The Power of Home Visits to Connect Teachers With Kids and Their Families
The teacher home visit is making a comeback in California because it’s proving to be a good way for teachers to build relationships with families. The state now requires schools to make family engagement a priority, so more districts are turning to the Parent Teacher Home Visit Project in Sacramento that has been training teachers for years to visit students and families on their own turf.
It turns out the low-tech home visit can radically improve what happens in the classroom. The mechanics of it, though, are deceptively simple.
The Home Visit, Not Because Anything’s Wrong
On one fall evening, teachers Cristina Bautista and Stephanie Smith, from Sacramento’s Oak Ridge Elementary School, are sitting in fourth-grader Nevaeh Hamilton’s living room. They aren’t grilling Nevaeh or her parents about her academics or behavior at school. They’re chatting about what Nevaeh likes to do at home. The conversation runs from karaoke to nail polish to drawing and then to the school garden.
“Did you tell your mom about the salsa we made and you guys tried at the barbecue?” asks Bautista.
“It was really good,” laughs Nevaeh.
“Everything came straight from the garden,” adds Bautista.
“I like the outdoor classroom where Mr. Wagner says you can’t walk through the invisible walls,” says Nevaeh.
Then she’s off to show the teachers her room.
“Did you clean it?” teases Smith.
Neveah’s giggling — she’s so excited her teachers are at her house. Her mom, Alicia Smith, also opens up to the teachers.
“My goals, hopes and dreams are just for them to be successful in The Power of Home Visits to Connect Teachers With Kids and Their Families | The California Report | KQED News: