Reflective Statement for PTS 9 Brittany Granquist

Artifact: Sample Letter to Parents

PTS 9. Collaborative Relationships: The competent teacher understands the

role of the community in education and develops and maintains collaborative
relationships with colleagues, parents/guardians, and the community to
support student learning and well being.

1. Write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and understanding of the

standard-put the

standard in your own words.

I think that this standard wants me to recognize the importance of fostering collaborative

relationships so to best meet the needs of my students as individuals – individuals with unique

family backgrounds and experiences that have shaped their learning styles and needs in the

classroom. It is important to initiate collaboration with students’ families so to get a feel for how

students’ home lives affect behavior and performance within the classroom and in order to utilize

the plentiful resources students’ families have to offer. In addition to collaborating with family,

teachers need to practice effective collaborative skills when solving problems and making

decisions with other professionals so to best meet the needs of the student body. The competent

teacher also must dutifully utilize community resources to provide enriching experiences for

students that solidify meaningful knowledge.

2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and
application of the

standard.

The artifact I chose for this standard is a sample letter my classmates and I wrote to our future
students’ parents/guardians for intended distribution two weeks before the beginning of school.

The letter generically introduces the teacher, provides a brief overview of the main focus areas of

the school year and the class management system, solicits an ongoing, communicative

relationship with parents/guardians, provides a communication plan so parents/guardians can be

aware of when to expect phone calls, e-mails, and/or newsletters, and includes a brief

questionnaire for parent/guardians to fill out so to help the teacher get acquainted with each

student’s interests, abilities, home lives, prior experience, etc. In preparing this sample letter and

accompanying questionnaire, I believe that I now better understand the thought process and work

that goes into the development of a starting point in “relationships with parents and guardians [in

order] to acquire an understanding of the students’ lives outside of the school in a professional

manner that is fair and equitable.” Not only will this letter allow me to become acquainted with

the children before the first day, it will provide insight into the level of involvement each family

plans to assume and therefore will help me “work [more] effectively with parents/guardians from

diverse home and community situations in order to promote student learning and well being.”

3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your
teaching will change in

the future to further meet the standard.

B. If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class
assignment, reflect upon how

your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

I plan on using my sample letter to parents/guardians each year I teach so to start off the year on

a good note with the parents and/or guardians of my students. Throughout my experience in the

classroom in the semester of Spring 2010 and thus far in the semester of Fall 2010, I have
learned through observation the “benefits, barriers and techniques involved in parent/family

relationships.” I have been advised by cooperating teachers to keep lines of communication with

parents/guardians open so to build a trusting bond that is defined by honesty, collaboration, and

support. Prior to the development of this sample letter, however, I did not know how to go about

opening these lines of communication and establishing myself as the type of teacher that probes

deeper into students’ personal lives so to best suit their needs within the classroom environment.

In collaborating with parents/guardians, I will develop a school climate that is not separate from

home, but rather a continuation of that experience. Having strong relationships where they are

welcome while realizing that not all parents/guardians will be available or willing for this type of

relationship will allow me to identify the support available. I plan to use my familial support

systems to enhance student learning by identifying the resources available and requesting

participation in the classroom so to make knowledge more meaningful and personal to students.

4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to

Teach and Learn in a

Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

Using this sample letter to get to know students before school starts in the fall will help me to

come better prepared to teach to diverse individuals and learners on the very first day of class. In

occasions where I do not have parents or colleagues to inform me about certain students’

attributes and families, I will rely on this basic questionnaire to gain information about my

students’ home lives, familial structures, interests, etc. so to account for their diversity in the

curriculum. In addition, being aware of the diversity in my classroom will help me make

accommodations in language and instruction so to ensure all students’ feel comfortable and

welcome.