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I don't get this hostility either. When my daughter was in first grade, the teachers made a home visit. This was 19 years ago. My friends and I thought it was pretty neat.
Sounds like a lot of extra, most likely uncompensated, extra work for teachers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigskydude
I experienced my very first Teacher Home Visit this morning, and I'm failing to see or otherwise understand just exactly what it is my sons school is trying to accomplish, other than being just intrusive.
The Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project, IMHO, is a fail ..
I fail to see how this would "increase student attendance" .. other than putting the fear of the CPS into the hearts and the minds of neglectful/non-neglectful parents ..
Our son has tested slightly above average already .. even before this home visit .. so I fail to see the point of it all when they say that these visits increase student test scores.
Decreased suspension and or expulsion rates? .. Pah-lease .. CPS again comes to mind.
Decreased Vandalism at the school site? .. um .. no connection there either.
Building a good relationship between family and school can't happen when things like this are forced upon the home .. The website claims it's own success in that it might exist in only 11 states .. it also touts the fact that school districts are fairly lazy in how they administer the mandate of informing the parents of the childs progress at school .. it's cheap .. and easy .. for the school district .. but overly intrusive for the family IMO.
I see the potential for success with regard to this program only inasmuch as the parents and children are threatened by the law .. Forced acceptance of a concept under any circumstance is wrong, regardless of how well intended it might be.
When I read this report in the Bozeman Chronicle, I can't help but come away with the notion that school attendance increased more as a result of the fear instilled into the parents and the kids by the authorities, than that the teachers actually cared.
Teachers, IMO, are too motivated by the Dept of Education, and it's mandates, to care much at all about anything other than breaking those laws or mandates.
You can't educate anyone .. whether it be kids, or parents, or even teachers, when you fear that the mandate may rear it's ugly head at any moment ..
What are your thoughts? .. Does your school district force the Home Visit concept?
I cannot tell you as a teacher how little I want to go to a child's home. But I have been invited on several occasions to attend a last dinner before they leave for college, a graduation party, or another celebratory event. I do not usually like to go to those but for the sake of the student's I go. I cannot remotely fathom what makes parents think teachers WANT to go to even more awkward meetings like the one the OP suggested.
When my daughter was about to start K her teacher made home visits. I didn't give it a second thought. We lived in rural WV and the teacher was my aunts best friend. My daughter thought it was great to have her teacher come to her house. The teacher brought a little gift bag with crayons and stickers. We had coffee and banana bread. She stayed for only 20 minutes or so. My daughter is now in 7th grade and no other teachers have wanted to come to our home. I thought it was just a nice welcome to school thing?
What are your thoughts? .. Does your school district force the Home Visit concept?
The responses to this are crazy. You don't want to "let the teacher into your home?" Seriously? But you'll trust them with your kid every day?
I used to be a teacher, and we had one home visit per year. It was incredibly valuable. No one was forced to let us in, though. We were not supposed to enter the home, and had to go in teams. Nevertheless, we sometimes had to go in in order not to offend parents who absolutely insisted. Most people were very friendly, but there were always a few clearly didn't want us there. It never made any sense to me. Here we were trying to get to know people, see where the kids live, get a first hand sense of the family to help us better understand the kid, and then these parents treated us like we were selling something they didn't want.
The home visit was a great chance to connect with the parents and children on a more personal level. It also can give the student a chance to see the teacher on their "home turf." It really did help us in many ways. A student's home environment has so much influence on them, that understanding how they live helps teachers teach better. We never went with any intention of instilling fear into anyone (obviously you don't realize teachers are at the very bottom of the totem pole, below parents and everyone else). I really enjoyed meeting the families. There was no ulterior motive, as you seem to think.
But, of course, if you want to close yourself off, treat the teacher like a potential murderer, and completely disregard the opportunity to help your child have a better school year, a more understanding teacher, and ultimately a better educational experience, then you certainly can do that. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities throughout the year to refuse to communicate with the teacher and to ignore his/her efforts to foster a good parent/teacher relationship....and if you just keep up your current attitude of petty indignation and mistrust you can ensure that your child will reap none of the benefits the teacher and schools are trying to so hard to confer on him/her. Then you can enjoy blaming schools and teachers for not doing enough for your child.
Oh, and let me add that visiting all 50 kids on two teachers rolls took an entire day and well into the evening. And it was without pay, in our own cars, with our own gas.
If this is voluntary I can see where it would be very beneficial.
If this were mandatory I'd be telling Big Brother to get off my lawn. (And I'd probably turn this into a lesson for my kids on their rights as citizens of the United States. Maybe a quick talk on the Civil Rights Movement and civil disobedience in the 60's.)
I feel bad for the teachers since some people are not stable or friendly. And as someone who really don't like having people over it would be awkward for me. I completely understand the idea behind the 'community' thing and working together but these are not the good old days where everyone knew everyone else in town and don't see that it can be applied everywhere in todays society. I did have a teacher over for dinner once when I was in elementary school and she later left her job when she got married...things were different.
Having someone from a school go to a home to evaluate whether it is a fit home for a parent hardly sound like someone trying to build a partnership.
Where do you get that the teacher is there to, "evaluate whether it is a fit home" ? I think the intent is to get to know the child's family better to enhance the teaching experience for both the child and the teacher and to help the parents understand what the teacher's goals are.
I think it's a nice idea, but would never fly in Pennsylvania. Our unions would not allow anything like that.
BTW, this thread was moved from the politics and other controversy forum, which should explain the first few pages of rage.
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