Parent/GuardianInterestSurvey

DearParents,

WelcometowhatIknowwillbeafulfillingandfunyearoflearning.Pleasebrieflyhelp
megettoknowyourfamily.YouaretheexpertonyourchildandIneedyourknowledgeand
expertisetoprovidethebestlearningexperienceIcanforyourchild.Pleasetakesometimeto
filloutthisbriefsurvey.Thesequestionsalongwithyouranswersallowmetobetterunderstand
yourchildsneeds.Answeringthesequestionshonestlywillletmehaveaglimpseintoyour
studentslifeafterschoolhours.Thankyouinadvanceandifyouhaveanyquestionsyoucan
contactmeviaemail:shannon.donegan93@gmail.com
1. Whataresomeofyourfamilysspecialinterest(suchashobbies,skills,orthekidof
workyoudo)?
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2. Wouldyoubewilingtocomeshareyourspecialinterestwiththechildren?__________
3. Additionalinformation,specialconcerns,orquestionsforme
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4. DoyouspeakanylanguagesotherthanEnglishathome?Ifso,whichone(s)?
________________________________________________________________________
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5. Wouldyoulikeaninterpreteratschoolmeetingsandschoolnewsletterstobetranslated
intothespecifiedlanguageabove?
YesNo
6. Doyouhaveasetworkscheduleordoesyourworkschedulechangefromweekto
week?Ifyouwouldliketospecifywhereyouwork,pleasedosobelow.
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7. Howmanyhoursaweekdoyouwork?(circleone)
510102020303040506060ormore
8. Whatdoesanaverageeveninglooklikeforyouchild?
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9. Doyouhaveacomputerwithinternetaccessathomeforyourchildtouse?YesNo
10. Whatareyourchildshobbiesorinterests?
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11. Howwouldyouliketobeinvolvedinourclassroom?(checkallthatinterestyou)
- ______Workwithsmallgroupsofstudentstopracticemathfacts
- ______Helpconductclassroompartiessuchasholidayparties
- ______Beachaperoneonfieldtrips
- ______Sendmaterialsneededintotheclassroom
- ______Readaloudabook
- ______Participateincareerday
- ______Other(Pleasespecifybelow)
12. Whatisthebestwaytoreachyou?(Youdonotneedtoprovidethisinformation,wecan
alsocommunicatethroughyourchildsagenda.)
Email:_____________________________________
Phone:____________________________________
Address:___________________________________
Isthereanythingelsethatyouwouldlikeformetoknow?
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Iamalwaysavailabletoconferenceatanytimeduringtheafterschoolhoursandyoucan
reachmebyemail.Thankyousomuchforcompletingthissurvey.Ilookforwardto
teachingyourstudentandIwouldlovetohavestrongcommunicationwithyouastheir
parent/guardian.
Rationale

Surveyandlearningaboutfamiliesbackgroundandcultureisanessentialpartofhaving
aneffectiveclassroom.Whenateacheradoptstheroleoflearnerthatiswhentrueprogressis
made.Thishelpstoestablishafundamentallynew,andmoreequalrelationshipwiththeparents.
TheFundsofKnowledgeArticledescribesthehomesandcultureofthestudentsandtheir
familiesasfundsofknowledge.Thisroleoflearnerthattheteachertakesonhelpsredefinethe
homesofthestudentsasrichinfundsofknowledgethatrepresentimportantresourcesfor
educationalchange(Moll1992).
ThefirstthreequestionscamedirectlyfromtheexampleintheDavisandYangbook.
Thegoalofthissurveyistohelpincreatingarelationshipofrespect,trust,andcollaboration
withtheparents(Epstein).IwanttheparentstofeelasthoughIamexcitedtohavetheirchild
andthatIwanttogettoknowtheirchildbetterinordertogivethemthebesteducational
experienceIcan.WiththefirstthreequestionsIwanttheparentstofeelsecureintheiropinions
(Davis&Yang).IntheMollstudyitfoundthatfamilieshadabundantknowledgethatschools
didnotknowaboutandasaresultdidnotuseinordertoteachacademicskills(Moll1992).It
alsofoundthatfamiliessharedwhattheyknew(Moll1992)Whenschoolsandteachersseekout
thisinformationfromfamiliestheyhaveabetterchanceofhelpingbilingualandminority
childrenachieveauthenticliteracy;thewillfosterasenseofcommunity;andtheywillbestowa
muchrichereducationthanmostworkingclasskidsenjoy.(Moll,1993p139)
Iaskedwhatlanguagewasspokenathomeandiftheyneededatranslatorsoasto
facilitateourcommunication.Againthegoalistomakeparentsfeelascomfortableaspossible
withme.Idontwantlanguagetobeabarrier.Ialsoaskedabouttheirjob.Iphraseditinaway
thatallowedthemtovoluntarilysharethisinformation.Afterwatchingthevideoonrefugees,I

feltasthoughthismightbetooforwardtoaskstraighton.(Sprague2014).Somerefugeeswere
fromaffluentpartsoftheircountriesandhadtoberelocatedbecauseofpersecutionsorother
reasons.Therefore,theirdegreeinonecountrymightmeannothinginourownandtheywould
havetoperformjobsthattheywouldnothavedoneintheirhomecountry.Iconstructedthe
questioninawaythatallowedparentsorguardianstovoluntarilygivethisinformation,rather
thanjustaskforit..
Ialsowantedtogetapicturefromtheparentsofwhattheirhomelifeislike.Inordertoo
thisIaskedafewdifferentquestions.Iwantedtogetanideaoftheparentsworkschedule.The
GorskiVideoinspiredthissetofquestions.Acommonmisconceptionisthatlowerincome
parentsdonotshowupbecausetheydonotcare.Thisisveryoftennotthecaseatall.Parentsof
thesestudentsoftenhavetoworkthreeparttimejobsbecausemostplacesthatwillhirepeople
oftheiracademiclevelwillnothirewageemployeesbecausetheydonotwanttopaythem
benefits.Thisresultsintheseparentshavingtowork3parttimejobsjusttomakeendsmeet.
(Gorski2014).Thisquestionalsogivesmeinformationonhowmuchhelpthechildwillbe
gettingathome.BylearningtheparentsworkscheduleIcanbettercatertotheneedsofachild
thatdoesnotacademicsupportathome.Thisquestionalsoleadsbackintofindingoutwhat
fundsofknowledgeIcangainformtheirparents.Iftheydontlistsomethinginthefamily
interestsectionthisisanotherwayformetogetmoreinformationonwhatthefamilyhas
knowledgeof(Moll1992).
Ialsoaskedwhatatypicaleveninglookslikeforthechild.ThisIfeellikemightbekind
ofahardquestionforsomeparentstoanswerornotfeelcomfortabletellingthetruthabout.Ifa
kidcomeshomeandwatchesTVtillbedorwatcheshisyoungersiblingseverydayaparents

mightnotbecomfortablebeingtruthful.Myhomeisthatbygivingoutthissurveyafterthefirst
backtoschoolnightandhopefullyafterhavingbeabletoaccomplishsomehomevisitsIwill
havedevelopedenoughofarelationshipwiththeparentsforthemtohonestandtruthful.This
questionwillbeveryhelpfulagainitpaintsabetterpictureofwhatthechildslifeislikeat
homemakingitbetterformetobeabletocatertotheirneeds.
Ialsoincludedaquestionaboutinvolvementintheclassroom.Iwillhavealready
mentionedthistotheparentsbeforebutIamusingthesurveyasanotheropportunitytotryand
encourageparentalinvolvementintheclassroom.
WorksCited
Davis,C.,&Yang,A.(2005).Parents&teachersworkingtogether.TurnersFalls,..MA:
NortheastFoundationforChildren.
Epstein.(n.d.).Epstein'sFrameworkofSixTypesofInvolvement.
Gorski,P.(2015,April,21)PaulGorski[videofile]Retrievedfrom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAJMWrfOhMg&feature=youtu.be
Moll,L.,Amanti,C.,Neff,D.,&Gonzalez,N.(1992).FundsofKnowledgeforTeaching:
.UsingaQualitativeApproachtoConnectHomesandClassrooms.Theory.Into
Practice,31(2),132141.RetrievedFebruary13,2016,.from
https://canvas.jmu.edu/courses/1367294/files/64367422?module_item_id=143999
Sprague,R.(2014)Refugeelecture.Retrievedfrom:
.https://canvas.jmu.edu/courses/1367294/modules/items/14399294