Standard 2: Building Family and Community Relationships
Key Elements of Standard 2
As an early childhood professional, I understand that in order for all children to thrive it is essential that I have a healthy relationship and a partnership with all families. To achieve that relationship I need to know, understand, and encourage diversity in the family and in the community. I must also support and involve families and our communities by building a respectful relationship which will build a reciprocal bond between me and the families. Lastly, I must involve all families and our communities in their children’s growth within the classroom; as a result this will help me to build a strong family and community relationship.
As an early childhood professional, I understand that in order for all children to thrive it is essential that I have a healthy relationship and a partnership with all families. To achieve that relationship I need to know, understand, and encourage diversity in the family and in the community. I must also support and involve families and our communities by building a respectful relationship which will build a reciprocal bond between me and the families. Lastly, I must involve all families and our communities in their children’s growth within the classroom; as a result this will help me to build a strong family and community relationship.
2 A. Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.
For Standard 2 A, I have included a video of a child and me preparing a table for breakfast. This video demonstrates my understanding of this key element because the way I set up the table reflected one style a family may eat; therefore this set-up was a connection between home and school. Moreover, the children we serve come from low-income families; so I provided a healthy and well balanced meal to the children. In the future, I plan to provide children with nutritious meals. I also plan to continue to use eating times as an opportunity to connect home life to school because it would deepen my understandings about their families and communities; initially building a supportive and healthy relationship.
- Standard 2 Key Element A Artifact
Video (Password is Loueva)
2B. Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.
For key element 2 B, I will be using a home visit from Christopher House that I contributed to. This home visit demonstrates my understanding of this key element because I was able to build a foundation to a healthy relationship by engaging this family in playful activities and asking questions about this child. However, more importantly, I provided an opportunity for the parents to ask me questions and learn about myself. In the future, I will use home visits to engage, to support, and to provide helpful advice that can be applied at home to the families within my classroom. Lastly, home visits will allow parents to have a hand on contribution to the foundation of our relationship. (To Keep this family's personal information confidential, I only used the child's and mother's first initial of their name.)
To further my understanding of this key element I have included a picture of a thankful tree that the children, within my classroom, and I constructed for their parents to complete. The thankful tree demonstrates my knowledge of 2 B, because the tree empowered parents to become engaged in the classroom and through this activity the parents and I were able to continue to build a positive relationship.
To further my understanding of this key element I have included a picture of a thankful tree that the children, within my classroom, and I constructed for their parents to complete. The thankful tree demonstrates my knowledge of 2 B, because the tree empowered parents to become engaged in the classroom and through this activity the parents and I were able to continue to build a positive relationship.
- Standard 2 Key Elemnt B Artifacts
2 C. Involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning
For key element 2 C, I will use a parent teacher conference that I did at A-Karassel Child Care Center. This conference was a reflection of their child’s strengths and challenges within a semester. This conference form demonstrates my understanding of this key element because I was able to inform and to involve a family about their child’s developmental growth and to plan for the child’s next steps in the classroom. In the future, I will continue to have parent teacher conferences with all families so I can engage them in their child’s progress. (To keep this family's information confidential, I used an alias name for the child.)
- Standard 2 Key Element C Artifact