Discuss New Initiatives With Parents and Community Members

When implementing new instructional techniques, it is important for staff to interact extensively with parents and community members. Parents and community members often are concerned when they see classroom activities that are innovative and different from their own experiences. Educators can implement new techniques more smoothly when they understand the culture and values of the community.

• Send home newsletters describing new instructional approaches and explaining how they work in the school.

• Have special nights for parents to come in and observe new instructional approaches and their results.

• Have students produce a videotape showing students actually engaged in the new instructional techniques, and make copies of the tape available to parents and community members.

• Have parents serve in decisionmaking bodies in the school.

• Have parents serve as volunteers in the classroom.