Students maturing into their full potential under the guidance of caring adults; that’s the true definition of education. The old joke goes that the best three things about teaching are June, July, and August, but in reality, the three best things about teaching are students, families, and community.
In the world of education, January means little. The New Year starts in August. Parents face the anxiety of letting go, students experience the uncertainty of what the new year will bring, and teachers look ahead in hopeful anticipation of the joys and challenges to come. All of the missteps and heartaches of last year remain in the past and together we all move forward into the future.
Over the summer I look forward to establishing new relationships with over one hundred individuals that I will call “my students” for the next nine months. If done properly, by the end of May all of them will be one step closer to becoming “my peers.” I anticipate how much I learn from the unique personalities and gifts that each of these students will bring into my psychology classroom. Some of them will teach me about cultures that I am unfamiliar. Some of them will inspire me by their persistence and tenacity. Others will leave me in awe at their insight or achievement. Still others will make me a better person as we struggle together and find new pathways toward success. That is one of the joys of being a teacher of psychology, the lessons are often right in front of us, we just have to learn to identify them for what they are.
Teachers not only look forward to the diverse individuals they will encounter in the upcoming year, but the relational dynamics of each group as well. Understanding the personal relationships of young people with empathy and acceptance is essential to creating a positive learning environment. Twenty-five students in a room equals hundreds of different relationships to which a teacher must stay in tune. It is a dynamic environment requiring just the right balance of flexibility and routine to maintain.
So far we haven’t left the classroom, but education doesn’t stop with pupils in their desks. Each of them comes from a home with different expectations, opportunities, and values. Parents are the primary educators of their children and any successful teacher recognizes the importance of that role. But I’ve spent years in school and even more years practicing my profession. I do believe that when it comes to student learning in psychology, I am the expert. From time to time, conflict is inevitable. I consider what’s best for a class, but the parent’s concern is their child. I make decisions based on what I observe in a classroom, but parents see the entire life of their child.
It helps to recognize that every student in the room is the most important child in the world to someone. Teacher-parent relationships are much like a dance. This dance requires each partner to take turns in sharing the lead. There will be some wrong steps and a few toes may get stepped on, but with practice, cooperation, and sometimes a little outside advice, it can lead to something beautiful. A healthy relationship between a teacher and parent benefits both partners and the child as well.
The relationships forged between teachers and parents become the first step toward bridging the gap between the schoolhouse and the community. American education, particularly public education is rooted in the community ideal. The caring adults in the classroom and the caring adults in the home belong to a larger body of concerned citizens who value the shared responsibility of equipping and encouraging a younger generation of citizens on to productive and purposeful lives.
Engagement between teachers and parents allows what goes on in the classroom to reach into the community. Parents will spread the word about their experiences with teachers, for better or for worse. As a parent I rely on this unofficial information to guide the decisions I make for my own children’s education. As a teacher I’ve learned that every parent is a potential ambassador for my class and my school, informing the community about the work that goes on inside.
The work doesn’t just happen on the inside. Our community is the “field test” in which we watch our students apply the lessons of the classroom and the home. Forget standardized testing, watching our students civically engage, perform on a stage, compete on a field, or work in the market are the real tests of success, measured over years and not in a brief period of time.
We need to be careful about calling our kids our future, because they have quite a bit to offer right now. They enrich our community as much as our community supports them. I am thankful to live in such a place, and as an educator, my job is much more fulfilling and effective because I am able to appreciate and fully participate as an active member of the community that I serve.
The American public education system faces frequent criticism and constant reform, but all of this is what we can’t lose. We must continue to believe in the abilities of students, recognize the importance of parents, and inspire support from our communities to provide quality education. Click To TweetIt’s summer, but I still look forward to the new year and struggling alongside my students, their parents, and the community in forging the strong relationships that will guide students toward maturing into their full potential.
