Lesson three was all about school climate and the whole child. The climate of schools effect student's ability to be successful academically. It is important to maintain a good and positive school climate and enviornment for students. In the following discussion you will see my responses and my own thoughts on this matter.  

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 1: In your own words, describe "School Climate".

            School climate is basically the environment and the atmosphere of the school itself. I feel like school climate can be described as the attitude and the vibes that the school gives off to students. If the school gives off positive, encouraging vibes then students will feel better about coming to school and they will perform better than if they were in a negative school climate. The climate affects everyone’s attitude toward school and there are many factors that make up the school climate. Parent’s involvement and attitude toward school, teachers and administrators attitudes toward school, the decorations and layout of the school, the cleanliness of the school, etc. The list goes on and on but the main thing to remember is every aspect of the school and the family lives of the children make up what the school climate is and will feel like.

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 2: In your own words, describe "School Culture".

                        School culture is often used interchangeably with school climate, as mentioned in the power point presentation. Culture itself is a common set of beliefs and principles that a certain group shares and lives by, and there are many, many cultures in and throughout the world therefore we have many different cultures attending our schools, especially in the United States, so I would say that school culture would be the moral code of the school and the acceptance of children from all cultures. In order for the school to function properly then the schools must accept and care for each child equally no matter the culture or the background that they come from. The shared values and ethics that the school has as an organization are what makes up the schools culture and the schools atmosphere, much like the school’s climate.

 

Discussion 3 Question 3: Describe the four (4) dimensions of School Climate.

The four dimensions of school climate include: 1) Safety 2) Relationships 3) Teaching and Learning 4) Institutional Environment. Each and every dimension has its own kind of importance and they all help to shape the way that students and their families feel about school, and in essence create the school’s climate. Safety refers to the overall safety of the students. The level of protection, whether or not the student feels safe and nurtured at school, and the rules that the school has to maintain a safe environment. Relationships refer to what kind of relationships the students make. Whether or not they have a positive, supportive relationship with their teachers and their families can affect their behavior and their academic success. Relationships also have a lot to do with how the students treat their peers, whether or not they respect one and other, and how they respond to situations. Teaching and Learning are all about the relationship between the student and the teacher in order for the student to perform at a good performance level. If a student has a negative relationship with their teacher then they won’t learn and succeed but if they have a positive relationship then they will have a good learning experience and will thrive.

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 4: The "Whole Child" initiative seems to be interwoven with School Climate. Describe the "Whole Child" approach towards education.

            It is all about looking at every aspect of the child in order to make them a better asset to our world and communities. In the document it was explained that to a doctor the child is a patient, to the teacher the child is a student, and to the playground the student is a first baseman, and that the child is never looked at as a “Whole Child”. Looking at a child as a “Whole Child” means looking at everything about the child. Looking at their health, their learning ability and capacity, and their social skills. In the Education atmosphere it is vital to look at children and every aspect of their lives in order to teach them effectively. It will help us to better understand how the students learn and what they deal with so that we as teachers do not over step our boundaries and that we can help the learn effectively by knowing all we can about each and every child.

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 5: Regarding the video for this lesson, would a positive school climate and whole child approach save this school? Describe.

            I feel like that school needs a serious make over. A positive school climate would definitely change that place for the better and so would a whole child approach. Students living in life styles like this really need an extra push and an extra hand when it comes to education and making better for themselves. If the school was made into a more welcoming environment, instead of the paint looking like a prison I feel like they should paint it in more welcoming colors and change the look of the place. I also think that the presence of security guards is important but if I were a student at that school I don’t know if I would feel more alarmed or safe with their presence. I think that it’s important that they are taking those precautions but I also think that the school needs to resemble more of a learning environment and not a prison.

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 6: List and describe some of the positive outcomes associated with a positive school climate and educating the whole child.

            Positive outcomes that come from a positive school climate and educating with the whole child mindset are almost countless. A positive school climate would be beneficial because children learn better with the atmospheres that they are in and the environment affects them in numerous ways. The school climate can make a child feel safer and it can make them feel more welcome and so if there is a positive school climate then there will be positive performance amongst students. Educating as the whole child is positive because you can work with every aspect of the child and looking at the child as a whole instead of just looking at them as just a student. When you educate children with the whole child mindset then you will be looking at them from a different perspective and you will be providing them with a better quality education.

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 7: What can schools do to develop a positive school climate? Describe.

            Schools can make their buildings more inviting to change the school climate. It will change the way that students and visitors feel towards their school. Schools can develop better communications between the teachers and parents, and they can also invite parents to get more involved with their children’s educations. Schools can also promote more one on one study time between students and teachers. Communication, decoration, and positivity goes a long way and all of those are aspects that schools can improve and make better to create a better school climate.

 

 

Discussion 3 Question 8: What can YOU do, as a teacher, to help develop a positive school climate? Describe

            As a teacher I can help to develop a better school climate by decorating my room and making it more inviting and friendly for both parents and the children. I can also learn more about my students and try to teach them with different methods that accommodate their learning styles. I also feel like it would be important to learn more about my students so that I can understand why the behaved a certain way and try to understand their way of living and what they are used to going home to and try to make their lives better by showing them educations importance and opportunities to change their lives. I would also have a lot of parent meetings and communication with student’s parents to help get them more involved. I would arrange a weekly newsletter that is sent home with each of my students at the beginning of each week with student’s homework and their learning objectives so parents can follow along with what their children are being taught. A school climate is made up of the students, the teachers, and the parents, so I would involve everyone and everything I could to help make the climate more positive for my students.

 

Research Question:

Does parent involvement really make a difference in a student’s education?

 

Research References:

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Public-education/Parent-Involvement/Parent-Involvement.html

http://www.schoolmoney.org/parent-involvement-school-student-success/

 

Research Analysis:

            According to the research parent involvement is a must. The relationship that parents have with their children’s teachers and schools directly affect their child’s academic progress and success. The benefits that students reap from parents’ involvement are things such as better grades, better attendance, better behavior, a better attitude towards learning, and help from home from their parents. Studies show that parents that are more involved in their child’s school life have more of a sense of empowerment about being involved in their child’s success in school. In other words, if a parent is more involved then they will feel better about themselves as a parent trying to help their child succeed academically.

            According to the research there are multiple things that parents can do to get more involved in their child’s education. These things include but are not limited to: helping their child fundraise, attend PTA meetings, actively communicate with teachers, help with homework, attend field trips as chaperones, volunteer with student and school activities, and the list goes on and on. According to the research there is actually new research that states that traditional parent involvement such as volunteering in the classroom and attending PTA meetings has less of an impact as it used to. It was observed that the kind of parent involvement that actually has a lasting high impact on students is involvement from the home.

            In conclusion, the research basically said that parent involvement is still just as important as it always has been, but parent involvement from the home is where most of the results come from. Not only does parent involvement help the students perform at higher levels and the parents feel more in control of their children’s success but it also helps to increase a teacher’s morale. According to the research parent involvement has a direct impact on the confidence and enthusiasm from teachers and will make a teacher better able to teach students effectively.

 

Research Summary:

            I was very pleased to see that parent involvement is still looked at as a beneficial thing. I have always felt like parent involvement was important especially because my parents were never very actively involved in my own education. I however do not think that attending a PTA meeting has less of an impact of what it used to because my parents have never attended a PTA meeting and as a student I always wanted them to do that because it would have at least have shown that they had interest in my schooling, but sadly they never did. I think that all types of parent involvement is important because it really does have an impact on student success. The research was overall very pleasing to me, and I sincerely hope that when I become a teacher and have my own classroom that I have lots of parents involved in each of my student’s schooling because as a teacher that would make me the happiest teacher ever. I really do agree that parent involvement makes a teacher feel better, because I certainly feel like it would make me ecstatic as a teacher.