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ENGAGING IN HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTIONS 1

Running head: ENGAGING IN HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTIONS

What Happens When ELL Students and Their Families Engage in Home-School Connections?

Christine Gibler

University of Missouri – Columbia

Spring 2010


Introduction

The rain pours down as the buses and cars pull up to the school. You can see the children

preparing themselves through the windows. Hoods are thrown over heads and umbrellas are

pulled up to the ready position. A lone woman in a rain coat with a giant umbrella walks up to

the cars and opens the door for the child. As the child shoots out like a rocket you can hear her

exclaim “Good morning, Johnny!” and you can see a broad smile across her face. The parent

responds for the child, “Thank you, Mrs. Borduin. How are you this morning?”

I volunteer at Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School (Grant) in the Columbia K-12 Public

School District. The school prides itself on their diversity and sense of community. Every

morning, the principal greets the children and parents outside the school, rain or shine, and the

teachers stay around the playground after school to converse with the parents as they pick up

their children. Parents and the community are strongly encouraged to be a part of the school.

Grant gladly accepts parent and community volunteers as well as hosting community events. As

of January2009 the Refugee and Immigration Services in Columbia had enrolled 50 refugee

students into the Columbia Public School District. Grant Elementary has the second largest

group of refugee students, with 12 students enrolled in 2009.

Grant is the oldest school in Columbia, MO. It stands in the heart of downtown Columbia

and the teachers work closely with the University of Missouri's faculty and students. Grant is a

smaller school and had 313 students enrolled in the 2008-2009 school year. Grant has a very

diverse student population and has students from 27 different countries. According to the

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MODESE), in 2008 the


demographic data break down consisted of 12.1% Asian, 21.4 % Black, 5% Hispanic, 61.6%

White, and 32.8% Free/Reduced Lunch.

I currently hold a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of

Missouri – Columbia. I love volunteer work and during my second year of undergraduate

courses I volunteered as an English Language Learner (ELL) tutor at a local Hispanic center.

This activity changed my plans for my future. My passion for teaching English to these students

leads me to a degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). I plan to

teach elementary level ELL students when I have completed my graduate program. In 2008,

during my undergraduate Senior Year On Site Program with the University of Missouri, I was

placed in a 2nd grad classroom at Grant Elementary. It was the teachers, diversity and community

that drew me back for my graduate classroom research. During that time I met the ELL teacher,

Peg Hurley. This year I work with a group of 5th grade English Language Learners in Peg

Hurley's classroom. Over the course of the year, we had 10 total students in this group from 6

different countries; Mongolia, South Korea, Tanzania, Burundi, Saudi Arabia, and Libya.

Literature Review

It takes a whole village to raise a child and it takes parent-teacher involvement to improve

that child’s education. Working together provides a cohesive support system for our students. I

have always held an interest in how life outside of the classroom affects my students when they

are inside the classroom. Their culture and family life affects who they are. ELL students are

often placed into two very different cultures at home and at school. The language and culture

barrier can be hard on both students and families. The ultimate goal of parent-teacher

interactions is creating productive communications.

Obstacles


Some ELL classrooms may have refugee students. Refugee students are “children whose

education has been interrupted by war, who speak little or no English, and who may have

experienced unimaginable trauma” (Harrison, 2000, p. 2). Civil war and poverty interrupts much

of the educational process of refugee students. “All children who have experienced trauma, even

those who seem to be managing well, need messages of reassurance from adults, expressed

through words or actions, and teachers are in an excellent position to offer that support”

(Harrison, 2000, p. 3).

Refugee parents face difficult decisions and the realization that their new opportunities

are embedded in a social and cultural environment that is very different from their own (Atwell

& Gifford, 2009, p. 677). “Within refugee families, as adults focus on employment, learning

English, and taking care of the family’s basic needs, the lives of the children can go unattended”

(Tuchman, 2002, p. 2). It is important to reach out to the parents and provide support through

communication. The students are not only learning curriculum but also a brand new language

and how to function in an academic setting.

Teachers may face many other barriers when trying to connect with parents. Some

parents of ELL students are facing language and cultural barriers that can make them feel lost or

uncomfortable communicating with teachers (Guo, 2006, p. 83). Although not all ELL parents

have a language barrier to overcome, refugee parents and new immigrant families may face this

battle. Just like their children, the parents may have little to no English experience. Parents also

may have had an unpleasant or disrupted experience with schools in their lifetime. They may

have negative feelings toward school or even be anxious about coming to school.

Unfortunately some teachers can also create new barriers by holding a bias attitude. Not

all cultures view educational involvement in the same way and a teacher may misinterpret the

actions of a parent. It can create a barrier in communication if “teachers misunderstand the lack

of parent involvement as indicating a lack of interest and concern about what the children are


studying” (Guo, 2006, p. 84). If teachers make an uneducated judgment of a parent it can create

walls in communication.

Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are an important part of home-school communication. Parent

conferences are an integral tool in providing productive discussions and can be a window to how

learning occurs best (Metcalf, 2002, p. 25).

According to Luann, Reyes-Blanes, Peel, and Lane (1998):

Conferences with parents are appropriate and necessary throughout the school year. In

general, there are two types of conferences: casual and purposeful. The casual conference

provides the opportunity of exchanging information and building rapport in an informal

setting. The purposeful conference, on the other hand, is more formal, with a specific

goal and in a structured environment. In both types of conferences, it is important for the

teacher to be sensitive and respond adequately to diversity among parents and to

encourage an accepting climate for interaction. (p. 142)

Conferences are important throughout the year. Hill and Flynn (2006) advise teachers to

encourage parent questions, inform parents of strategies and assessments, and plan follow-up

conferences to stay abreast of children’s progress.

It is important that teachers prepare before, during and after a parent-teacher conference

(Robertson, 2007, p. 1). It is recommended to make a personal connection with the parents,

encourage them to participate and make an appointment for a conference. One way to inform the

parents of a conference is to have “students create and take home individual invitations. Because

these personal invitations are student creations, they have a better chance of reaching home and

being seen by parents than announcements in school-produced fliers or newsletters” (Stevens &


Tollafield, 2003, p. 522). Establishing roles and responsibilities can help avoid confusion and

miscommunication between parents and teachers (Heaston & Plevyak, 2001, p. 770).

Keeping conferences comfortable, providing sample documents and expectations, and

allowing time for discussion and questions and can help a conference progress smoothly. “Every

child has a strength that a teacher can state. Some simple preparation and planning can help keep

a conference focused on the specific goals a teacher wishes to accomplish” (Stevens &

Tollafield, 2003, p. 523). When a teacher is worried about the possibility of a negative

conference it is recommended that the teacher begin with a sincere complement. “One of the

most important things about a parent-teacher conference is the development of a partnership

between the teacher and the parents” (Robertson, 2007, p. 1). At the end of a conference it is

recommended that teachers create an action plan with the parents; the action plan is where

decisions are made about the future (Brandt, 2003, p. 162). After the conference, teachers should

continue with the positive communication. Teachers can send home a note to thank the parent for

coming and follow up with reports on positive student progress.

When working with ELL students, the use of a translator can help with parent

communication such as translating letters, forms, and conferences. They can also help explain to

the parents how the school system works in this new culture. “Community members are often

willing to volunteer their services as translators or interpreters. If you live near a college or

university, you might be able to locate international students who would be happy to help out

somebody from their own country” (Irujo, 2006, p. 1). Some schools will have a list of

translators that are able to help with parent conferences and meetings.

Parent Involvement

“The role of parent involvement has been increasingly emphasized as an important factor

for both the academic growth of children and the competitive future of the United States”

(Shepard, McKinney, & Trimberger, 1999, p. 17). Hill and Flynn (2006) discuss Joyce Epstein’s


six types of parent and community involvement; these include establishing home support

environments, effective communication designs, organizing volunteer support, providing ideas

for learning at home, including parents in decisions, and identifying community resources.

Asking parents to participate minimally in homework can help both students and parents.

The homework tasks can range from culture projects to reading and writing assignments.

“Involve families with their children in academic learning activities at home including

homework, goal setting, and other curriculum related activities and decisions” (Hill & Flynn,

2006, p. 129). Parents and children can participate in simple, authentic writing tasks at home

such as making lists, notes, diaries, dialog journals, and letters and e-mails (Rasinski & Padak,

2009, p. 618). Sending home short books for students to read to their parents is another way to

involve parents in the learning process. Imperato (2009) suggest giving parents a log sheet where

they can communicate questions and other notes about their work with their children.

“The underlying axiom to the best practice of culturally relevant teaching is that teachers

cannot underestimate the importance of incorporating the lives of the students in the classroom”

(Araujo, 2009, p. 119). School wide events inform the school about other cultures and help the

ELL students celebrate their own native cultures. Culture celebration can be done on a classroom

level as well. Students can work with their parents to prepare a presentation for their class about

their native culture. These activities promote parental involvement in the classroom and help

families celebrate their cultures. “Increasing knowledge about family backgrounds and lifestyles

is essential to improving teacher attitudes and skills for building home-school partnerships”

(Borba, 2009, p.685).

“Issues and processes have equally critical importance for parents of ESL children, who

may face the same transition process with their children and need to be engaged in a process of

discovering appropriate ways to participate competently in supporting children” (Chen & Harris,

2009, p.123). There are many ways to empower our ELL parents in communicating and using


English. Providing access to a teacher’s email and phone number is a basic resource that

provides a direct line of communication. “It is important to maintain communication throughout

the year. Letters, newsletters, and invitations to the class that are translated into the native

language of the home should be made available continuously” (Araujo, 2009, p. 120). Providing

multiple different resources for communication increases your availability to parents. Discussing

which resources work best for the parents will help modify future interactions to create a more

efficient approach.

Conclusion

All parties can benefit from parent involvement. Parent-teacher communication can

improve student participation, grades and motivation. “The development, implementation, and

ultimately, the success of a communication plan needs an investment from all involved parties”

(Heaston & Plevyak, 2001, p. 771).

Methodology

In September, I began my inquiry by taking anecdotal notes on how the students engaged

in the classroom. Some of the students had parents who were low in English proficiency and new

to the school experience. I wanted to see if engaging families would also help to engage the

students. Thus I created my research questions.

Question:

What happens when ELL students and their families engage in home-school connections?

Sub-Questions:

Does communication affect the level of student engagement?


What are the student attitudes toward parent involvement?

To research my questions I used a variety of techniques to collect data for analyzing. I

collected anecdotal notes in my teacher journal, picture surveys, parent interviews, photographs,

and student interviews.

Teacher Journal

I continued my journal throughout the year collecting my observations and reflecting

upon them. I took notes as I observed students work, any time I held a conference with a student,

and after lessons. I would then review my notes and write reflections about what I had observed.

Picture Survey

I also gave the students a picture survey that I created. I wanted to know how they felt

about their parents/guardians communicating with their teachers. The survey asked them to

“draw a picture of your parents talking to your teacher”.

Parent Interviews

Parents are an important part of the research. I transcribed some interviews with parents

to determine how they felt about parent-teacher communication. This information helped me

proceed in a way that benefitted both parents and students. Parents were able to tell me if they

felt welcomed by and comfortable with the classroom. I was able to compare student and parent

attitudes about communication and make decisions based on my findings.

Photographs


I also took digital photographs during class work time. The pictures are of students

working individually, in groups, and with their families. I was able to compare the pictures and

determine if there was any change in the students’ actions, work, or apparent attitude.

Student Interviews

Throughout the year I conducted student interviews to find out how my students felt

about parent involvement and how it was affecting them. During the student interviews I asked

the students questions such as “do your parents talk to you about school?”, “how would you feel

if your parents came to school?”, “did you enjoy working on the project with your family?”, and

“how do you feel when you teacher talks to your parents?” I collected their answers in order to

gage the feelings of the students. I then proceeded with and altered my research based on the data

I collected.

Analysis and Interpretation

I worked with a local classroom teacher and her fifth grade ELL students. I discussed my

research plan with administration and obtained permission to pursue my research (Appendix A).

I also sent letters home to parents explaining my research plan and requesting permission for

their children to participate (Appendix B). There were ten total students in our class over the

course of the year but only 6 wanted to participate. In order to protect student identities, I used

pseudonyms to refer to the students throughout this paper.

What happens when ELL students and their families engage in home-school connections?

“Parents play an important role in the educational process. Research indicates that

children whose parents are involved in schools have less behavior problems, increased


achievement, and lower dropout rates,” (Heaston & Plevyak, 2001, p.768). Much of my

undergraduate studies focused on collaborative learning between teachers and students or

between co-teachers. Collaborating with families is important to me and I was curious to learn

more about building a classroom where there is reciprocity between parents and teachers. When I

sent the parents the permission letter (Appendix B) I provided my email address and an open

invitation to use it to contact me. A week after I distributed the permission letters, only one

parent had taken the opportunity to use my email and send me an introduction. I wondered why

more parents did not take advantage of my invitation. Were they not curious? Did they not have

anything to say? Was email not the best way to contact some of them?

To better introduce myself to the parents, I decided it would be a good idea if I

participated in the Friday Folder communication that the school already had in place. Every

Friday a folder is sent home with the students. The folder contains homework, completed work,

newsletters and a communication section where parents and teachers can write to each other. The

parents then send the folder back to school with their children on Monday. I sent home another

letter, including a photograph of myself, which focused more on who I am as a teacher than just

my research (Appendix C). This letter was meant to introduce myself to the parents. I wanted the

parents to know who was working with their children. The letter received much more response

than the permission forms. Parents responded in the comments section of their Friday Folders. A

few had questions, others welcomed me and one recognized me from my student teaching 1.5

years ago. Ashley’s mother wrote:

Miss Gibler, It is great to hear from you. I remember your school newsletter from when

you were a student teacher. (Ashley) says she didn’t have you visit her room though. I am

glad you like Grant. We love Grant too. We get many classroom volunteers here but not


many send letters like you have. I am happy that (Ashley)’s class has an extra teacher to

help them. Thank you for the letter. If you need to contact me, I prefer phone calls or

emails.

I learned that, for this group of parents, they seemed more likely to respond with writing

in the Friday Folder or phone calls than sending me an email. I was thrilled with the change and

new information. To learn more about how I could help open the lines of communication with

parents, I decided to interview some of the parents for insight into what they thought about

parent-teacher communication and their involvement in their children’s education. One of the

short interviews that stood out was with Jared’s mother.

Me: “How do you feel about our communication with you?”

Jared’s mother: “I like the letters. They help me know what he did.”

Me: “I am glad you like our letters. We enjoy reading your letters too. We like knowing

what you think and what questions you have. Do you have any questions for me now?”

Jared’s mother: “Can we use the email? I also have the email now. Is this ok?”

Me: “Yes, email is a good idea. What do you prefer to use to talk, email, Friday folders or

phone calls?”

Jared’s mother: “I like the email and the folders. These help me.”

The interviews went well. Parents seemed open to the idea of discussing communication and

most of the parents preferred email and/or Friday Folders as a source of flexible communication.

Finding out how parents prefer to be contacted was important to my future communication.

I also reflected on the order of my contact with the parents. In retrospect, I should have

sent the introductory letter before the permission form. This would have given them a chance to

understand who I was before I asked for their help. For the future I would like to begin the


school year with a letter that introduces myself to the parents, which asks them about their

preferred form of communication: email, letter, phone call, etc. Beginning the year this way

allows for a smoother transition. I found similar results looking through research. Borba (2009)

states, “the care and respect I communicated was well received and contributed to parents’

feeling that I was approachable, friendly, and helpful. Families felt that they could share

concerns, ask questions, give feedback, and ask for assistance, which helped build trust and

confidence in the school,” (p. 682).

On Friday, January 22, 2010 the school hosted a Celebration of Cultures. This event

involves students and their families working together to create a presentation about their native

culture. During the celebration, students and teachers visit each culture booth and get to learn

about the cultures that are represented in the school. In preparation for this event, students and

parents research their native culture together. Almost all of our students were participating with

their families. I asked a few students to sit down and talk with me about the Celebration of

Cultures. I recorded the conversations in my teacher’s journal. Based on their responses, the

students were excited to be

working with their families.

Figure A is a page of my

journal that shows part of a

student interview I held with

Katie. She was excited even

when talking about working

with her family on the

Celebration of Cultures. In this

Figure A


interview (Figure A), she exclaimed that she was having fun working with her family. Her voice

was higher and she spoke in longer sentences than she usually does. Her entire family was

getting involved. A large part of her family was getting involved in the project. It even resulted

in family members volunteering for other activities throughout the year. For example, during the

interview (Figure A), she informed me that her cousin wanted to help at the school too. This

made me excited as well. Reflecting on the interviews showed me that not only were parents

actively involved in a school project but the students were enjoying the opportunity to work with

them.

I noticed that the students appeared to be more excited about this project than any other

throughout the year. All of the students I interviewed said that one of their favorite parts of the

project was working with their family. This told me how important family involvement is to

these students and it showed me how motivated they can become. This is something I plan to

extend throughout my teaching career. I plan to invite families to help on projects for the

students. They are able to work together and motivate each other.

Throughout the year, I also took photographs of my students and wrote in my journal

about what was happening and my thoughts and questions

about the event. These photographs helped me capture

moments during class and review them closer at a later time.

They create a visual aspect of my journal that I can reflect

on. While reviewing photographs from the Celebration of

Cultures I noticed that Jared appeared upset before the

celebration began. Jared’s posture had changed drastically

from his normal appearance. Figure B shows Jared slouched Figure B


on the seat with his legs folded up under him. He normally has a large smile across his face but

instead he seemed to be looking to the side and worried. I asked Jared if there was anything I

could do to help him. He simply shrugged and said, “my mom is not here. I do not know what to

do.” His mother was running late and I could tell by his face and his words that he was upset. I

told him I would help him give his presentation until she arrived but he did not want to stand up

and he seemed very distracted. Within a few minutes his mother and their translator arrived.

Figure C shows Jared interacting with his mother and their

translator. There was an instant change in Jared. This

photograph depicts when he stood up and started talking to

his family. He became excited and asked me to take a picture

of the three of them and wanted to show me the hand-made

ball he created for the presentation. Having his mother help

him with the presentation brightened his attitude and

increased his motivation for sharing his story.

As I reflected on the events of the day and the photographs I took of Jared, I realized that

Jared’s family is a good motivation for him. Sometimes it is difficult to find motivational factors

for Jared. The spark that lit in him while working with his mother and translator was a huge

motivational step. It also lit a spark in me. He is generally hesitant to speak and he gets distracted

easily. However, while working with his family, he was focused on the project and eager to share

his knowledge vocally with everyone.

What are student attitudes toward parent involvement?

In the beginning of my research, I felt it was important to learn how the students felt

about their parents communicating with their teachers. Would the students be open to their

Figure C


parents talking to their teachers? Would their

ideas and attitudes change through my

research? To delve into these queries, I

created a picture survey to evaluate the

students’ feelings about parents and teachers

talking. One survey in particular stood out to

me (Figure D).

Alex drew a picture of himself, his father and

the host teacher. The father had a frown, the

student had a straight face and the teacher

had an open mouth. There was also a table separating the teacher from the father and son. Alex

was a lower level writer and asked for help dictating. I asked him “what story is this picture

telling?” and he responded, “the teacher tell Dad I don’t listen ‘cause I don’t sometimes. I try but

I think ‘bout something else. I worry dis make Dad mad. Tell him I try, O.K.? Thanks!” Alex

was worried his father would receive negative news when teachers spoke with him. He was able

to understand that when he gets distracted in class it upsets his teachers and he wanted us to

emphasize that he does try sometimes too.

Seeing surveys like Alex’s made me feel that the students needed more information about

parent-teacher conferences. Some of the students seemed uncomfortable with or afraid of the

idea of their parents talking to their teachers. They seemed to think that parents and teachers only

talk to discuss what the students have done wrong. Thus, I created a class discussion out of the

surveys so we could talk about what the class thinks happens in parent-teacher conferences and

Figure D


what actually happens during the conferences. The students were very open and active in the

discussion. I recorded my observation of the discussion in my teacher journal (Appendix F).

When we began the discussion, the students did not seem to understand the purpose of a

parent-teacher conference. They knew that they were the subject of the conference but many

students seemed to believe that conferences were to talk about the problems a student has. It

bothered me that Peter asked, “what if there isn’t anything good to say?” This was a good

teaching moment. I explained that every student has something they are doing well. I also

explained that every student is making progress in at least one area and this is what we focus on

during conferences. The students seemed to respond well to the discussion. Jared even smiled

and let out a sigh as he said, “good! I need good thing told.” Reflecting on this discussion helped

me create new ideas for introducing students to and including students in parent-teacher

conferences. This research brought me to the conclusion that it is important to discuss

conferences with students in the beginning of the year. This way, I can gauge the attitudes and

ideas of my students and we can examine any misconceptions.

After having the discussion on parent-teacher conferences, I included the students in the

preparation for conferences. I had the students pick out their favorite assignment that they had

completed from their completed work folder. They were all very proud of participating in the

preparation. Following the conferences, I recorded in my teacher journal that Ben said, “my

parents loved my story! When is the next meeting?” Ben was so happy about his parents liking

the story he picked out for his conference that he was excited for the next conference. He

immediately asked if he could begin editing his typed story to include in the next conference.


Figure E shows Ben editing his typed story for his parents to see at the next conference. I

reflected on this photograph because Ben’s arms and body are

blurry. This is because he was so excited he did not stop

moving or editing his work. He even asked to edit the picture

on the SMART board interactive whiteboard so another

classmate could help him. My research findings were parallel

to those of Stevens and Tollafield (2003) who found that when

students participate in conference preparation they have a

higher sense of pride and personal interest in the conference.

This is something I want to continue to do with my students in

the future. When the students participated in the preparation, their motivation and excitement

increased.

In January 2010, I revisited the students’ opinions of parent-teacher communication to

see if their attitudes had changed over time. During the second round of student surveys, the

students still thought mainly of formal conferences

but their attitudes were all positive. In Figure F,

Alex showed progress in his attitude toward his

parents talking to his teachers. His previous picture

survey (Figure D) depicted an anxious attitude

toward parent-teacher conferences. However, in his

second picture survey (Figure F), Alex was no

longer worried about his parents talking to his

teachers. He explained that his parents and his

Figure E

Figure F


teachers would be happy because he is trying hard at school Alex also understood that his

teachers talk to his parents about the progress he is making in school. He was no longer worried

that his teachers would tell his parents that he did something wrong. Just like Alex’s picture

survey, all the students had something positive to share about their parents talking with their

teachers.

The results of the second picture survey and observational data collected in the classroom

show me that the students have improved their attitudes toward parent-teacher communication.

Regardless of the starting attitudes all of the students have more positive things to share about

parent-teacher communication.

Does communication affect the level of student engagement?

I wanted to know if having informed, involved parents would help improve/maintain the

level of student engagement in the classroom. Some of the students in the classroom were having

trouble focusing. There seemed to be outside distractions that were affecting their work.

On Monday, October 12, 2009, I noticed a pattern in my journal. Jared was often sleepy

during class. This would sometimes cause him to stare at walls and try to lay his head down. I

approached Jared and recorded the conversation in my teacher journal (Figure G),

Figure G


Jared explained that his family lived with Alex’s family. The refugee group placed the two

families together in one house. Alex’s older brother often stayed up late listening to music and

watching television. This was keeping Jared awake at night because his room was near Alex’s

older brother’s room.

After this observation, we contacted his mother to see if she had noticed the problem as

well. She said that she had no idea the boy was staying up so late. She said it is often hard to

keep an eye on everyone with so many people in one house. Within weeks of the conversation

Jared seemed to regain his typical behavior and on October 28th, 2009 Jared and Alex told us that

the refugee group had found a new home for Alex’s family. Both boys were happy to have

quieter homes and Jared was not as tired anymore. When his mother picked him up from school,

she expressed her gratitude toward us for contacting her. The open line of communication helped

improve an important basic need for Jared.

After participating in Celebration of Cultures, Katie’s cousin became interested in

becoming a volunteer. Katie was openly excited about her cousin helping in the room. Her

cousin wanted to help with Katie’s education and also improve her own English proficiency in

the process. Katie enjoys working with her cousin and is able to stay more focused in her work.

I noticed that when Katie works with her

cousin she shows unbreakable focus. In Figure

H, Katie is working with her cousin on editing

her creative story. Her cousin asked her to

look for places to use transition words in her

paper. Katie gave her full attention to the Figure H


writing assignment and searched each paragraph for transitions. That day she asked her

classroom teacher if it was ok for her to stay in ELL class an extra 10-15 minutes so she could

work with her cousin on her story.

The students were so excited about their projects that they had trouble not discussing

them. They wanted to share what they had worked on with their families and continue to work on

the project. However, one student was not showing the same level of excitement. Just as working

with their families was motivating most of the class, the lack of parent involvement was causing

a decrease in student motivation for another student. I recorded and reflected in my journal

surrounding Ben’s motivational struggle.

“(Ben) was very excited for the project this year. Unfortunately, his father cannot

participate this year and their family beliefs keep his mother from coming alone. His

mood seems to decrease whenever he hears other students talking about their projects”

Ben was upset when he heard the other students talk about their projects. He had

participated the year before and was excited for the project this year. He told me “I am fine. It is

nothing,” but I could see in his eyes and his focus that it was bothering him. I found my journal

observations helpful when I reflected upon the situation. I worried about his loss in motivation

and wondered what we could do to help give Ben another chance to work with his parents on a

project. I reflected in my journal about ideas to help boost Ben’s motivation again including,

“students can work with their family to research/create a classroom presentation. We can be

flexible with the day of the presentation so all parents can come.”

The next day he approached me and admitted that his family not being able to work with

him was bothering him. He said he had been looking forward to this event since last year. I


suggested to him that we could do a classroom event where we could try to find a date that

worked for all the families. He literally jumped into the air and clapped his hands. Seeing the

change in his attitude made me feel like I was progressing as a teacher. Zygmunt-Fillwalk (2006)

also found that “when family/school collaboration exists, students enjoy better attitudes,

motivation, and self-esteem. Such collaboration also results in less disciplinary problems, lower

rates of high-risk behaviors, and improved communication with families and teachers,” (p.226)

Reflection

In the fall of 2009, I began a new journey as a teacher researcher. I wanted to have a

classroom where parents, students and teachers were able to communicate on an informal and

formal level. I wondered about how the increased communication would affect my students.

Throughout my journey, I feel I have increased my knowledge on positive parent involvement

and I have also discovered more about myself as a teacher.

In the beginning of my research, I discovered information about how to initiate contact

with the parents of my students. I was new to parent interaction and made a few mistakes but

each one was a learning experience. I asked parents for help with my research project before I

properly introduced myself. This may have contributed to the lackluster responses from families

in the beginning of the year. Sending home an introduction either before or at the same time as

the permission form is a better way to begin communication. Parents may be more receptive to

my permission request if they know more about who I am before I ask for their help. This fact

was supported throughout the year as parents increased their receptiveness and communication

after they learned more about me and met me in person. A personal connection with parents

strengthens future communication. It is also important to ask parents how they prefer to


communicate. Some parents will not have e-mail and some parents may prefer to receive a

personal phone call. It is important to be flexible with the needs of the parents.

Finding out what my students know is an important first step to any activity, including

parent-teacher conferences. Many of my students did not have much knowledge about parent-

teacher conferences. Because they had little knowledge, they relied on their past experiences. In

my classroom, their negative experiences seemed to overshadow their positive memories. Doing

the picture survey at the beginning of the year and discussing the results helped inform the

students and tackle misconceptions. I was able to learn more about my students and the students

were able to learn more about conferences. This piece of information is something I plan to

incorporate into every aspect of my teaching. I want to make sure my students understand what

is happening in the classroom. My research also taught me that my students are capable of

having active discussions and sharing their opinions. I plan to continue encouraging this in my

students throughout my teaching career. Learning is enhanced when the classroom shares their

ideas with each other.

Involving parents in projects can help increase student motivation. My students thrived

when working with their families. They took more pride in the work they were doing and they

were excited to participate in the tasks. Families became more interested in helping and

communicating after they were able to participate in projects. Although getting parents actively

involved in projects is not always an easy task. Schedules can be difficult and some parents have

different cultural ideas about involvement. It is important to think on your feet and always be

flexible with lessons. Just as every student has a different need, so does every parent. Finding the

median that works the best for everyone involved can be an incredibly difficult, but equally

important, task.


Parent involvement had many benefits for my students. My struggling students gained

more confidence and pride in their work when they worked with their parents or knew that their

work would be shared in a positive manor. Even when students are not struggling, working and

sharing with their families can give them more motivation and confidence in their work.

Communication with parents also helped identify and solve problems that students were having.

When we combined and shared our observations we were able to aid each other in improving the

success of the students.

I discovered so many different things about my students and about myself as a teacher.

Most importantly, continued research is the backbone to growing as a teacher. I am a lifelong

learner and I plan to continue journaling, interviewing, and attending seminars and classes to

improve myself as a teacher. When parents, teachers and students work together we are able to

increase our individual and collaborative successes. I plan to continue promoting and

strengthening parent-teacher communication in the future.

Online Master’s Experience

I was pleasantly surprised by my online Master’s experience. Every course I entered had

an actively involved professor. I was worried when I started an online Master’s degree. I did not

have a great experience when I took online courses during my undergraduate career. My

instructors were vague and I felt that my professors were not actually paying attention to the

work that was done in my online courses. However, the past year and a half has changed my

mind about online courses. I enjoyed having interactive discussions where students and

professors participated.


The use of different technologies and the share of resources between participants has

impacted me greatly. I have an arsenal of electronic information that I will only continue to add

to. The Classroom Research and Practicum courses impacted me the most because of the real-life

value or working in a classroom along with my course work. Although I prefer the face-to-face

connection and motivation of traditional courses, I would definitely recommend this program

because of the attentiveness of the instructors and course work. I think the success of an online

program hangs on the motivation and attention given by the instructors.


Reference

Araujo, B. (2009). Best practices in working with linguistically diverse families. Intervention in

School and Clinic, 45(2), 116-123.

Atwell, R., Gifford, S. & McDonald-Wilmsen, B. (2009). Resettled refugee families and their

children’s futures: Coherence, hope and support. Journal of Comparative Family Studies,

40(5), 677-697.

Brandt, S. (2003). What parents really want out of parent-teacher conferences. Kappa Delta Pi

Record, 39(4), 160-163.

Araujo, B. (2009). Best practices in working with linguistically diverse families. Intervention in

School and Clinic, 45(2), 116-123.

Atwell, R., Gifford, S. & McDonald-Wilmsen, B. (2009). Resettled refugee families and their

children’s futures: Coherence, hope and support. Journal of Comparative Family Studies,

40(5), 677-697.

Brandt, S. (2003). What parents really want out of parent-teacher conferences. Kappa Delta Pi

Record, 39(4), 160-163.

Borba, M. (2009). Caring closes the language-learning gap. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(9), 681-685.

Columbia Public Schools (n.d.). Grant Elementary School. Retrieved from

http://www.columbia.k12.mo.us/profiles/grant.php

Chen, H. & Harris, P. (2009). Becoming school literate parents: An ESL perspective. Australian

Journal of Language & Literacy, 32(2), 118-135.

http://www.columbia.k12.mo.us/profiles/grant.php


Guo, Y. (2006). “Why didn’t they show up?” Rethinking ESL parent involvement in K-12

education. TESOL Canada Journal, 24(1), 80-95.

Harrison, M. (2000). Refugee students find their voices in two Midwestern communities.

Newcomers in California’s Classrooms, 21(143), 1-20.

Heaston, A. & Plevyak, L. (2001). The communications triangle of parents, school

administrators, and teahcers: A workshop model. Education, 121(4), 768-772.

Hill, J. & Flynn, K. (2006). Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners.

Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Imperato, F. (2009). Getting parents and children off to a strong start in reading. Reading

Teacher, 63(4), 342-344.

Irujo, S. (2006). Teachers’ biggest challenge: Not being able to communicate with students and

their parents. The ELL Outlook. Retrieved from

www.coursecrafters.com/ell-outlook/2006/may_jun/elloutlookitiarticle2.htm

Luann, J., Reyes-Blanes, M., Peel, B. & Lane, H. (1998). Developing teacher-parent partnerships

across cultures: Effective parent conferences. Intervention in School & Clinic, 33(3), 141-

148.

Metcalf, L. (2002). The parent conferences: An opportunity for requesting parental collaboration.

Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 17(1), 17-25.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (October 24, 2008). MODESE

Annual Report of School Data. Retrieved from

http://dese.mo.gov/planning/profile/building/demo0100935000.html

http://dese.mo.gov/planning/profile/building/demo0100935000.html

http://www.coursecrafters.com/ell-outlook/2006/may_jun/elloutlookitiarticle2.htm


Rasinski, T. & Padak, N. (2009). Write soon! Reading Teacher, 62(7), 618-620.

Robertson, K. (2006). Tips for successful parent-teacher conferences with bilingual families.

Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/19382

Shepard, R., McKinney, A. & Trimberger, A. (1999). Increasing parent involvement during case

conferences: A creative problem solving approach. Contemporary Education, 70(3), 17-

20.

Stevens, B. & Tollafield, A. (2003). Creating comfortable and productive parent/teacher

conferences. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(7), 521-524.

Tuchman, O. (2002). Refugee students in American classrooms. Education Consultant Indiana

Department of Education Language Minority & Migrant Programs, 96(212), 1-3.

U.S. Grant Elementary (2009). Our Community. Retrieved from

http://service.columbia.k12.mo.us/gre

Xu, J. (2002). Do early adolescents want family involvement in their education? Hearing voices

from those who matter most. School Community Journal, 12(1), 53-72

Zygmunt-Fillwalk, E. (2006). Encouraging school success through family involvement.

Childhood Education, 82(4), 226-228

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http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/19382


Appendix A

Administration Permission

Dear Beverly Borduin,

I would like to thank you again for allowing me to volunteer at Grant. It is an important part of my course work at the University of Missouri – Columbia. As my final step in my Master’s program, I am taking a course called Classroom Research. For this class I am doing an action research project that I plan to focus on home/school communication.

An important part of my action research project involves collecting student work samples, interviewing students, and possibly video and/or audio taping the classroom while we all work together. My action research will be completely anonymous. All names will be replaced with pseudonyms as well as the removal of student names from any collected documents and student work used in my project. I will not publish this information. All results will be for my university class work.

I will also send a permission letter to the families of the students in Peg Hurley’s 5th grade English Language Learner’s class. The letter will explain my action research plan and ask parents for permission to use action research that involves their child.

Sincerely,

Christine Gibler

I, ______________, give permission for Christine Gibler to use qualitative research collected in the classroom (pending parent approval) for her action research course project.


Appendix B

Parent Permission

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I really enjoy being a volunteer at Grant Elementary. Your children are a joy to work with! As my final step in my Master's program at the University of Missouri – Columbia, I am taking a course in Classroom Research. My research project is still in the early stages of development but I plan to focus my topic on home/school communication. Learning what kinds of communication work best for families, students and our school will help me better understand the best way to foster communication that can aid in your child's learning.

An important part of my project involves collecting student work samples, interviewing students about school, and occasionally video and/or audio taping the classroom as we work together. I may also ask families to complete a questionnaire at some time during my research.

Research results will be completely anonymous. All names will be replaced with pseudonyms as well as the removal of student names from any collected documents and student work. I would appreciate your permission to include your child's work in my research. I have attached a permission form if you could please complete and return it with your decision. If you have any questions about my research, please contact me at [email protected] .

Sincerely,

Christine Gibler

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Participation Permission Form

I give permission for my child, __________________________, to participate in this project.

I understand that samples of my child’s work may be used in the final research paper but that all names will be removed from the paper.

I understand that my child may withdraw from this project at anytime. I understand that my child will still be expected to complete and participate in all regular classroom assignments.

____________________________________ _________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

mailto:[email protected]



Appendix C

Letter to the parents

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Hello! My name is Christine Gibler and I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am in my final year of graduate school at the University of Missouri where I am working on completing my Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I am a Lee’s Summit, MO native who has been living in Columbia, MO for the past 5.5 years.

I began volunteering with Mrs. Hurley this year because I love working at Grant school! I student taught with Mrs. Koppelman from Fall 2007 to Spring 2008. I fell in love with Grant school and the amazing community you have all built here. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know your children and working in their classroom. I look forward to my continued work with them and with you.

I want you to feel free to contact me with any questions or information you have!

Sincerely,

Christine Gibler (Miss Gibler)

[email protected]



Appendix D

October Picture Surveys


Appendix E

January Picture Surveys



Appendix F

Journal Entries


Appendix G

Photographs of Students and Families Working

Katie and her family wrote student names in Korean during Celebration

of Cultures.

Ashley talks about the foods of Libya at her family’s Celebration of Cultures

table.

Jared, his mother and their translator are about to sign a song from Burundi at

their table for Celebration of Cultures.

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