A question that is often thrown around is whether schools can address students’ needs and help students learn despite larger issues in society, their communities and family. In my opinion, it is the teacher’s responsibility to provide engaging lessons, varying instructional strategies and a safe learning environment, however, negative family environments can inhibit and counteract progress at school.
Children who have rough home lives can have extreme difficulty concentrating in the classroom; if students are “sad, angry or distracted” they may be unable to pay attention and grasp concepts in the classroom” (McDevitt 151). Students that haven’t been taught how to appropriately express emotions from young may have relational conflicts with peers at schools. Lack of sleep and poor nutrition also directly affect students alertness and ability to function in school (McDevitt 168, 175). Like other teachers, I have seen the ramifications of lack of sleep and stress directly affect my students. When students walk into the classroom, red eyed and depressed, informing you that their parents had been fighting late into the night we realize that we are fighting an uphill battle.
A child’s language is also primarily developed at home during early childhood and negative examples at home can counteract formal education (McDevitt 154). Students also come to school with different levels of “readiness.” Children who have sat in front of a television during their formative years will have had fewer, “informal experimentation opportunities” and less time for exploration and knowledge building (McDevitt 157).
It is at home, in the early stages of childhood that children learn to, “cope with stress or let anxious feelings escalate” (McDevitt 148). Students that haven’t been taught appropriate social skills may be aggressive and have emotional outbursts in school.
Teachers can do their best to keep parents involved and informed as to how they can best help their students at home. I think that one of the best ways to do this is to establish consistent, positive communication with parents. Parents that know you have their child’s best interests at heart, and are on “their side” are going to be more willing to listen to your concerns. By establishing a positive relationship, parents may feel more comfortable to ask questions as to how they can reinforce and encourage successful academic behaviors at home.
Due to the fact that we spend so much time with our students, we should realize the great effect that we can have on students. We can do our best to use reinforcement and knowledge of development to fill in the gaps as we are able. I think it’s so important that we remember that we don’t know what difficulties students may be experiencing at home and in their communities. It is vital that we become a safe and caring leader that provides high expectations. Even if everything about life outside of school is grim, students can know that someone believes in them and wants to help them.
We can do our best to provide safe, stimulating learning environments and sometimes we may have success and overcome the odds against us. However, if children aren’t being nurtured and supported outside of school, we shouldn’t expect miracles.
McDveitt, Theresa, M. and Jeanne Ellis Ormorod. Child Development and Edcuation. New Jeresy: Pearson Education, 2002.
