Module Three
Sharing Responsibility for Parent Involvement
Outcomes
As a result of completing this module, participants will:
- Use effective listening skills to identify how other staff members contribute to and support parent involvement for the purpose of forming collaborative staff relationships
- Use consensus building as a strategy to create a common understanding of a program's strengths in parent involvement
- "Parent involvement" means providing parents and families with a range of opportunities over time.
- Head Start's renewed vision for parent involvement is that every parent will have opportunities for a significant experience in Head Start.
- What makes an experience in Head Start significant and meaningful will vary for each parent and family.
- Program practices and strategies may need to be modified to ensure that every parent feels included in Head Start.
- Creating a full-range, flexible parent involvement program is an on going challenge.
- To meet this challenge, parent involvement must be part of every staff person's job.
Parents most often become involved in Head Start because of their children. However, they stay involved for more complex reasons, such as for peer support or because of the opportunities for personal development. Sometimes the most important reason parents stay involved is the relationships that develop between themselves and staff persons. The close relationships may be with a teacher, family worker, home visitor, bus driver or cook. Every staff person has the potential for being the key to a parent's successful experience in Head Start.
Parent involvement must be part of everyone's job. However, some staff may see their work with parents as central to their job performance, while others may view working with parents as an extra task added to an already full plate. In addition, some staff efforts, such as running workshops, are readily recognized as "parent involvement" activities, while other equally important efforts, such as conversing with parents at the bus stop, are overlooked. No one staff person can -or should -be expected to be the only one "responsible" for parent involvement. The responsibility must be shared. For parent involvement to become a meaningful part of everyone's job, a range of efforts must be recognized and valued by all staff. This begins with acknowledging each person's efforts and continues by creating a common understanding of the effectiveness of program practices.
Activity 1: Paired Peers
Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to provide an opportunity for participants to reflect upon their roles in supporting parent involvement and to actively listen to other participants view their own roles.
Materials: Easel, chart paper, pens
Process:
Begin by recapping the key concepts as stated in the introduction to Module 3
(page 89). Stress that many staff already reach out to parents and families
in a variety of ways, and this activity will help participants identify
and acknowledge each other's unique contribution.
Write the following key questions on a piece of chart paper:
- What do I see as my role in supporting parent involvement?
- What do I do in a typical day to involve families in this Head Start program?
- What would I like to be doing differently to involve families?
- What types of support from other staff would I need to do something different?
Divide the participants into pairs. Partners should have different job responsibilities from one another. Instruct the pairs to discuss each question. Let them know that each person will be reporting back to the group what they heard from their partner, so they need to listen intently. Help participants arrange their chairs so that they are together with their partner. Make sure there is space between pairs so that people can talk with out disturbing others.
Allow discussion to last approximately 10-15 minutes. If at the end of that time participants are still discussing the questions, allow them to continue for a few more minutes.
Debriefing
Have each person share with the whole group what they learned from their partner. As they share, write up a list of their findings on chart pa per. Keep the chart paper posted for the remaining activities.
Ask participants to reflect for a moment on the information on the chart paper. Ask if there is anything they would like to add. Also ask if there were any findings that surprised them.
Lead the participants' attention to those findings that show (1) how persons in different jobs have similar or different roles in parent involvement and (2) the interdependence of staff in encouraging and supporting parent involvement.
Close by stating that every staff person can promote and support parent involvement in Head Start. The ways in which each staff member supports parent involvement may vary, but everyone's role is important and should be valued.
Activity 2: Reflecting on Parent Involvement through Journal Writing
Purpose: All staff can benefit from a clear sense of their roles in parent involvement and how this role is related to the roles of others. This coaching activity will help individual staff members understand and expand upon their roles in parent involvement. Participants will use reflection, critical thinking and writing skills.
Materials: Handout 7
Process: Explain that the journal writing process of this activity will help participants structure some quiet time for reflection on parent involvement.
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Trainer Preparation Notes:
To prepare for this activity, participants must take time to observe themselves and others in their work with parents in the program. Therefore, direct participants to engage in active reflection for a few days before beginning their journal exercise. |
Help each participant assess his or her preferred learning style, in order to find a journal keeping technique that will most inspire their thoughtfulness and creativity:
- For persons who learn best by seeing or feeling, suggest that they begin each entry by "drawing" their thoughts.
- For persons who learn best by speaking and listening, suggest that they generate ideas for each entry by discussing their thoughts with a sympathetic listener (such as a colleague, family member or friend) or by recording into a tape recorder.
- For persons who learn best by reading and writing, suggest that they might want to read some program materials. Or they may want to jot down their thoughts in an informal outline or word map in preparation for writing.
Go over the instructions on Handout 7, helping participants to think through the journalizing process they will use.
Direct participants to make the journal pail of their job responsibilities for the next two or three weeks (the length of time will depend on the date that you set for the debriefing from this exercise). Ask them to set aside a minimum of 2O minutes of uninterrupted time weekly for this task.
Also inform participants that, at least once during the period that they are keeping the journal, they should pick a concern or question that comes out of their writing to discuss with a co-worker or supervisor. They should then write their thoughts about that discussion in the journal. Note that a space is given on each entry page for them to jot down their ideas for discussion topics, however, they will not have to show their journal to anyone.
Debriefing
Begin discussion by asking participants to reflect on the journal writing process and the method they used to record their thoughts. Move to questions that address what the participants learned about parent involvement as a result of this activity:
- How did journal writing help you reflect on your role in parent involvement?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What did you learn about your role in relation to other staff?
- What came Out of your discussion with a co-worker or supervisor?
- Do you see your role in parent involvement changing in any way? If so, how?
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Trainer Preparation Notes:
Many staff may have a difficult time finding quiet space for reflection and getting started with journal writing. To help ensure their success in this activity, ask participants to think about when, where and how they can journal. You may wish to begin writing journals entries together early in this coaching exercise. |
Activity 3: Working Together
Purpose: Providing meaningful involvement opportunities for every Head Start parent and family will take a common vision and the coordinated efforts of all Head Start staff. In this activity, staff will work together to take an inventory of their program's parent involvement efforts. This joint activity will allow staff to share perceptions about their current efforts and to forge an agreement on goals for enhancing those efforts.
Materials: Easel, chart paper, pens, Handout 8
Process: Provide all participants with copies of Handout 7, Building a Program Profile. Introduce the handout as an inventory -a list of statements about different aspects of the program as they affect parent involvement. As a group, they will have to decide how well each statement describes their program.
Explain that the purpose of this exercise is to uncover the staffs perceptions about their current parent involvement efforts - that is, to identify what the staff as a whole sees as its program's strengths and weaknesses. With this knowledge, staff can decide what needs to be done to make the program even better.
Note that this exercise is just a first step in identifying staff perceptions of the program's strengths and areas needing improvement. Stress that this is just a simulation exercise. To create a truly accurate profile of a program, the exercise would have to be done jointly with others who have a stake in the program, such as parents and community members.
Divide participants into small work groups of six to eight. Ask for a volunteer from each group. Once participants have moved into their small groups, ask the volunteers to read through each of the statements on the profile, allowing time for participants to rank their program, in terms of each statement, on their own copies of the handout. Instruct participants not to discuss the statements at this point, but rather to score all of the statements independently.
Have the volunteers facilitate discussions comparing each individual's scores for and perceptions of each statement. Direct the volunteers to ensure that their groups talk about and have a shared definition of any open-ended terms (such as "the resources" in statement 2, "available" in statement 4, or "efforts" in statement 8). Remind the groups to expect some differences in perception. Stress that there is no right or wrong answer.
Direct each group to come to a consensus on each of the statements. Have each volunteer record his or her group's consensus scores. Encourage the groups to cover all sections if time permits. Allow 35 to 45 minutes for the discussion.
Debriefing
Reconvene into the large group. Ask the small group volunteers to report on any statements where there was a wide range of different perceptions or where the overall rating was low. Invite comments from other groups on how they rated that statement.
Invite group discussion on the following:
- What are our program's strengths in parent involvement - what are we doing well?
- What would we like to do better?
- What support would staff need to make that happen?
- How could we use this inventory with others from the Head Start community, such as parents and other community members.
- How could we make that happen?
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Trainer Preparation Notes:
If there is interest in repeating the inventory with others from the Head Start community, enlist volunteers for a committee to help organize that activity. |
Activity 4: Shadowing
Purpose: It is difficult in the day-to-day rush of program life to stop, take stock and appreciate the role that other staff members play in their lives of children and parents in the program. In this coaching activity, participants will do just that by following and observing staff as they interact with parents. Participants will use observation and writing skills.
Materials: Handout 9
Process: Distribute Handout 9, Shadowing, to participants. Explain that this is an opportunity to focus on the ways that different staff members work to involve parents in the program. From this exercise, participants can get a better sense of their own role in the staff team, and they can also discover many ideas and techniques for involving parents that they might want to adopt.
Explain that "shadowing" means they will be a silent partner with a staff member for a brief time: going wherever that person goes, watching what he or she does, observing the results, taking notes and, finally, discussing what they observed with the staff member.
Go over a staff list with the participants. Help them select one of two staff members that they would like to shadow. The shadowing should be of staff members at times and places where they can be observed talking or working with parents.
Direct participants to (1) ask each staff member for permission to shadow for about thirty minutes to an hour; (2) arrange to be absent from their regular work assignment for the time that they are shadowing; and (3) set a time for shadowing when the staff member will be interacting with parents.
Go over the instructions and the example on the Shadowing handout, to make sure the participants know how to use the form to keep track of observations.
Instruct participants to take a few minutes right after shadowing to talk about the experience and thank the staff person for providing them with this learning opportunity.
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Trainer Preparation Notes:
Make sure that the people who are chosen to be "shadowed" are open to sharing their expertise. This activity should not be an intrusion but a welcome opportunity to demonstrate parent involvement approaches for a colleague. |
Debriefing
Begin by stating that the ways in which different staff support parent involvement and carry out responsibilities will vary. However, everyone can learn by watching others. They can pick up useful strategies and techniques and apply them in their particular jobs.
Ask participants:
- In what ways did the observed staff members involve parents?
- What did you find most interesting or positive about each staff member's approach with parents?
- Did you get any new ideas or strategies that you would like to adapt and use yourself?
- How can you put that idea or strategy into action in your particular setting?
Activity 5: Peer Exchange
Purpose: All staff members in Head Start depend on others to assist them in their work with parents. In this coaching activity, participants will get the opportunity to look at how they support each other to promote parent involvement. Participants will use brainstorming, critical thinking and discussion skills.
Materials: Handout 10
Process: Have the participants select a partner who they feel supports them in their work in parent involvement.
Distribute to each participant a copy of Handout 10, Peer Exchange. Explain that this exercise will help them talk about the ways that they depend upon each other in their work to involve parents. This opportunity for discussion can help them build even greater support for each other.
Go through Handout 10's Peer Exchange Sample Worksheet to make sure that the participants understand how to use the form to brainstorm on the ways they support each other. Then direct the pair to fill out Handout 10 together. Encourage them to include on their list any ideas they have for new ways the co-workers could support them, and vice versa, in their parent involvement work.
Debriefing
Begin discussing by asking participants to reflect on the peer exchange process. Ask participants:
- What are the similarities in the ways you and your partner support each other? What are the differences?
- Do you support each other in ways that you hadn't realized?
- How can you build upon the ways that you work together, to better involve parents?
- What kinds of resources (staff, materials, etc.) have helped to two of you support each other?
- What additional resources do you need to strengthen the cooperation between you and your co-worker?
| Trainer Preparation Notes: Encourage participants to repeat this exercise with another co-worker. As more co-workers participate in the peer exchange process, a web of conscious, |
Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice
Supervisors can encourage and support the transfer of ideas in this training module into everyday practice. Some activities to accomplish this are as follows:
Have participants analyze their program's job descriptions for responsibilities related to parent involvement. Suggested area for review:
- How are responsibilities for parent involvement defined for each staff role?
- Do some job descriptions include too few responsibilities in this area? Too many?
- Are the expectations and responsibilities reflective of what actually happens in practice?
- Should some of the descriptions be rewritten to reinforce the message that parent involvement is part of everyone's job?
Use Handout 8, Building a Program Profile, as a tool for gathering parents' perceptions about your program. Using the results, select a focus area for which the scores were low and/or there was a difference between the perceptions of the staff and parents. Form a committee that is a cross-section of staff, parents and community members whose task it will be to identify ways in which the area can be improved.