will be more convenient for them; therefore, communication using technology such as sending emails or Zoom and WhatsApp calls should be considered. Since the main goal is to promote partnership between teachers, families, and the community, incorporating these two methods of communication is recommended. Combining in-person communication as well as using communication software as a follow-up strategy will ensure that all parents and guardians are engaged in the program.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer programs within the classroom for the parents and the community will fulfill various needs and ensure cooperation. According to Malluhi and Alomran (2019), for parents to be actively involved in school activities, they need to be encouraged to participate in volunteering in their children’s classrooms. Indeed, volunteer programs may help a working parent to be more involved in a child’s education without compromising their work by providing flexible schedules.
Rationale
The program should have a clear mission statement that the parents and the community comply with and which helps build a connection with the teaching staff. Furthermore, there should be the goals that this program strives to achieve. For instance, this volunteer program promotes a safe and positive learning environment with supportive interactions. Some examples of volunteer programs that can be initiated are helping to tutor struggling students, checking out and returning books to the library, assisting in organizing classroom events, assembling students’ portfolios, and monitoring outdoor recesses. If a student is found to have low grades, one should receive educational support from a group of volunteers. Parents or community members strong in the subject they struggle with can tutor these schoolchildren. These activities are diverse and flexible enough to accommodate the different schedules and skills of the parents. Each volunteer program will have an organized group where the training for executing these plans will occur. Notably, weekly meetings should be arranged for follow-up and feedback.
Crisis Response
A family emergency or crisis is always stressful for children, and these situations may affect their performance in school. The positive youth development theory is centered on the idea that plasticity is the strength of human development where a system of relationships and environments contributes to progress (Mackova et al., 2019). Realizing that each child has a unique background will provide a standard for the necessary ground rules for making this plan on how to handle a family crisis.
According to the class profile, most students are from low and medium-income households, and the reading performance level of these students is either at grade level or a year above that level. To this report, some parents are facing challenges amid the economic pressures, so they try to find additional jobs to earn more money to cover family expenses. Nevertheless, if an emergency occurs, this income may be insufficient to repay medical or surgical treatment bills. The proposed approach to such situations is to create a fund where community and wealthy donors may contribute. This fund will be able to provide financial aid to families in need.
Rationale
Since the family crisis is a delicate topic, it should be addressed with more empathy because children of low-income backgrounds, who represent most of the class, may be sensitive to external intervention. Therefore, students themselves should be encouraged to manage the promotional campaigns for the fund to attract more donations. Moreover, during every emergency, it is crucial to respect the privacy of the affected children and their families. For example, a private therapy program to assist students who cannot recover from a traumatic event or crisis can be established in schools. This program should emphasize the families’ role to avoid the emotional withdrawal of a child from one’s parents. Overall, understanding that the children’s well-being is a collective responsibility of parents, teachers, and the community will prevent more severe long-term sequelae of emergencies for their mental and physical health.
Sharing Community Resources
This plan is focused on using the available and additional resources to assist in attaining the goal of improving education in a selected group of students. The leading resource is the parents and the community members. The participation of parents and guardians in children’s education will ensure safety, help complete some routine tasks, and provide free tutoring. In addition, the community can be included in fundraising events to improve the school facilities and contribute to the abovementioned family emergency fund.
Rationale
The school is an integral part of a community; hence, developing relationships with its members is essential for students’ well-being, development, and adequate maturation. Furthermore, the school can use the community’s culture to influence the schoolchildren’s learning. According to the class profile, the ethnicity of the class is diverse and comprises black, white, and Hispanic students. Organizing politically and culturally neutral activities will encourage positive communication between these ethnicities.
References
Mackova, J., Dankulincova Veselska, Z., Filakovska Bobakova, D., Madarasova Geckova, A., van Dijk, J., & Reijneveld, S. (2019). Crisis in the family and positive youth development: The role of family functioning.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(10), 1-11.
Malluhi, H., & Alomran, N. (2019). Family volunteers as future alternative resources: School leaders’ beliefs and practices. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 14(10), 1-115.
Popovska, N., Popovski, F., & Dimova, P. (2021). Communication strategies for strengthening the parent-teacher relationships in the primary schools. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 10(14), 123-134.