Overcome Barriers That Prevent Parents Involvement In Childrens Education

Overcome Barriers That Prevent Parents Involvement In Childrens Education Parental Involvement is critically important in a childs education. Research has shown that parents positive involvement with their childrens schooling is associated with many encouraging outcomes. There are many parents who want to be involved in their childs day to day activities, but many circumstances enable this opportunity. Despite their best intentions to support their children, there are many barriers that prohibit the support. John Wherry (2009) discusses ways to overcome barriers that effectively prevent so many parents from getting involved. In addition, Gregory Flynn (2007) explains in order for schools to increase parental involvement, they need to promote critical behaviors and provide teacher training. Whereas, Cecily Mitchell (2008) believes by figuring out what parent involvement actually entails and how to effectively achieve it, remain challenges for schools and districts across the nation even as they work to build strong partnerships between schools and families. This paper identifies barriers that are prohibiting parents from becoming more involved in their childs education and strategies to overcome these barriers that are preventing parental involvement. Literature Review There is an abundance of literature which introduces many to the importance of parent involvement and a vast variety of reasons are present to support the view of how parents and teachers can make the involvement work. Parental involvement involves a partnership between the teachers and parents. This partnership bridges a gap between parents and teachers to enhance a childs education. In this partnership between parents and teachers, they encounter barriers that prevent the partnership from working together; which lead them to find strategies that will help them overcome the barriers. Parental involvement is an issue that has been around for centuries and is one of the key components of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act (Mitchell, 2008). This literature review explains that parental involvement plays an important part in a childs education and in order for parental involvement to be a success; teachers and parents have to overcome barriers that prevent this partnership from being s uccessful. Wherry (2009) provided a candid description on ways schools can prevent barriers of parental involvement. He developed strategies that will make the up and coming school year be the best ever for parental involvement for some teachers and parents. He goes on to state, there is a way for parent support to boost student learning available to any school, that makes the modest effort to overcome barriers that distinctively prevent parents from being involved in their childs education. Parental involvement has generally been defined as diverse activities in the home or at the school that permit parents to share in the education process (Wright). It is reasonable to assume with such attention given to the importance of parental involvement both in the literature and by the government, that there has been a significant increase in parent participation in our schools (Flynn, 2007); however, according to the National PTA, there are 50 million children enrolled in schools and one i n four parents is actively involved in their childs education (Griffiths-Prince, 2008). Parental involvement is when parents and teachers participate in a regular, two-way conversation involving student educational learning. This includes parents being involved in their childrens education in various ways, both at home and at school. When parents feel good about their school involvement and the schools instructional efforts, they tend to hold high expectations for their childrens interests, aspirations, and learningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Risko, Dalhouse, 2009); consequently, parents who are in touch with the childrens education can better observe classroom activities and improve their communication with the teacher. Many parents seek out the opportunity to share in their childrens experiences, as well as communicate with their children. Although parent involvement is revealed to have a big impact on the student achievement and success, it could be led to be seen as a vital ingredient to education form, for example, findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 suggest that parental involvement does not independently improve childrens learning, but some involvement activities do prevent behavioral problems (Domina, 2005). Because of unfortunate circumstances, there are some parents who are not able to be involved with their child education. While parental involvement is important to public education, there are barriers that prevent parents from being involved with their childs education. Identifying Barriers of Parental Involvement Education is the key to many children having a good future. In order for a child to reach this milestone in their lives, they need not only their parents, but also the teachers. Even though parents know their children better than anyone else and can be virtually important school partners if allowed to be (Wherry, 2009); however, there are some parents who tend to be less involved in their childs education (LaBahn, 1995). Could this be on purpose or do they have legitimate reasons? When educators learn what barriers exist in their schools, it could be an important step to increasing parent involvement (PSEA, 2007) because; schools play a strong role in determining the level and nature of parent involvement (B W, 2008). Parents may be doing the best they can (LaBahn, 1995) and it is still not enough, because parental involvement is a challenge to some parents. Many of them have to deal with various barriers, such as lack of communication, lack of time, and language differences. Lack of Communication Lack of communication is one barrier that prevents parental involvement. Differences in expectations and misunderstandings about each other goals can lead to uncertain and tenuous, and contentious relationships (Risko Walker-Dalhouse, 2009). Parents who receive negative communication or no communication from schools tend to have trust issues. The trust issue leads parents to believe the school has an unfriendly climate. Also, if a parent had a bad experience as a young child with teachers, that experience could leave a parent fearful of speaking to their own children teachers. These negative perceptions of schools held by many parents should be replaced with some positive perceptions of the school. Many parents are not aware that help is needed because the school has not advertised the opportunities. Although some schools send out information pertaining to parental involvement with different types of activities, this does not happen at every school. Many parents would feel eager to come to the school to volunteer their services, if they were invited into the schools. Parents are most likely to agree to partake in a classroom activity if they are asked directly by the teacher to do a specific task. Schools should work to build and maintain a welcoming and responsive school atmosphere (Wherry, 2009). Lack of Time Lack of time is also a barrier that prevents parental involvement. Parents often cite time as the single greatest barrier to volunteering, attending meetings, and joining decision making committees at their childrens school (PTA, 2009). Parents, who work in low-paying jobs that do not offer time off for illness or family emergencies, do not have a lot of time for parental involvement and they cannot risk their jobs to take time out to visit their childs school. There just simply are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything (LaBahn, 1995).In todays society there are more single family households that require the parent to work long hours. With the increase in single-parent households and the dramatic change in the work force, with mothers of school-aged children entering in great numbers, time has become a valuable commodity for parents who struggle to make ends meet (Patrikakou, 2008). For example, many mothers do not have equipment or the skill to plan science fair experiments or construct woodworking projects, and fathers may not be able to help design and sew costumes for the school play (LaBahn, 1995). Parents also feel that when the children are not in school, time should be spent with the family and not attending meetings at the school. Some parents feel that too much involvement in their childs education could have a harmful effect, either by making their child uncomfortable or making the child dependent upon them. Teachers and parents know that time is often one of the greatest challenges and that is why it should be spent on building up the child education. Principals of K-8 Title I schools report that time is a barrier to parent involvement more often than any other factor. 87% of Title I principals report that lack of time on the part of parents is a significant barrier to parent involvement, and 56% report that lack of time on the part of school staff is a barrier (find reference). Since many parents think there is not enough time for work, cleaning, cooking, and parent meetings, they do not bother attending school meetings. Language Differences Another barrier that prevents parental involvement is language differences. Approximately 20% of U.S. students are learning English as a second or other language, of these students over 40% are immigrants (Wright). Non-English speaking parents may find that it is difficult communicating with their childs teachers. Nancy Hyslop (2000) stated many Non-English parents experience low self-esteem, culture shock, and misconceptions. Many of these parents are confused about their roles in education and how to help their children. They lack knowledge on how local systems operate and very often they do not know where to go for information pertaining to their childs education. In recent years with the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of families, the home and school environments may hold different and sometimes diverging beliefs about the appropriate degree and nature of parent involvement (Patrikakaou, 2008). Hispanics sometimes encounter discrimination by the larger society which discourages them from getting involved in events at their childs school. Parents who do not speak English may not understand newsletters, fliers, or speakers at meetings (PTA, 2009). Even if one has not experienced discrimination, there is a fear that discrimination could happen. Non-English speaking parents want the same end result as many English speaking parents, which is for their child to receive an education that will allow them have a better future. Even when language differences occur, a teachers willingness or attempt to speak the home language can convey care about the students and parents, and this willingness can encourage parents to feel comfortable enough to speak in English and can enhance possibilities for communication and rapport. (Risko Walker-Dalhouse, 2009). In order for the schools to reach beyond these barriers, there needs to be parental involvement implemented into the education program . Strategies to Overcome Barriers If barriers are preventing parents and teachers from sharing ideas or exchanging information pertaining to the child, then everyone involved needs to find strategies to overcome these barriers. They can reach the partnership needed if they figure out strategies to deal with barriers such as, lack of communication, lack of time, and language differences. Mitchell (2008) examines parent involvement in public education. She explains in her article that parent involvement has to happen on all levels. Even though the parents and teachers tend to have barriers that prevent parent involvement, Mitchell state everyone involved in the childs education, including teachers, parents, principals, communities and even the school district have to find strategies to overcome these barriers. There are many ways that a school can improve communication (LaBahn, 2007) such as, informing families about routines and providing them with specific ways they can help at home provides parents with structured opportunities to participate in their childs education (Patrikakou, 2008). The most important thing a parent can do for their child education is stay in contact with the teacher. The teacher can keep parents regularly informed about student progress, school requirements, and school events (Wherry, 2009). The teacher is the bridge between the parent and the child education; therefore, parents look to the school for answers about learning issues (Wherry, 2009). That bridge will help parents stay connected with the childs teacher, enable them access to monitor classroom activities, and correspond with the efforts of the teachers. A study conducted by Berthelsen Walker (2008) explained that five items were used to assess parents contact with their childs school program. A number of activities in which parents may have participated at their childs school were identified to which parents could give a yes/no response: During this school term, have you à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦-contacted childs teacher; visited childs class; talked to parents of other children at the school; attended a school event in which your child participated; and volunteered in the classroom or helped with a class excursion. Engagement in three or more activities was indicated by 76% of parents. Parents were most likely to have talked with other parents at the school (92%) or visited the childs classroom (87%), and least likely to have volunteered in the classroom or helped with a class excursion (48%). A parent-teacher conference is one way for parents to keep in contact with the teachers. The parent is able to sit and have a two-way conversation with the teacher and tell the teacher what they expect from the child and the teacher. The teacher can also speak to the parent and find out what are their expectations of them as educators. When parents and teachers learn how to communicate with each other, they can become stronger and knowledgeable by working together. Unfortunately many parents are not able to attend parent-teacher conference, because they do not have the time: however, many schools are working around parents schedule for that one on one. Teachers are encouraging parents to drop by the schools when classes are dismissed or call their homes after work hours. Schools can set aside time during the school day for teachers to meet with parents at school or at home or free teachers from routine chores, such as lunchroom supervision, so that they can work with parents (Moles). Students need more than their parents, they also need the people who want to see all children make it in this world. Parents who are have language barriers need strategies to help them feel better about being a part of their childs education. By creating culturally aware school-family partnerships, school systems can reduce cultural, discontinues, create diverse learning opportunities, improve racial perceptions and attitudes, and foster interethnic friendships (Patrikakou, 2008). For example, when parents enroll their children in the Early Head Start program, the program managers makes sure a translator is there to help ease the Hispanic family discomfort and make their first experience with the program a rewarding experience. There are comprehensive program that can provide a model for empowering immigrant parents and changing teacher perceptions of immigrant parents school interest and involvement. The program titled the Immigrant Parent Partnership Program supported parent engagement through leadership classes, multiple-language programs, teacher action research to increase teacher understandin g of immigrant parents, and the creation of a parent resource center (Risko Walker-Dalhouse, 2009). The often heard statement, It takes a village to raise a child, is very true. Parental involvement plays a key role in the Early Head Start work setting. Our program is based solely on parent involvement. We have to find ways to encourage parents to become better involved in their childs education. Something as simple as coming in and helping the child take their shoes off and placing them in the correct cubby, helps the teachers in achieving some of the goals for the students. We also include parents in the decision making at the center. Parents are asked to complete an application to be a member of the policy council; in which, the parents names are placed on a ballot to be voted on. The policy council consists of community leaders and parents. The community leaders assist the parents in making vital decisions regarding the children at the centers. Politically we are a non-profit program financed by the government with certain stipulation. We are expected to work with the community by building up the parents with children who attend the centers. In order for the program to qualify for federal and state grants, we have to incorporate In-kind that involves the parents and community members. Arkansas Better Chance and Arkansas Better Chance for school success require the program to receive a 40% in-kind match of the grant amount. We achieve this goal by encouraging parents and community workers donating goods, providing services, and performing jobs at the centers. Parent involvement also plays a key role in the education process. It has been shown that children whose parents are involved in early childhood programs, such as, Head Start, have higher cognitive and language skills than do children whose families are not involved or part of such programs (Patrikakou, 2008). Children at a young age, needs that extra help and encouragement. We are expected to allow the children to play and socialize with each other, but they still need to learn what is expected of them when they enter into the public school system. We encourage our parents by providing them people to speak to with concerns regarding their children developmental skills. We share educational information to the parents that will provide their children learning environments which will help them grow into well adjusted students. As an Early Head Start teacher, the job involves working closely with the parents concerning their childrens education and needs. When a parent comes into the ce nter and volunteers to wash clothes, dishes, or help feed the children, this take a big load off the teachers. We encourage parents to come in and rock, not only their children, but the other children in the center. When we work with the parents, we develop a bond that helps make all transitions easier. Working with the parents allow us to learn more about the children and about the parent, in return, they learn who we are as people and not teachers. Parental involvement is a necessity in the school systems. When parents are involved, children are more acceptable to learn and behave, because they learn, their parents are only a phone call away. Conclusion After viewing the literature on parent involvement, brings the research to the conclusion that parental involvement matters in the school systems. Bringing teachers and parents together as one, sometimes means going around, over, and under barriers for solutions to a parent involvement program that works for everyone. To get to this point in a childs life, many parents and teachers have to discover strategies that will work for them. Although factors such as lack of communication, lack of time, and language barriers can prevent parent involvement, there are many ways to triumph over the barriers. Encouraging and involving parents in decisions pertaining to their child can make a big difference. Children will have better attendance, higher grades, test scores and graduation rates. Parents will have a better understanding of how the school operates. Teachers can increase community support with parents and students. Parents are the key to their children future. When parents and teachers come together as one, a child is able to leap over bounds and conquer the world. Barriers are just stepping stones to great outcomes.

Carrie Chapter Eight

She lay on her bed, looking at the ceiling, sweating. ‘Carrie! Supper!' ‘Thank you, (i am not afraid) Momma.' She got up and fixed her hair with a dark-blue headband. Then she went downstairs From The Shadow Exploded (p. 59): How apparent was Carrie's ‘wild talent' and what did Margaret White, with her extreme Christian ethic, think of it? We shall probably never know. But one is tempted to believe that Mrs White's reaction must have been extreme †¦ ‘You haven't touched your pie, Carrie.' Momma looked up from the tract she had been perusing while she drank her Constant Comment. ‘It's homemade.' ‘It makes me have pimples, Momma.' ‘Your pimples are the Lord's way of chastising you. Now eat your pie.' ‘Momma?' ‘Yes?' Carrie plunged. ‘I've been invited to the Spring Ball next Friday by Tommy Ross-‘ The tract was forgotten. Momma was staring at her with wide my ears-are-deceiving-me eyes. Her nostrils flared like those of a horse that has heard the dry rattle of a snake. Carrie tried to swallow an obstruction and only (i am not afraid o yes i am) got rid of part of it. ‘-and he's a very nice boy. He's promised to stop in and meet you before and-‘ ‘No.' ‘-to have me in by eleven. I've-‘ ‘No, no, no!' ‘-accepted. Momma, please see that I have to start to, to try and get along with the world. I'm not like you. I'm funny – I mean, the kids think I'm funny. I don't want to be. I want to try and be a whole person before it's too late to-‘ Mrs White threw her tea in Carrie's face. It was only lukewarm, but it could not have shut of Carrie's words more suddenly if it had been scalding. She sat numbly, the amber fluid dripping from her chin and cheeks on to her white blouse, spreading. It was sticky and smelled like cinnamon. Mrs White sat trembling, her face frozen except for her nostrils, which continued to flare. Abruptly she threw back her head and screamed at the ceiling. ‘God! God! God!' Her jaw snapped brutally over each syllable. Carrie sat without moving. Mrs White got up and came around the table. Her hands were hooked into shaking claws. Her face bore a half-mad expression of compassion mixed with hate. ‘The closet,' she said. ‘Go to your closet and pray.' ‘No, Momma.' ‘Boys. Yes, boys come next. After the blood the boys come. Like sniffing dogs, grinning and slobbering, trying to find out where that smell is. That †¦ smell!' She swung her whole arm into the blow, and the sound of her palm against Carrie's face (o god i am so afraid now) was like that flat sound of a leather belt being snapped in air. Carrie remained seated, although her upper body swayed. The mark on her cheek was first white, then blood red. ‘The mark,' Mrs White said. Her eyes were large but blank, she was breathing in rapid, snatching gulps of air. She seemed to be talking to herself as the claw hand descended on to Carrie's shoulder and pulled her out of her chair. ‘I've seen it, all right. Oh yes. But. I. Never. Did. But for him. He. Took. Me . . .' She paused, her eyes wandering vaguely toward the ceiling. Carrie was terrified. Momma seemed in the throes of some great revelation which might destroy her. ‘Momma-‘ ‘In cars. Oh, I know where they take you in their arms. City limits. Roadhouses. Whiskey. Smelling †¦ oh they smell it on you!' Her voice rose to a scream. Tendons stood out on her neck, and her head twisted in a questing upward rotation. ‘Momma, you better stop.' This seemed to snap her back to some kind of hazy reality. Her lips twitched in a kind of elementary surprise and she halted, as if groping for old bearings in a new world. ‘The closet,' she, muttered. ‘Go to your closet and pray. ‘No.' Momma raised her hand to strike. ‘No!' The hand stopped in the dead air. Momma stared up at it, as if to confirm that it was still there, and whole. The pie pan suddenly rose from the trivet on the table and hurled itself across the room to impact beside the living-room door in a splash of blueberry drool. ‘I'm going, Momma!' Momma's overturned teacup rose and flew past her head to shatter above the stove. Momma shrieked and dropped to her knees with her hands over her head. ‘Devil's child,' she moaned. ‘Devil's child. Satan spawn-‘ ‘Momma, stand up.' ‘Lust and licentiousness, the cravings of the flesh-‘ ‘Stand up!' Momma's voice faded her but she did stand up, with her hands still on her head, like a prisoner of war. Her lips moved. To Carrie she seemed to be reciting the Lord's ]Prayer. ‘I don't want to fight with you, Momma,' Carrie said, and her voice almost broke from her and dissolved. She struggled to control it. ‘I only want to be let to live my own life. I†¦ I don't like yours.' She stopped, horrified in spite of herself. The ultimate blasphemy had been spoken, and it was a thousand times worse than the Eff Word. ‘Witch,' Momma whispered. ‘It says in the Lord's Book: â€Å"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to bye.† Your father did the Lord's work-‘ ‘I don't want to talk about that,' Carrie said. It always disturbed her to hear Momma talk about her father. ‘I just want you to understand that things are going to change around here, Momma.' Her eyes gleamed. ‘They better understand it, too.' But Momma was whispering to herself again. Unsatisfied, with a feeling of anticlimax in her throat and the dismal rolling of emotional upset in her belly, she went to the cellar to get her dress material. It was better than the closet. There was that. Anything was better than the closet with its blue light and the overpowering stench of sweat and her own sin. Anything. Everything. She stood with the wrapped package hugged against her breast and closed her eyes, shutting out the weak glow of the cellar's bare, cobweb-festooned bulb. Tommy Ross didn't love her, she knew that. This was some strange kind of atonement, and she could understand that and respond to it. She had lain cheek and jowl with the concept of penance since she had been old enough to reason. He had said it would be good-that they would see to it. Well, she would see to it. They better not start anything. They just better not. She did not know if her gift had come from the lord of light or of darkness, and now, finally finding that she did not care which, she was overcome with an almost indescribable relief, as if a huge weight, long carried, had slipped from her shoulders. Upstairs, Momma continued to whisper. It was not the Lord's Prayer. It was the Prayer of Exorcism from Deuteronomy. From My Name Is Susan Snell (p. 23): They finally even made a movie about it. I saw it last April. When I came out, I was sick. Whenever anything important happens in America, they have to gold-plate it, like baby shoes. That way you can forget it. And forgetting Carrie White may be a bigger mistake than anyone realizes †¦ Monday morning: Principal Grayle and his understudy, Pete Morton, were having coffee in Grayle's office. ‘No word from Hargensen yet?' Morty asked. His lips curled into a John Wayne leer that was a little frightened around the edges. ‘Not a peep. And Christine has stopped lipping off about how her father is going to send us down the road.' Grayle blew on his coffee with a long face. ‘You don't exactly seem to be turning cartwheels.' ‘I'm not. Did you know Carrie White is going to the prom?' Morty blinked. ‘With who? The Beak?' The Beak was Freddy Holt, another of Ewen's misfits. He weighed perhaps one hundred pounds soaking wet, and the casual observer might be tempted to believe that sixty of it was nose. ‘No,' Grayle said. ‘With Tommy Ross.' Morty swallowed his coffee the wrong way and went into a coughing fit. ‘That's the way I felt,' Grayle said. ‘What about his girl friend? The little Snell girl?' I think she put him up to it,' Grayle said. ‘She certainly seemed guilty enough about what happened to Carrie when I talked to her. Now she's on the Decoration Committee, happy as a clam, just as if not going to her Senior prom was nothing at all.' ‘Oh,' Morty said wisely. ‘And Hargensen – I think he must have talked to some people and discovered we really could sue him on behalf of Carrie White if we wanted to. I think he's cut his losses. It's the daughter that's worrying me.' ‘Do you think there's going to be an incident Friday night?' ‘I don't know. I do know Chris has got a lot of friends who are going to be there. And she's going around with that Billy Nolan mess; he's got a zooful of friends, too. The kind that make a career out of scaring pregnant ladies. Chris Hargensen has him tied around her finger, from what I've heard.' ‘Are you afraid of anything specific?' Grayle made a restless gesture. ‘Specific? No. But I've been in the game long enough to know it's a bad situation. Do you remember the Stadler game in seventy-six?' Morty nodded. It would take more than the passage of three years to obscure the memory of the Ewen-Stadler game. Bruce Trevor had been a marginal student but a fantastic basketball player. Coach Gaines didn't like him, but Trevor was going to put Ewen in the area tournament for the first time in ten years. He was cut from the team a week before Ewen's but must-win game against the Stadler Bobcats. A regular announced locker inspection had uncovered a kilo of marijuana behind Trevor's civic book. Ewen lost the game – and their shot at the tourney – 104-48. But no one remembered that; what they remembered was the riot that had interrupted the game in the fourth period. Led by Bruce Trevor, who righteously claimed he had been bum rapped, it resulted in four hospital admissions. One of them had been the Stadler coach, who had been hit over the head with a first-aid kit. ‘I've got that kind of feeling,' Grayle said. ‘A hunch. Someone's going to come with rotten apples or something.' ‘Maybe you're psychic,' Morty said. From The Shadow Exploded (pp. 92-93): It is now generally agreed that the TK phenomenon is a geneticrecessive occurrence – but the opposite of a disease like haemophilia, which becomes overt only in males. In that disease, once called ‘King's Evil,' the gene is recessive in the female and is carried harmlessly. Male offspring, however, are ‘bleeders.' This disease is generated only if an afflicted male marries a woman carrying the recessive gene. If the offspring of such union is male, the result will be a haemophiliac son. If the offspring is female, the result will be a daughter who is a carrier. It should be emphasized that the haemophilia gene may be carried recessively in the male as a part of his genetic make-up. But if he marries a woman with the same outlaw gene, the result will be haemophilia if the offspring is male. In the case of royal families, where intermarriage was common, the chances of the gene reproducing once it entered the family tree were high – thus the name King's Evil. Haemophilia also showed up in significant quantities in Appalachia during the earlier part of this century, and is commonly noticed in those cultures where incest and the marriage of first cousins is common. With the TK phenomenon, the male appears to be the carrier.. the TK gene may be recessive in the female, but dominates only in the female. It appears that Ralph White carried the gene. Margaret Brigham, by purest name, also carried the outlaw gene sign, but we may be fairly confident that it was recessive, as no information has ever been found to indicate that she had telekinetic powers resembling her daughter's. Investigations are now being conducted into the life of Margaret Brigham's grandmother, Sadie Cochran – for, if the dominant/recessive pattern obtains with TK as it does with haemophilia, Mrs Cochran must have been TK-dominant. If the issue of the White marriage had been male, the result would have been another carrier. Chances that the mutation would have died with him would have been excellent, as neither side of the Ralph White – Margaret Brigham alliance had cousins of a comparable age for the theoretical male offspring to marry. And the chances of meeting and marrying another woman with TK gene at random would be small. None of the teams working on the problem have yet isolated the gene. Surely no one can doubt, in light of the Maine holocaust, that isolating this gene must become one of medicine's number-one priorities. The haemophiliac, or H-gene, produces male issue with a lack of blood platelets. The telekineticn or TK-gene, produces female Typhoid Marys capable of destroying almost at will †¦ Wednesday afternoon. Susan and fourteen other students – The Spring Ball Decoration Committee, no less – were working on the huge mural that would hang behind the twin bandstand on Friday night. The theme was Springtime in Venice (who picked thew hokey themes, Sue wondered. She had been a student at Ewen for four years, had after two Balls, and she still didn't know. Why did the goddam thing need a theme, anyway? Why not just have a sock hop and be done with W): George Chizmar, Ewen's most artistic student, had done a small chalk sketch of gondolas on a canal at sunset and a gondolier in a huge straw fedora leaning against the tiller as a gorgeous panoply of pinks and reds and oranges stained both sky and water. It was beautiful, no doubt about that. He had redrawn it in silhouette on a huge fourteen-by-twenty-foot canvas flat, numbering the various sections to go with the various chalk hues. Now the Committee was patiently colouring it in, like children crawling over a huge page in a giant 's colouring book. Still, Sue thought, looking at her hands and forearms, both heavily dusted with pink chalk, it was going to be the prettiest prom ever. Next to her, Helen Shyres sat up on her haunches, stretched, and groaned as her back popped. She brushed a hank of hair from her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a rose-coloured smear. ‘How in hell did you talk me into this?' ‘You want it to be nice, don't you?' Sue mimicked Miss Geer, the spinster chairman (apt enough term for Miss Mustache) of the Decoration Committee. ‘Yeah, but why not the refreshment Committee or the Entertainment Committee? Less back, more mind. The mind, that's my area. Besides, you're not even -‘ She bit down on the words. ‘Going?' Susan shrugged and picked up her chalk again. She had a monstrous writer's cramp. ‘No, but I still want it to be nice.' She added shyly: ‘Tommy's going.' They worked in silence for a bit, and then Helen stopped again. No one was near them; the closest was Holly Marshall, on the other end of the mural, colouring the gondola's keel. ‘Can I ask you about it, Sue?' Helen asked finally. ‘God, everybody's talking.' ‘Sure.' Sue stopped colouring and flexed her hand. ‘Maybe I ought to tell someone, just so the story stays straight. I asked Tommy to take Carrie. I'm hoping it'll bring her out of herself a little †¦ knock down some of the barriers. I think I owe her that much.' ‘Whom does that put the rest of us?' Helen asked without rancour. Sue shrugged. ‘You have to make up your own mind about what we did, Helen. I'm in no position to throw stones. But I don't want people to think I'm uh †¦'

Behaviour Management

KIDS Positive Behaviour Management Policy and procedures Policy 33 1. Context KIDS has the following policy in place for positive behaviour management. In particular, it is recognised that some form of sanction will be necessary where there are instances of behaviours which would in any family or group environment be considered unacceptable; this policy provides guidance for use of appropriate and effective sanctions. This policy is supplemented by KIDS physical constraints and restraint policy and procedures. 2. General Positive behaviour management Policy 2. Philosophy KIDS believes that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and where there are clear developmentally appropriate expectation for their behaviour. KIDs aims to promote positive behaviour throughout its settings and to help the children understand and respect the needs and rights of others. 2. 2 Aims and guidelines These guidelines concern both the physical and emotional care of t he child(ren) looked after. 1. All children have certain physical and emotional needs. The most obvious ones are warmth, comfort, adequate food and sleeping arrangements, cleanliness, exercise and rest as necessary.Some children with a disability may have additional physical needs, such as extra warmth, physical supports and equipment, special exercises or physiotherapy and medical requirements. 2. The emotional needs of all children include security, affection, consistent responses from those around them, a recognisable routine (e. g. at bedtime and mealtimes), exceptions which are appropriate for their stage of development, and opportunities for playing and having fun and approval. 3. We expect our staff to be aware of these physical and emotional needs and, with the help of parents and KIDS staff to meet them for every child s/he cares for. . All children need to have limits set when their behaviour is not acceptable. If children feel secure and understood, the incidents of disru ptive behaviour are greatly reduced. Children rarely demonstrate inappropriate behaviour without good reason. It is the task of the worker to try and understand why a child is behaving in a particular way. 2. 3 Appropriate use of sanctions Any sanction used must be related to the child’s age and level of understanding, realistic and sensitive; enforceable, and applied consistently.It is preferable, if possible, that there is continuity in the setting of limits and how behaviour is managed between all those involved in the care of a child. 3. Positive behaviour management procedures †¢ Reasonable steps must be taken at all times to ensure a healthy and safe environment. Staff provide a role model for children, and the development of consistent attitudes to safety and good practice by staff should have a beneficial effect upon the children. †¢ Basic playground rules – drawn up in consultation with the children -help ensure the service operates smoothly. There s hould be a friendly, welcoming atmosphere that promotes respect between all children and Playworkers. †¢ There should be a wide range of culturally appropriate activities and images available to all the children. †¢ The team must be consistent in the methods they use, back each other up and support each other. Experiences should be shared and discussed at team meetings. †¢ Staff should challenge discriminatory comments (see KIDs anti bullying policy) and take positive action to overcome unacceptable behaviour.Strategies for dealing with this should be discussed with staff and, where appropriate, parents/carers. Staff should talk to children about their behaviour and consequences of negative behaviour. 4. Dealing with conflict 4. 1 Dealing with conflict: principles All playgrounds aim to develop a safe environment in which children are encouraged to express themselves freely, and which fosters the social and emotional development of the children who come to the site. C onflicts do arise at times, and incidents need to be handled sensitively and consistently.Conflicts can occur for various resons, including frustration, disruptive/uncooperative behaviour, lack of space, competition over equipment, bullying and teasing, and misunderstandings When conflicts do arise it is essential that: †¢ Actions are taken to calm the children down, and to allow them to express how they are feeling in a way that is safe to other children. †¢ A positive, calm approach is maintained, both physically and verbally. †¢ Negative behaviour is not rewarded. †¢ The response to a situation should take account of the child’s level of understanding/ability. Blame is not attributed to individuals in situations involving more than one child. The focus should always be on dealing with unacceptable behaviour, the children should never feel it is they who are unacceptable. 4. 2 Effective and appropriate sanctions The principles of effective sanctions are generally that they should: Be as informal as possible, and not escalate. Be as balanced by rewards Be as near in time as possible to the offence, be relevant and understood, and be seen to be just. Follow from clear rules and explanations from the worker as to what is expected of the child.The following are examples of what sanctions may be used: Reasonable defence of oneself from, or restraint of, a child who is lashing out. â€Å"Holding† firmly, but carefully, can be helpful to a younger child. If in the situation of any of these are likely to lead to injury, it is sensible not to use them, and to know what or may not be safe in relation to the child’s disability. Shouting or clapping your hands, for example, as a distraction to a toddler in a dangerous situation. Withdrawal of sweets or special food/ drink treats, or TV, for a limited period – the younger the child, the shorter the length of time this should continue.Sending a child to another room for a sh ort period (but checking on them regularly whilst they are alone is sensible and shows you are still caring). Imposing closer supervision – keeping the child with you. Keep balancing the sanctions with rewards (especially praise) for good behaviour, so that the negative cycle does not take over. Keep a record of problems and sanctions so that you can refer to it to keep an account of the child’s progress and also for reasons of accountability is a complaint is made. It is sometimes necessary to physically retrain a child who is about to harm him/herself, others or property.For conditions and procedures applicable to physical restraint, please refer to KIDS Physical contact and restraint policy. All uses of physical restraint must be recorded. 4. 3 Examples of unacceptable sanctions The list below is intended as general guidance of sanctions that are unacceptable and is not inclusive. The omission of any particular practice does not imply that is it acceptable. Staff wi ll have the opportunity to raise issues arising from their work, for discussion and clarification within supervision. Use corporal punishment e. g. lapping, hitting a child with an implement (for example, a belt or slipper), throwing a missile, shaking, rough handling, squeezing, pushing and punching/ Impose a punishment which ridicules a child e. g. clothes which draw attention to them inappropriately, clothes which are too small or too large, pyjamas during the day, humiliating a child deliberately in front of others. Deny a child food or drink, or the normal ranges/he expects. Coerce a child to eat what you know s/he does not like and is not normally expected to eat. Deliberately frighten, intimidate, threaten or belittle a child, or lock her/ him in e. . a cupboard, bedroom, or send them to bed unreasonably early. Restrict or withhold medication, which could be dangerous. Deprive a child of sleep. Involve the child in any physical contact, which is inappropriate in view of their history, which s/he might see as threatening or uncomfortable, or which exposes the worker or child to the arousal of sexual feelings. Review This policy will be reviewed annually and if necessary adjusted to: – incorporate any changes to legislation; – include any improvements that may have been identified. Most recent review: May 2008

Correlation Between Mass Media And Digital Media Essay

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