Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.
During my last two practicums, I have been a student teacher during the COVID 19 pandemic. Unfortunately, things in the schools look a little different than normal times. Some of these changes included parent involvement. Parents were not allowed in the schools and school events were cut down to a minimum or were held virtually in the classroom. I was still able to uphold some parents communication and involvement. At the start of each practicum, I sent a letter home to the parents and guardians stating who I was, a little about me, and what I was doing within the classroom. I always encouraged parents to reach out to me if they had any questions, concerns or comments. I kept in touch with parents regarding students assignments if the parents had any questions. Students created a Rube Goldberg machine in groups and I videotaped the final result. If students wanted me to I emailed a video to their parents and explained the project to them. Although my learning in my practicum was different than usual, I look forward to connecting with parents and guardians during my career.
I took part in a number of events that were held throughout the school. Some of these events were Pink Shirt day, students decorated their own pink shirt with a positive message and we had a discussion about bullying. I took part in a day inspired by the game, Among Us, where staff and students wore the same coloured shirt and pants. My class and I participated during Carnival. Despite Covid 19, the school was still able to have an amazing sense of community.
