Teachers visiting homes

[Moxie]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. This was in the paper today.

 

Educators will be visiting the homes of nearly 7,000 students in the XYZ County Schools today starting at 10 a.m. and ending by 7 p.m. The brief visits will allow teachers to give parents and students enrollment forms, the school calendar and information about transportation.

The districtwide event is intended to forge stronger connections between schools and the community, according to the school district's central office.

Also, the first day of classes for students in grades kindergarten through 12th will be Aug. 8.

 

Thoughts?

[fairfarmhand]

I would feel stalked. I think that would annoy me.

[Pamela H in Texas]

It has been proven that home visits greatly increase quality of education by allowing parents and teachers more opportunity for level playing ground and communication. It just *is* easier for parents to meet in their own home than to find care for the other three kids and doing the running around necessary for school visits. Additionally, folks usually feel more comfy on their own ground, especially since school wasn't a positive for everyone.

 

But research has shown that this DOES work. I'm all for what works. And I'm positive you can call and set up a time somewhere else if you feel it best. Their goal isn't to upset people.

[Whereneverever]

Headstart in some areas has been doing this for years.

[FaithManor]

I think that if it is mandatory, I would be very uncomfortable.

 

But, if the teachers called to say they'd like to schedule an optional visit and that I was in no way obligated to have them in my home, however they would really like to get to know me better and meet their student before class started, then I'd be likely to do it and not feel the district was overstepping it's boundaries. If my child were in school, I'd want to find a balance between respecting my privacy and what not and yet, working to insure a good working relationship between myself and the teacher. You know...Brownie Points! :001_smile:

 

A lot would depend on how the district approached it, how the teacher handled it, and whether or not it was mandatory. I'd also want to see the option of meeting on neutral territory offered for those that want to meet with the teacher but not in their home for a variety of reasons.

 

Faith

[Jean in Newcastle]

A brief visit to sit on the couch, make some small talk and get handed some forms doesn't sound inappropriate or intrusive. The purpose is to forge relationships, not to check up on people.

[OH_Homeschooler]

I think it sounds nice. It helps the teacher see the family unit, see what interests the kids. It just humanizes everything.

[Miss Marple]

If it bothered me to have them visit, I would refrain from answering my door :) Or I would schedule time away from home during those hours.

 

Honestly, I can see the benefit of it for the public schools. So many parents are uninvolved and this would sort of provide a way for them to get to know the teacher and the system a little better and maybe become more involved in their child's education. Now if they were visiting the homes of homeschool families, I would have a definite negative response :)

[Princess Peach]

It would make me uncomfortable, to be honest, but I'm an introvert and would be really nervous, cleaning like mad, etc.

 

Plus, all that stuff can be posted online and/or emailed/mailed to the home. Parents can meet teachers on Open House and conference nights.

 

I wonder if they are visiting at risk families or families that have been identified in some way. Otherwise, I find it odd.

[*Michelle*]

I think it's a sad state of affairs if parents need that much hand-holding to enroll their children for school. I'm assuming that kindergarten-aged children are being targeted with this initiative?

[mom2jjka]

The private school we used to sen d our kids to did this. I'm all for it.

 

It was a nice way for the kids to meet their new teacher on their own turf, so they felt less afraid/more at ease with him or her on the first day of school because they already had gotten to know each other a bit.

 

As a former teacher speaking on the flip side of the coin...I think that getting a glimpse of the student's home life gives a great deal of insight into what to expect from the child and their family.

(Is the family unit intact? What sort of support structure does the student have? Are the parents interested in volunteering or are they going to be 'hands-off?')

It also gives the parents and teacher a time to privately discuss any learning diffiulties that the child may have or other issues ( food allergies, separation anxiety [for younger children], etc.)

[Princess Peach]

I actually had a home visit by a teacher as a homeschooler. I had referred DS9 to the PS for a LD eval and she came to our home to observe a lesson because it is part of the requirements. It was weird and I was ill I was so nervous. But she wrote a nice report about us. :001_smile:

[stripe]

That is precisely what bothers me about it though. Assumptions will be made based on a few minute visit.

And assumptions wouldn't be made about parents or kids based on how they appear at school? If they are, say, unwashed with uncombed hair, covered in a crusty rash, with dirty clothes, and bringing horrible food with them or are on free lunch program? Versus wearing shiny clothes and a well scrubbed face? Parents showing up looking drunk or high? Parents in a suit versus in pajama pants? If the members of this forum judge people right and left in the grocery store based on how they look, how they behave, and what they buy, why would teachers magically be a different species? Especially since homeschoolers believe they are so much better than everyone else?

[ravinlunachick]

I've been on both sides of this exchange. When I was a public school teacher, I both loved and hated the home visits. One one hand, it gave me a chance to meet the parents on their own "turf", since many of our parents had poor experiences with school previously. (I taught a high-risk population.) Parents were often more at ease and more communicative than they were at school-based conferences. On the flip side, I seriously resented the intrusion into my planning and preparation time; having to do home visits meant that the time I typically had spent setting up my classroom and doing plans was unavailable. I had to do those things unpaid, before we officially returned to work. I also was highly uncomfortable because I had to go alone into several different housing projects, some of which were so dangerous that even the police never visit without backup. Thankfully, the worst that happened was that I got some angry stares and the occasional parent who refused to answer the door despite a previous appointment.

 

When my own dd started 4-K through our local public school, I was on the receiving end of a parent visit. I was a nervous wreck, trying to make sure the house was clean and my 19mo ds behaved himself somewhat. DH was working third shift, so he was asleep upstairs, which I felt compelled to explain. Of course ds was a wild man who stole crayons and interrupted our conversation. :glare: I was also mildly insulted by their parenting advice and admonishment about reading to my child. They just ASSumed I didn't, or had some blanket speech to give, but I did allow myself a smile when they gave dd a board book version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear. She said, "Oh, we have this book!" and proceeded to go fetch both our hardcover and board book copies, and sat down to read both to the teacher's assistant. When the teacher remarked that she must really like that book, dd said, "Oh yes, I love all Eric Carle's work!" :D

[Lisbeth]

It wouldn't fly with me. Government official visiting my house telling me how to handle my children administratively, like I'm an idiot. Yeah, not gonna happen.

 

To me it's crossing a boundary.

[OH_Homeschooler]

It wouldn't fly with me. Government official visiting my house telling me how to handle my children administratively, like I'm an idiot. Yeah, not gonna happen.

 

To me it's crossing a boundary.

 

Government official? Please! These are teachers who are as fed up with regulations as anyone else. (Ever hear of NCLB? Ask a teacher how that made them feel).

 

Telling you how to handle your children? Sounds more like being there to answer questions you might have about school. And if the plan is to visit every family in a single day, I'm guessing there isn't much time during each visit to assess how you are "handling" your children.

[FO4UR]

Meh...I think it's a lot to ask of the teachers.:001_huh:

 

 

Have an Open House night...and then teacher can follow up with anyone who didn't make it.

 

 

I actually don't think it's a great idea to go for the purpose of getting a glimpse into what kinds of students you have. On one hand, it's good to keep in mind that some kids have major stress in their home lives. OTOH, it's too easy to make assumptions and higher/lower expectations for certain kids based on their family economics.

[Plucky]

I had a teacher visit when my youngest ds was Head Start. It was okay. I think part of it is so they can see the home the kids are coming from in greater detail. I had nothing to hide so it didn't bother me. I don't think this should be a matter of course for the general public though.

[Mrs Mungo]

Sounds like the intent is to make things easier on parents? I agree that it sounds like a lot to place upon teachers. I also agree that the school should offer an open house and make this a back-up option, if that isn't what is happening already.

[Slartibartfast]

I think it sounds nice but I agree they should also have an open-house alternative.

[KnitWit]

Sounds like the intent is to make things easier on parents? I agree that it sounds like a lot to place upon teachers. I also agree that the school should offer an open house and make this a back-up option, if that isn't what is happening already.

 

I agree with this.

 

If my kids were in PS, I would think this was a very nice touch. If I were one of the teachers, I wouldn't be so thrilled unless the extra time, effort and expense were reflected in an already low paycheck.

 

I think as homeschool families we need to stop trying to apply what the schools are doing to ourselves. Many schools in this country are crappy. Many families don't care whether their kids attend or not...or don't know because both parents work and kids get themselves to school (or not). I am glad to see some districts trying to make connections. If I were in a district where attendance rates were low, I would think this kind of effort would go some distance towards helping attendance rates by making a personal connection from the get go.

 

And...as much as most of us do NOT like anyone in our personal business, it cannot be denied that there are kids all over this country praying every night that SOMEONE outside of their home WOULD step into their personal business. kwim?

 

If I lived in that district, I would assume it wouldn't apply to me since I homeschool. I would cheerfully greet them at the door, tell them we homeschool and wish them a great year. :)

[Plucky]

I was thinking more about this and I feel that it may actually put teachers in a dangerous situation. You never know what kind of home or what kind of people you will meet up. Do you remember the woman delivering a Thanksgiving dinner to a home that was raped, tortured, and killed?

[Lang Syne Boardie]

It's a very time-honored tradition, and I would actually be more likely to send my kids to the school up the road if there were more of a relationship or community connection. Why the paranoia? If I wouldn't trust a teacher to walk through my front door, sit on my couch, and eat my coffee cake, why would I trust my child with her all day?

 

I don't think the teachers should be doing this on their own dime and I don't think they should be visiting strange homes alone. It's a huge effort, and I agree with True Blue that it doesn't sound very safe.

[Mom22ns]

Our school district was doing this years ago when my kids were in ps. They made an appointment and spent about 15 min at our house. If you didn't want them to come, you just told them it was inconvenient and you would see them at orientation, no big deal.

 

I thought it was nice for teachers to meet kids for the first time in the kids natural environment.

[SonshineLearner]

Little House on the Prairie :) Didn't the teachers use to be invited to dinner?? (And long before that they lived with families :))

[DawnM]

As a teacher I would hate that.

[Roadrunner]

It's a very time-honored tradition, and I would actually be more likely to send my kids to the school up the road if there were more of a relationship or community connection. Why the paranoia? If I wouldn't trust a teacher to walk through my front door, sit on my couch, and eat my coffee cake, why would I trust my child with her all day?

 

This is how I feel. If the PS my kids attend want to send the teacher to our home, we would welcome them. I don't see any harm in it.

[lynn]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. This was in the paper today.

 

 

 

Thoughts?

 

I like it in some cases.

 

When we lived in Tucson, the childrens elementary teachers visited each student one afternoon a year. The teachers we had visit in the year we were there were seemed to enjoy getting to know my children. From that visit my ds teacher learned that he loved reading and writing stories. She got him interest in Jules Vern and ds read through every one of his book she also got the school to let her class use the company that puts together story's children write and illustrate into hard back books. DS's book is one of dd's favorite to read.

[myfunnybunch]

I went to a small school in a PNW logging town. I remember my kindergarten teacher doing home visits. :) It was a lovely way for the teacher to connect with families.

 

My first grade teacher invited the entire class, one small group at a time, to visit at her sister's fabulous home to play and paint pottery.

 

In both instances, I remember how special (and memorable, clearly :) ) it was to see my teacher at my house, and to visit outside of school.

 

I do understand why people are a little leery regarding safety these days, but unless the visits are forced on families who do not desire them, I think it's a lovely way for teachers to make a personal and meaningful connection with families.

 

Cat

[myfunnybunch]

As a teacher I would hate that.

 

Funny how different personalities react differently. :) As a teacher, I think I would thoroughly enjoy seeing my students and their families in a different context.

 

Cat

[Ellie]

A brief visit to sit on the couch, make some small talk and get handed some forms doesn't sound inappropriate or intrusive. The purpose is to forge relationships, not to check up on people.

:iagree:

[Karis]

As I teacher, I HATED it.

 

 

The school could just schedule a series of fun, informal ice cream socials and the teacher can easily send a genuine hand written personalized letter/ note to each student. and follow up w/ a phone call.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Karis

[SKL]

LOL, my third-grade teacher came to our house (unscheduled, I think) back in 1974. She was very nice as she told us about herself: "I'm allergic to grass, dust, mold, bla bla bla...." After she left my mom said she would probably die from being exposed to our house. At the very least she wouldn't make any further unannounced visits. :D

 

But seriously, I think it's a good idea in general. I'm sure there are some teachers and some parents who would be the exceptions proving the rule.

[tex-mex]

When I was a public school teacher, I both loved and hated the home visits. One one hand, it gave me a chance to meet the parents on their own "turf", since many of our parents had poor experiences with school previously. (I taught a high-risk population.) Parents were often more at ease and more communicative than they were at school-based conferences. On the flip side, I seriously resented the intrusion into my planning and preparation time; having to do home visits meant that the time I typically had spent setting up my classroom and doing plans was unavailable. I had to do those things unpaid, before we officially returned to work. I also was highly uncomfortable because I had to go alone into several different housing projects, some of which were so dangerous that even the police never visit without backup. Thankfully, the worst that happened was that I got some angry stares and the occasional parent who refused to answer the door despite a previous appointment.

 

 

:iagree:

 

When I began my teaching career in the late 80's, the small school district I taught at was phasing out home visits before school officially began. I also taught in a low income (Title I) region. My older colleagues really liked the home visits to get an idea of the student's home life, but were often put out by the fact it was an unpaid visit on their own time. Many times, it was the K/1st teachers who did the home visit.

 

ETA: Before we homeschooled, my son qualified for a homebound tutor from the school district via his IEP. We loved her! She came 2x a week for an hour session and it was an enjoyable experience. We also had speech and school psychologist do a home visit with my son and they were delighted with him and his new pet kitten. Unfortunately, he did not qualify for speech services, but it was a fun afternoon.

Edited July 31, 2012 by tex-mex

[happyhomemaker25]

I think that if it is mandatory, I would be very uncomfortable.

 

But, if the teachers called to say they'd like to schedule an optional visit and that I was in no way obligated to have them in my home, however they would really like to get to know me better and meet their student before class started, then I'd be likely to do it and not feel the district was overstepping it's boundaries. If my child were in school, I'd want to find a balance between respecting my privacy and what not and yet, working to insure a good working relationship between myself and the teacher. You know...Brownie Points! :001_smile:

 

A lot would depend on how the district approached it, how the teacher handled it, and whether or not it was mandatory. I'd also want to see the option of meeting on neutral territory offered for those that want to meet with the teacher but not in their home for a variety of reasons.

 

Faith

 

I think this is how I feel as well. I don't usually admit people to my home who have not been invited. I would have to set up the date and time (flexibly of course because I know they would have other students to see as well). I gave up a lot of freedom when I was a foster parent and I am a bit hesitant to do that again.

[MrsBasil]

I think it sounds nice, but a lot to ask of teachers. Living where there are quite a few parents who don't speal English or are functionally illiterate, I wonder if part of the motivation is to see if the parents need help filling out forms and giving that help in a mch more comfortable situation than a school office?

[chepyl]

If it was an unannounced visit, I would not be okay with it. If it was scheduled in advance, I would meet with the teacher. My house is not always in a condition to receive visitors...neither am I at times ;), I would want to be sure I had showered and dressed before the teacher came by.

[Nestof3]

The only thing that makes me feel uncomfortable would be the sorts of notes the teachers would be making -- assumptions and things based on one visit.

 

It also seems like a lot of work to require from teachers.

Edited July 31, 2012 by nestof3