Have you ever tried to sit on a three legged stool that had a leg missing? That sounds pretty difficult doesn’t it? It would even be a tougher job if two legs were missing, and you only had one on which to balance. This is pretty much the way it is in education at times. In order for students to be successful, it takes three legs on the learning stool. First is the school, second is the parent, and the third is the student. If any of these parts is missing, it is very difficult for a student to do well. This is true because education is successful when there is a partnership between home and school.
What does the school need to do to fulfill its part of the bargain? First of all the school must create a safe environment for students. If students are in fear, it is unlikely they will concentrate on learning. Then they must expect all students to learn and improve. This means regardless of the part of town the family comes from or the educational level of the parents. The school believes each student can reach high standards.
Thirdly, the school must provide effective instruction. This includes teaching students the most important information. This should be done when the student is most ready to learn it. It also means teaching the school curriculum in a way that effectively meets the learning needs of students. For some students, this may mean a more hands-on approach to learning. For others it may mean providing more independent self-directed projects. For still others it may mean learning the information in a way that is meaningful to the student’s life and past experiences.
What is the parents’ role in this process? First, they need to take an interest in their children’s learning. This is seen by being active in the school. Such activity could include attending school events such as conferences and parent meetings. Volunteering in schools also gives the children a powerful message about how important education is to the parents. This can also be seen in daily discussing school with the young people to make sure they are keeping up and to discover whether or not they are leaning. This interest can also be seen in closely monitoring students’ grades and checking on the scores they daily have achieved in their class work.
A second responsibility of parents in the learning process is maintaining two-way communication with the school. This means calling the school when a student is struggling. It also means giving the school input and information on how to improve. Thirdly, good communication includes telling the teacher or the school when something is going right. Only getting complaint calls can be discouraging. Schools and teachers deserve to know when they are doing something well. Lastly, it means taking advantage of information meetings that are called to help moms and dads be effective parents.
Now to the third leg: What is the students’ responsibility in learning? Students need to understand what a present their education is. Many times students that come to American schools from other countries do better than native students. Why is that? It might be because they realize what a gift good schools are.
Many young people take school for granted and only see learning as a chore to endure. They often do not realize that education is a privilege that will give them countless additional opportunities later on. Student engagement in learning is absolutely critical. No matter how dedicated the teachers and how determined the parents if the student does not want to learn, the process breaks down.
If you ever see a stool with a broken leg, remember this analogy. This is what education is like if any of the partners fail to do their part. It takes parents, schools and students working in harmony to bring about high levels of student learning.
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