Teacher: “Students, it’s time to go, make sure that you have everything that you will need. “
Students: “Where are we going, what will we need?”
Teacher: “You are going Somewhere, pack all of the tools that your teachers have offered you over the last 12 years. Isn’t this exciting you finally get a chance to use all of those great tools.”
Throughout a child’s education they are offered tools that they will need to use when they visit ‘Somewhere’ in the future. The trouble is that students don’t know that these tools will be necessary in their future. Traditionally everyone played a role in preparing kids for the future. Parents supported their children at home helping with homework, building confidence, offering love, care and support. At school teachers worked hard to ensure the curriculum was covered. However times have changed and now our students need a new set of tools to be successful in their future Somewhere!
The vision of the 3 E’s looks to create a student who is an Engaged Thinker – Ethical Citizen – Entrepreneurial Spirit. This education framework is far more than just teaching, it is modelling risk, creativity, choice, and collaboration – thinking beyond the classroom doors.
I agree that these are essential skills to prepare our students for the future that they will eventually encounter.
This vision requires that the village raise the child – parents, community, school and province all work together.
Are we all working together to ensure that our kid’s toolbox is full of all the right tools?
Are teachers given the support, time and resources to fulfill the vision? Do they know how to allow diversity (for assessment) while still fulfilling division/curriculum requirements?
Are parents informed of this ‘new’ way of teaching and knowledgeable on how to help their kids?
Are students told why they are learning new things and what tools each lesson will help create for their toolbox?
Is the village working together to raise this new learner or has it become the schools responsibility?
GPCSD Leadership Academy Blog 
Great reflection Nicole. Do you feel as though some families have completely shifted the responsibility for the 3Es on teachers? I agree that it takes a community to raise a child, however we are frequently faced with parents that feel this is solely a school’s responsibility. How as leaders, can we foster change with those parents? How can we create an environment in which they feel welcomed and supported? We need them to equally “buy in” to foster the positive change needed. Your thoughts?
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I think that much of the responsibility has been passed on to schools not because parents don’t want to help but are unsure of how to help. With communication / shared information between school and home I think that can rebuild the team and help parents feel supported.
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I like your response to Tina’s comment Nicole. I have parents that are actively involved in their child’s education but are unsure how to help with work at home. This is evident with the new math curriculum and some of the new methods of instruction being taught in all grades. When posed with a question most people revert back to what they know and unfortunately for parents, we do not teach using the times tables anymore.
I do think that in order to link the school, home, community, province etc. together is that as a school community, we do need to emphasize parent,community involvement as well as exposing them to what goes on in a current classroom. I have seen this effort done through literacy nights, math nights, etc. Now parent turnout is always a battle but the effort is there to share the teachings that go on in a school as well as to give parents the confidence to help/support their child as they go through their public education career. Is this the only answer? No. But it is a start and it is one of many ways schools can reach out to the parent/community members to shorten the distance that these members have towards the school their child goes to.
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I agree that parents are an integral role in the development of the whole-child and school & home need to work together . however , before parent understanding we need to all teachers to understand . We have high expectations for students but limit the expectations on ourselves and colleagues. We can’t expect parents to buy into a new system of education if we have teachers who don’t . Teachers are all hard wired differently ( like students ) some are successful in 21 century learning and some can’t be bothered to change . How can we motivate the stones who refuse to roll . Do we make them uncomfortable and keep asking questions or do they need a push .
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Maybe not push, but gently guide and encourage! Support change through mentor ship, being present within the school and offering support.
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Excellent post Nichole! I really liked your reference to the village raising the child. I think in a lot of ways though, many of the facets of the village are feeling that things have changed so much and so fast with our world that they just don’t know what to do so they look to the teachers who are deemed the experts, to pass on the required knowledge and skills needed for the future. This new generation of students are much like the Jacques Cartier explorers of our time as they are navigating through uncharted territory that no one of the generations before have experienced like growing up with Smartphones and iPads or even the internet for that matter. The ministerial order is calling for us educators to provide the tools our students will need for this journey into the future but I think that it is important that we have patience for the parents as they struggle to keep up in this fast changing world.
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Nice post Nichole. I agree that it takes a village to raise a child, it just helps if the village is on the same page. I feel that the schools have taken on more of parent role recently and that the parents may not have the strategies or tools to help guide their child, so they look to the schools.
It is nice that there are lots of resources parents can access through the schools or community, it just has to continued to be communicated.
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