Below are questions that grew out of a discussion by some of the parents about the class. The questions are intended purely as means to support and improve collaboration between parents and teachers. This is a synthesis -- an effort to sample from the common themes that were brought up. Not every parent in the group necessarily shared every concern or question.
Preamble: Parents probably get a skewed perspective of what's going on in class when all they see from week to week are the homework assignments students are expected to complete. Without knowing what's going on in class, it's hard to support our children's education.
Question: How can parents learn about the curriculum in advance of it's being taught?
Preamble: The arrival of a new teacher into the classroom has been very welcome, but some parents have been confused and worry they are creating conflict when they have seemed to get one answer from one teacher and a different answer from another.
Question: How can parents support effective communication between teachers?
Preamble: Many of the homework tasks our children bring home seem dull and disconnected -- parents worry that these are representative of all school tasks.
Question: How can parents contribute to the curriculum so that it is more meaningful, exciting, and integrated?
Preamble: Parents are concerned that their children express apprehension regarding classroom or assignment rules.
Question: How can we reassure our children that the environment is a safe place to make mistakes and learn?
Preamble: Parents have experienced the power of collaborative learning among students in previous grades, yet feel that this year collaborative learning plays a smaller and smaller role.
Question: How can parents support increased collaborative learning among the students?