Temperature Check 1

Chapter 10 Page 279

Someone observed that more chidren fail in the teacher’s lounge than in the classroom. Discuss this observation in relation to the information you’ve learned about teacher expetations.

Chileren fail in the teachers lounge because of teacher expectations. When a family has a disabled member, a traditional way of looking at the family is from a stage theory or the greeif process. However, many families do not go through the stages of shock, denial, blame, guilt, depression, anger, and bargaining. The life-span or life-cycle is another view focusing on a families progression of events and transitions through time. A current approach is the family systems theory approach. Here, the intraction of members affects each other member. Problems are resolved by looking at the system as a whole. Factors such as, characteristics, culture, socioeconomic status, beliefs, boundries, strengtha and challenges. These vary among individual families. Looking at families from a systems approach will help a teacher understand their expectations for their child.

Varations in how a family defines a disability are realated to culture or backgrund. This definition may be in opposition to the school personell’s defintion. Family systems model should be taken into account when intervening with a family and should be individual with the familiy’s unique needs.

The behavioral expectations and discipline style that teachers and families hold for a child may difer greatly. Without this understanding, a child may be seen as a behavior problem by a teacher.

Expecting a family with limited English proficiency to work with a child at home when the family is ecomfortanle with speaking English, is counterproductive. Acedemic progress is enhanced with minority language communication and teacher’s should encourage parents I this area.

The way a teacher views parental involvement may affect his/her expectations of a student. Valueing parental input on any level, offering variety of options may enocourage parents to become involved. Teacher’s expectations can be helped when they understand the whole famly and it’s value perspectives its culture.

What expectations that teachers have their own role and that of the familiey should to be evaluated. Teachers need to approach parents on a personal level with equal respect and status. They should know their own cultural and biases. Looking at the whole family and not just the SES or material conditions. Empathy and assurance towards parents will help to keepthe lines of communication open. Teacher’s should extend and invitation in oral and written forms. Conferences, home visits, interviews, parental educational programs will empower families and increase family/school interactions.

Language, culture and diversity need to be considered, as well as the student’s disability when planning activities and services. Multicultural education programs should offer developmentally appropriate instruction and successful opportunities for all students. Good teaching requires that teaches build on the student’s cultural heratige. It also requires that teachers become competent in the areas of skills, knowledge and attitudes.