Educators
need to be able to empathize with families and understand their feelings in
order to best support them. Families are unique and face a variety challenges
that are specific to them. I found an article written by a parent of a child
diagnosed with disabilities. The article brings to light the emotions,
stressors, and feelings experienced by this parent. I felt the article was
heart- warming and allowed me to gain an appreciation for what this family is experiencing.
Getting to know the family on a more personal level will increase the success
of collaborative efforts and will build trusting relationships. It’s important
to recognize the child and family as just that, a child and a family, not as a
disability.
Parenting a Child with a Disability by
Judith Scott
Kim,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this article. I understand what you mean when you say teachers must empathize with families and understand their point of view. This makes me reflect on my student teaching experience. We were dealing with a lot of uneducated parents, and when I say uneducated, I mean didn't pass the 7th grade. A lot of these parents probably weren't taught how to properly deal with their own emotions. This adds so much to the equation because a lot of the time the parents just wanted my mentor teachers to fix everything. A lot of the articles on your blog helped me reflect on my experiences and think about how I can change things with the families I will be in contact with in the future to make it more of a team rather than the teacher trying to fix everything.