Cultivate effective partnerships between parents and professionals through honest, respectful and skillful communication The authors draw upon the metaphor of "dance" to better understand the complexities and possibilities of forming partnerships between educators, administrators, early childhood providers, therapists, support staff, other professionals, and parents of children with disabilities. This revised edition of Do You Hear What I Hear? Parents and Professionals Working Together for Children With Special Needs is rich with stories, examples, and practical insights. This book, written from both the parent's and the professional's points of view, provides a developmental approach to understanding and forging positive adult relationships, while also providing concrete ways to advocate for children. The authors' years of experience as successful consultants, trainers, and educators lends this helpful resource a deep sense of realism and compassion. They remind the reader of how essential the parent-professional partnership is-and why it IS a dance that matters. Key features include: Practical insights and evidence-based approaches to forming partnerships Easy-to-read, non-technical language that speaks to both the heart and the mind Sample letters and other forms of communication shared between professionals and parents Stories and examples of real-world conversations between parents and professionals Effective ways to handle difficult situations Rich with humor and heart, this highly readable book offers helpful steps for self reflection, personnel preparation, and parent-professional training. Educators and parents will find expert guidance for listening to each other's music, trying out each other's dance steps, and working toward a new dance that includes contributions from all-with the ultimate reward of seeing children achieve their highest potential.
Improving the quality and effectiveness of relationships with families is a key concern for all those working in education. Here, Rita Cheminais provides an evaluation framework that will enable practitioners to review current practice, and further enhance and develop their partnership working with families. Six key themes of family partnership working are explored: - ethos, vision and policy - leadership, management and co-ordination - communication and information sharing - partnership in practice - early intervention - effectiveness. Guidance on auditing your own work and action planning is included, and the book provides a range of practical resources which are available to download from the SAGE website. This a vital handbook for those working with the Birth to 19 age range in Children's Centres, primary and secondary schools, special schools, academies, Pupil Referral Units and Further Education colleges.
Improving the quality and effectiveness of relationships with families is a key concern for all those working in education. Here, Rita Cheminais provides an evaluation framework that will enable practitioners to review current practice, and further enhance and develop their partnership working with families. Six key themes of family partnership working are explored: - ethos, vision and policy - leadership, management and co-ordination - communication and information sharing - partnership in practice - early intervention - effectiveness. Guidance on auditing your own work and action planning is included, and the book provides a range of practical resources which are available to download from the SAGE website. This a vital handbook for those working with the Birth to 19 age range in Children's Centres, primary and secondary schools, special schools, academies, Pupil Referral Units and Further Education colleges.
"Establishing school-family-community partnerships to promote the social, emotional, and academic learning of students is the most important challenge for 21st-century education. In this volume, leading practitioners and researchers compellingly convey the rationale and inspiration for these partnerships. They also share many practical, innovative, and effective strategies that readers can readily implement to engage partners in raising knowledgeable, responsible, caring, and contributing children." -Roger P. Weissberg, Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor University of Illinois at Chicago Making schooling a community endeavor! Because schools are the heart and soul of a community, educational leaders have a responsibility to bring the community into the school, as well as to make the school a part of the surrounding community. This volume in the Soul of Educational Leadership series goes beyond administrative skills to examine educators' pivotal role of leading family and community involvement in school success. With articles written by leading authorities and practitioners in the field, this resource discusses how school leaders can build successful family and community partnerships that flourish even in trying circumstances and over time. Readers will find: Contributions from Alan M. Blankstein, Pedro A. Noguera, Mavis G. Sanders, Paul D. Houston, Edward H. Moore, and others Inspiring and unique perspectives on the interplay of family and community in school success Ideas for engaging families as partners
Supporting teachers in building partnerships with families and the broader community This comprehensive text helps prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to build and sustain family, school, and community partnerships that are vital to student success. Focusing on grades preK-8, and with a particular emphasis on diverse families and learners, this book helps teachers to overcome barriers, create action plans, and sustain partnerships over time. Key Features Chapters provide a contemporary, culturally relevant approach that guides teachers to devise strategies that celebrate cultural, linguistic, and academic diversity. Case studies present multiple perspectives from teachers, students, and community members. Readers are asked to reflect upon the cases, analyze real-life situations, and apply chapter content to each case. "Notes from the Classroom" include personal observations and strategies from teachers that enhance the reader's experience. "How To" sections show how to develop an action plan or seek outside funding. Planning sheets are included to provide the sequence of specific steps. Student Study Site Free resources will help you prepare for class and exams! Open-access study materials include chapter-specific interactive self-quizzes, vocabulary e-flashcards, recommended Web sites, and "Learning From SAGE Journal Articles." Visit the Student Study Site at www.sagepub.com/coxpetersen. Instructor Teaching Site Instructors have access to the following password-protected resources: a test bank with sortable questions, PowerPoint slides for each chapter, recommended Web sites, ample syllabi, and teaching tips.
"Taking your school from great to greater-this compelling book gives you tools to use with staff for reflecting on and refining professional practices. You and your team will find tools for taking learners to the next level of improvement!" -Lynn A. Kaszynski, Principal Harrison Street Elementary School, Sunbury, OH Networked learning communities: A powerful school improvement strategy for school leaders! Ideal for school leaders and superintendents leading change efforts, this book describes how separate professional learning communities can be linked across schools by common instructional and learning issues to create dynamic networked learning communities (NLCs). Drawing on their work with schools throughout North America and England, Steven Katz, Lorna M. Earl, and Sonia Ben Jaafar show how participants in NLCs can share professional knowledge that ultimately improves performance at the school and district level. Through a sample school narrative, the book illustrates how NLCs can significantly enhance instruction, increase student performance, and empower local professional learning communities. This resource examines: Collaborative inquiry as a process that challenges teachers' thinking, generates new learning, and fosters trusting relationships The development of formal and informal leadership roles in NLCs How NLCs support systematic data analysis and accountability Demonstrating how NLCs-small or large, local or statewide-can promote critical reforms while strengthening the work of individual professional learning communities, this invaluable resource reveals how educators can join forces across school and district boundaries to generate deep, meaningful, and sustainable change.
Ideal for school leaders, teacher leaders, and superintendents leading district-level change, this book describes how separate professional learning communities can be purposefully linked across schools to create effective Networked Learning Communities (NLCs). Steven Katz, Lorna M. Earl, and Sonia Ben Jaafar demonstrate how NLCs can effectively engage schools in creating and sharing professional knowledge and develop the kind of deep and sustained changes that enhance student learning, engagement, and success.Based on the authorsAE research and work with districts and schools in North America and England, the book defines NLCs, explains how they work, and leads readers in examining:The importance of having a clear, evidence-based focusCollaborative inquiry as a process that challenges thinking and practice and generates new learning for teachersThe role of formal and informal leaders in both professional learning communities and networked learning communitiesBuilding and Connecting Learning Communities demonstrates how to work together to create the conditions for focused professional learning for teachers and tackles the challenge of how to sustain the work of NLCs.
"As a school administrator and teacher, I have learned that parents are our most valuable asset. This book provides tremendous lessons to help school personnel maximize this priceless resource and positively impact the lives of students and families. Thank you, Marlyn, for a wealth of ideas and strategies for parents and teachers across the nation!" -Lindsey Pollock, Principal Houston Independent School District, TX Discover strategies for positive partnering with all parents-even the difficult ones! This must-have resource helps educators work effectively with all parents, even the most difficult ones, and prevent problems before they happen. Maryln Appelbaum offers targeted strategies, solutions, and skills to establish positive and harmonious relationships with all parents, overcome adversity, enhance the home-school connection, and boost student performance. How to Handle Hard-to-Handle Parents helps develop specific skills for communicating with all parents, including parents who are difficult, angry, overprotective, or overbearing. Packed with sample forms, letters, scenarios, and vignettes, plus techniques for involving families whose first language is not English, this guide helps educators: Establish relationships with parents of all backgrounds Recognize, and work with, characteristics of difficult people Be proactive in getting parents to cooperate and follow through at home Conduct expert parent conferences Handle all types of parents, including "Know-It-All's," "Blamers," "Helicopter Parents," and more Indispensable for teachers, school leaders, counselors, and all educators, this will become a much-referenced resource for building cooperative parent-teacher relationships that positively impact students' academic success.
'This book would be excellent for anyone thinking of taking on the role of home/support worker or someone already in this post who would like to refresh their ideas and views. The book would also be of interest to those who want further insight into the complex role of the home/support worker' - Nasen's Special 'This book uses case studies across a range of ages to give practical advice on best practice when working with children and their parents in conjunction with other professionals....[T]he book contains much value to both class teachers and headteachers' - Headteacher Update 'This realistic and wide-ranging book supports the work of a growing number of school-based support staff' - Extended Schools Update 'This book helpfully covers the broad range of issues that home-school workers are likely to negotiate on a day to day basis. They give a realistic account of the challenges of working with parents from a school context, outlining a range of approaches, interventions, case studies and information to help practitioners provide effective support.' - Jo Hook, Transition Information Sessions (TIS) Consultant - Family and Parenting Institute With the opening of Children's Centres and the implementation of the Every Child Matters agenda, multi-agency working is now a reality. This book will provide advice and guidance on successful strategies to employ when working with parents and interdisciplinary staff. Using case studies to illustrate best practice across a range of age groups, the book looks at strategies for dealing with the effects of the following issues on children: o domestic violence o bereavement and loss o learning difficulties and special educational needs o neglect and poverty o anger and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties o addictions within the family. There is advice on working directly with children and examples are cited from children from 0 to 19. This book is an essential read for all those involved in the education and care of children.
