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By calling on a wider community for backup, you’ll ease your own workload and provide better support for your students. Teachers wear many hats throughout the day, but not every role needs to fall solely on your shoulders. Enlist the support of other adults around you to expose your students to val

Oct 21, 2019

By calling on a wider community for backup, you’ll ease your own workload and provide better support for your students.

Teachers wear many hats throughout the day, but not every role needs to fall solely on your shoulders. Enlist the support of other adults around you to expose your students to valuable experiences and perspectives.

For accountability: Engage parents, guardians, and family members

Engaging parents and family members is a worthwhile endeavor. Reach out early and often with a quick phone call or email. Or, if you can, consider inviting them to an online space where they can feel connected to the classroom.

Why should you engage family members?

Engaging family members opens the door for them to be involved in their student’s success. Some parents may not know how to get involved and will appreciate your encouragement and the invitation to help students with homework, get involved in a classroom activity, or even lend their expertise to your classroom.

For inspiration: Engage successful members of the community

It doesn’t cost you anything to send an email to a local entrepreneur, politician, athlete, or artist, and what your students stand to gain is invaluable. You may be surprised at the willingness of these individuals to visit your classroom, answer students’ interview questions, or simply share their story.

Why should you engage community members?

It’s critical that students can connect with real-life examples of people who have become successful through their own efforts. They will be deeply inspired by individuals who were just like them a decade ago and now have meaningful achievements under their belts.

For incentives: Engage local businesspeople

Consider requesting a meeting with a local business owner or manager to ask about partnering up for a student incentive plan. This could mean a free fountain drink for being student of the week, an ice cream treat for acing the test, or admission to the skating rink for perfect attendance.

Why should you engage business owners?

Collaboration can help promote local business in your community and show your students that there are multiple ways businesses can connect to the people around them. Plus, sometimes we all need to know there’s a free ice cream treat keeping us motivated through a stressful time!

For growth: Engage service organizations

Call or email the volunteer coordinator at a local nonprofit and ask if they would be willing to send a guest speaker to your classroom or engage your class in a service activity.

Why should you engage service organizations?

In reality, teachers face growing expectations that they are responsible for students’ academic and personal growth alike. Take a small part of the burden off your own shoulders by allowing someone from a service organization to show your students what it means to help others. The exposure will be good for the organization’s mission as well as your students. Seeing individuals who serve others, whether on a volunteer or career basis, will show them that their options for building relationships or finding community may be wider than they thought.

InClass

It Takes A Village: Engage Your Community in Student Learning

InClass

By calling on a wider community for backup, you’ll ease your own workload and provide better support for your students.