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In life, one of the most basic biological instincts
is territoriality. In a nutshell, it is when creatures,
in order to protect themselves, their offspring
and their place in a larger system, mark off a
certain physical and, in the case of higher mammals,
psychological space within which an intruder is
unwelcome. Human beings have perfected the art
of territorial space by building boundaries -
private property, towns, cities, counties, states
and countries are some examples that actually
serve a positive purpose of maintaining order
in an otherwise chaotic universe.
The territorial urge becomes a problem when its
imposition is irrational and counterproductive
to the lives and well-being of the group protected
and the individuals wishing to share the protected
space. The example I wish to share with you today
is the artificial boundary drawn round our classrooms
and schools that prevent a wealth of opportunity
and mutual enjoyment to unfold. As a result of
continuing departmentalization of our lives in
which we find ourselves more and more isolated
from one another, church from church, town from
town, school district from school district and
in this example parent from teacher, our children
have fallen into a black hole where "learning"
takes place in the "classroom" by "teachers" and
life occurs everywhere else. Parents, beyond the
second grade, are more or less excluded from a
voluntary sharing of the learning process within
the classroom.
It is my belief that parents have an extraordinary
amount of life experience that if tapped creatively
by a dedicated teaching staff, would greatly benefit
the children and establish a real and tangible
collaboration between the community and the otherwise
embattled school. Parents who wish to volunteer
their time, energy and abilities to our children
should be tapped as a wonderful resource. Good
teachers are good channels in that they take the
exuberance of children and move it gently and
with guidance to richer and deeper places. Our
teachers can use that same gift to tap into the
same energy that potential volunteers bring to
our educational system. Parents who wish to volunteer
would bring their own special talents to the mix
but would need the guidance and experience of
the teacher, in the beginning, to best serve the
evolving needs of the children.
Over time, it is possible that experienced volunteers
might be able to share more in the classroom and
that reality must be acknowledged when and if
that time came. The value of having parent volunteers
in the schools comes from allowing a sense of
trust and openness, of sharing and mutual respect
to be rekindled in our educational system. Artificial
walls that exist between union and administration,
between parents and teachers, between school districts
and the taxpayers who support them, and especially
between the children and the adult world can be
reconfigured to work to everyone's benefit.
This is not fantastical thinking. K through 2
classes have been fully utilizing parent volunteers
for years. Whatever the reasons why the cutoff
of 3rd grade occurs may be outweighed by a need
on the part of the system for better ratios between
children and adults, for collaborative opportunities
to grow between communities and the schools serving
them, and for children to witness parents as an
integral aspect of their learning experience.
Here is a scenario in Indiana where parent volunteers
made a real difference.
After piloting a program where parents volunteered
in the schools, Mary Frank, Keywood and Thompson
tracked the academic performance of third graders
for two years. The data showed a 14 percent increase
in math scores and an 11 percent increase in language
arts scores on the state's tests. The number of
children passing both sections of the test also
increased by 8 percent. "This was the only difference
between our school and others," Keywood added.
Bullying also decreased and behavior improved,
she said. For the full article, see http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin437.shtml
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