Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Pivotal moment Overcoming difficulties I face talking to parents - Coggle…
Pivotal moment
Overcoming difficulties I face talking to parents
Neo-Liberalism
Positives
Increased efficiency in the classroom
Increased competition increased efficiency in the classroom, children learn to a certain standard and it becomes easier to see if a child is falling behind the class.
#
The ideal of the ‘market’ would suggest that the power of customers and the pressure of competition leads to enhancing quality overall: ‘market competition forces schools to continuously improve their standards in order to attract parent customers of the educational “product” they are offering’ (Angus 2015)
But this logic would presuppose informed and rational acting customers
Educational ‘providers’ must at least tend to focus on parental ‘customer satisfaction’
School education is not a 'product' that can be shaped to the parents preferences. Teachers must insist on professional standards. (Briedenstein, 2020)
2019 National figures for Maths showed a strong improvement, with the percentage reaching the expected standard rising from 76% in 2018 to 79% this year.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jul/09/sats-results-show-slight-rise-pupils-meeting-targets-england
Negatives
Brown (2015) - growing inequality - only upper classes get to profit
Unethical commercialisation of schools. Introduction of schools for profit - free schools and academies.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/profit-schools-have-no-place-britain-says-tory-education-secretary-nicky-morgan-10257148.html
commercialisation of schools increases competition in pursuit of improved standards and efficiency. Pupils, teachers, parents, schools competing with each other weaken social ties and reduce shared sense of purpose and collaboration. Golden, N (2018)
This means that parents are reluctant to work with schools or teachers, knowing they could get the results elsewhere. Making relationships with parents difficult.
Certain key stakeholders are able to carve out enclaves that favour their own particular group interests. As Morris and Perry’s research on Free Schools in England suggests, parents often choose those schools because of an impression that they have an advantaged social intake. There is therefore ‘a danger that such impressions of social distinction contribute to a less inclusive school environment and lead to increased clustering of certain groups of children within different schools’ (Morris and Perry, 2019:
Peters (1999) - nothing special about education, they are services to be traded on the marketplace. Implementation of performance goals in the contracts of management Davis (2007)
Having goals and pressure on the teacher to achieve class academic results influences the relationships with parents. Parents can put pressure on the teacher for their child to achieve the results they expect. This can cause difficult conversations to arise if child 'underachieving'.
Lobbying - governments influenced by corporate companies Dominant in shaping educational policies and practices
The idea of increasing competition and making the schools a free market.
Reflexivity
Involves challenging ones beliefs, understanding they are constructed.
Understanding that people come from different backgrounds and value systems (Corbin and Strauss, 2015)
Difficult chat with the parents - your personal beliefs and values (I) may view it as the parents hate you, want to undermine your teaching. Thinking they can do better than you.
Your emerging teacher (me) understand deeper issues such as personal problems, SEND needs, wanting the best for the child. (Hargreaves, 2006)
Afterwards reflect on the experience. Internal/external forces
Assemble new identity and examine personal influences that affect your practice.
Power
Teachers have the power to prove to parents that they are good teachers and that their role in school, is in reality, as important as parents' (Berger, 2000
Foucalts (1977) view of power - Power is everywhere and can either be productive or repressive
Power in schools come from variety of sources. Surveillance of teachers through observations/cameras can hand the power of the education to the parents.
Inviting imput from the parent can improve relationships, allowing them a small amount of contro
#
Betham viewed schools as a panoptican - all seeing.
It is the fact of being constantly seen, of being always able to be seen, that maintains the disciplined individual in his subjection” (Foucault 1977
Relate this to Teacher-parent relationship - teachers being constantly watched by the parents (sending videos of children home/constant feedback on progress) . Parents have the power over the teacher and affects teacher behaviour in the class.
Relate this to my own personal fear of failure. How its ok to not be perfect and for parents to view that and understand it.
Performativity
To construct or perform and identity
Victor Turner (1988) and Richard Schechner (1985).
When talking to parents the teacher 'performs' and puts on a professional front. Can sometimes clash with the teachers own personal beliefs.
Building relationships
Communities of practice
A group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession. The group can evolve naturally because of the members' common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created specifically with the goal of gaining knowledge related to their field. (Wenger, 1991)
Relying on support from fellow teachers, support staff to gain an insight into parents needs/concerns.
Teacher Identity
Your teacher identity comes from mainly personal experiences and inside ones self. However building relationships with parents/pupils is key to building your teacher identity. (Izadinia, 2013)
To improve relationships with parents, you need to have a good idea of your identity - why you are a teacher and what you want your impact to be.
identity is regarded as a social entity constructed and reproduced
in social settings and influenced by the social communities (Izadinia, 2013)