Education - Communication with Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education - Communication with Families - Essay Example Also, the teacher has provided translators for parents whose first language is not English. Since â€Å"translators† is plural, it is possible the teacher arranged for translators of more than a single language to be present at the meeting. Also, the teacher announces a willingness to stay late one day a week until 8:00 PM. Showing sensitivity to parents provides instant benefits. Thanking attendees for their presence is a basic element in many addresses, because it focuses attention on the audience and the effort they made to get to the meeting. As Mendoza (2003) notes, geographic distances can be difficult for some parents to cross so they can get to school events. By providing translators, the teacher is indicating an understanding that language barriers might exist and need to be addressed. This action says, â€Å"Those of you who can’t speak English deserve to know this, too.† The teacher’s willingness to stay late once a week would positively affect parents who could not make it to the school during regular school hours. Mendoza (2003) cites a study that showed how the structure of the school day limited information exchange to transition periods. A meeting at 6:00 PM would be more peaceful and productive for both parties than a hurried exchange in the parking circle at 3:00 PM. While the speaker clearly has good intentions, the speech is not without examples of insensitivity. The teacher states, â€Å"E-mail is one of the best ways for us to communicate!† This is only true for homes with Internet access, though. Students in households with low incomes might not have such access. Also, while the teacher has not peppered the speech with jargon, it is still not free from confusing vocabulary such as â€Å"state education office,† â€Å"national standards,† and â€Å"country reports,† though she does make an attempt to explain her â€Å"disclosure document† (there has got to be a friendlier name for that!). Such