Creating a Community of Learning Partners in SchoolMarilu S. BandolonFacilitator

School & Community Partnership

“The problem of education is everybody’s problem. As building literacy is our collective responsibility, so too is improving of our schools, our collective responsibility. We must build bridges between the school and the community.”

Former DepEd Secretary Florencio Abad

Session objectives:At the end of the session, the participants are able to:1. identify community resources as context of learning and

teaching;2. identify and establish areas of linkages between the school

and the community for mutual linkages;3. describe the various roles of teachers in the community

where the school is situated;4. recognize the roles and elicit the support of the LSB, PTA and

other organizations and institutions, both GO’s and NGO’S

SCHOOL

Let’s revisit the communities where our schools are located:

Let’s do a resource mapping of the community where your school is located. Answer each questions orally:

1. Give at least 5 resources in the community where your school is located.

2. Where does the community gets its financial resources?

3. Do you think the community has rich financial resources? Why?

4. What are the rules/norms and traditions practiced by the community that help the school attain its objectives?

Below are community norms/traditions/practices that contribute to the attainment of specific goals of a school. Identify additional practices

School Goals/Objectives

Community Practices/norms/traditions that can held reach the objective

To raise the academic achievement of the pupils

Example: Honor graduates are looked up to in the communityYour own example: ________________

To prepare school for the opening of classes

Example: Bayanihan/Brigada EskwelaExample: ________________

To maintain school cleanliness throughout the SY

Example: Clean and Green movementYour own example:______________

To provide security for pupils

Example: Pagroronda ng mga Brgy tanodYour own example: __________

Every community has resources that surround the school. These can be: Human Social Material Financial Natural resources

Human resources – refer to the skills, talents, qualities and attitudes of the people living in the community

Social assets – the relationships, rules, established course of action, and practices that can serve as instruments in attaining

specific school goals in a given situation

Material resources – man made things such as equipment, property, facilities, tools, and the like which can be used by the

community anytime

Financial assets – monetary, income or cash resources

Natural resources – refer to the physical environment of the community

Teachers who are skillful in tapping these resources have the power to break the cycle of financial difficulties of the school.

“Learning and the areas to be learned should not have boundaries. Education, as a public property, should belong everyone, not just the academically successful but also those who have wisdom outside the school.”

Sayer and Williams, 1989

Tapping community resources

Pupils learn through discussion, simulation, reading, writing, field trips, listening speakers, etc. These are common activities inside the classroom when a teacher is teaching a lesson. There are also lessons that can be effectively taught and learned by going to the community and observing, asking experts and actively participating in, or even initiating, community activities (Lardizabal, 1988).

Go over this table that lists down lessons which can involve the community:

Lessons Learning Method Utilizing Community resources

Justice Simulation of a court proceeding

Health (Alternative Medicines)

Interviewing local healers about their herbal medicines

Peace and Order Visiting barangay headquarters or police precinct

Entrepreneurship Interviewing local businessman

Environmental protection

Joining the clean and green

Descriptive Writing

Writing descriptions of the scenic spots in the community

Think of some more lessons in your subject area. Tell whether they can be effectively learned in school or in the community. Identify a community resource that can be tapped to help you teach a lesson that you believe is best learned in a community, and how it will be done.

Tapping community members in teaching the pupils

Community members maybe tapped in the education of our pupils. Lessons in history, geography, social studies, and values maybe learned from community members. Below are the suggested ways by which we can tap community members in teaching our pupils :

a. Organizing field trips so students can learn from community members in their institutional setting

b. Inviting community members to come to school to serve as resource persons/lecturers/demonstrators

c. Involving parents directly or indirectly in the learning process

Community expectations of the teachers

Teachers play various roles beyond the boundaries of the school. Local communities from the school turn o teachers for a lot of their needs. They expect teachers to perform other functions besides teaching. They act as:

a. Agents of change (making people understand and observe policies, programs, and DepEd & govt programs)

b. Legal counsel (informing/advising community of actions/decisions to make based on the country’s laws and that of DepEd

c. Person in authority (knowing & exercising authority with regard to students’ discipline & working relationships with others based on existing laws and DepEd Orders)

d. Source of knowledge (knowing current events/issues; ability to share information with others)

Analyze the caselets below. Answer the questions that follow.

Caselet A

Mrs. Guevara, a new teacher in Ma. Lopez ES noticed that one of her pupils was unusually quiet, and hardly recited in class. She would not participate in group activities and seldom interacted with her classmates. The teacher noticed also that she was untidy and shabbily dressed. She was habitually absent. So she talked to her and asked her if she had a problem. The pupil hesitated but after some prodding, she confided her problem which shocked the teacher – the girl was sexually harassed by her own father.

1. In caselet A the teacher is expected to be____________.

Caselet B

The Brgy Chairman of Brgy Poblacion 2 wanted to initiate an information campaign about illegal drugs. But he and his councilmen lacked the knowledge and resources to do the campaign. To help them, they asked one of the teachers in Brgy Poblacion 2 to help them do the information campaign.

What role must the teacher assume in caselet B

Caselet C

Mr. Buenafe was informed by one of his pupils that a fraternity initiation was being conducted at an abandoned building within the school vicinity. He hurriedly went to the alleged place and found that two of his pupils were being initiated.

What role must the teacher in caselet C assume?

Do you think you can do away with the roles that the community is expecting from you? Why?

The School Partners and Key Stakeholders

Quality education is the responsibility of the school and the community, hence it is important that the school and the community must build a partnership in bringing about quality education to all children.

The teachers have social partners and fellow stakeholders who work with them in attaining their goal of developing and improving the education process. These partners are: the parents, GO’s, NGO’s, and civic organizations.

Quality education is the responsibility of the school and the community, hence it is important that the school and the community must build a partnership in bringing about quality education to all children.

The teachers have social partners and fellow stakeholders who work with them in attaining their goal of developing and improving the education process. These partners are: the parents, GO’s, NGO’s, and civic organizations.

How can the schools foster effective and sustainable partnership with the community?

PRODED has enumerated the following areas that teachers must nurture in order to develop an effective and sustainable partnership with the community:

1. develop intelligent public understanding of the school on all aspects of its operations

2. help citizens feel more responsibly for the quality of education the school provides;

3. earn the goodwill, respect and confidence of the public in the professional and personal services of the school

4. involve the community in the work of the school and in solving educational problems

5. promote a genuine spirit of cooperation between the school and community for the improvement of the community

6. secure community support for the school and its program7. keep the community informed of developments and

educational trends8. secure an unofficial but honest evaluation of the school

program in terms of educational needs as the community sees them

1. cultural sensitivity2. sincerity/gratitude3. integrity/honesty/humility4. follow up5. good public relations6. two way communications7. proper channeling

How can schools/teachers effectively coordinate with the community on the use of its resources?

Harnessing school support from PTA

`The PTA is a vital force in linking the school to its service area, the community. The PTA is founded on the spirit of volunteerism and serves as a means by which funds maybe generated and community support to the school maybe mobilized. If properly organized and directed, the PTA can be a strong partner in improving the welfare of the pupils.

Ways by which schools/teachers can use to effectively enlist the support of PTA

1. Home visits-get to know them well. This is the rule of thumb in starting and

nurturing relations with parents. Provide time to find out more about the pupils’ home conditions

2. Parenthood seminars-invite parents to attend seminars on parenting, responsible

parenthood, child development and proper guidance and connecting

-seminars on helping parents help their better help their children in developing good study habits may also be conducted

-organize PLAC to help parents develop the skill of guiding their children at home in developing study habits

3. Parent conferences-should focus on problems related to the child-know the parents very well-tips on conducting parent conferences

a. Know the parents personally even before the problem ariseb. Have all the relevant information about eh child before the

conferencec. Inform the parents the purpose of the conferenced. Conduct your conference with the parents in a face to face,

give and take, no hold barred manner. Create an atmosphere of an informal chat rather than that

of a formal meeting

4. School- home projects-if parents are too busy/occupied to come to attend meetigns and

conferences, an alternative is to send home printed maaterials about school/class programs

-information should include a brief description of its’ learning areas and the materials the child needs that should be presented in a clear and understandable language

5. Establish a “Two-way communication “ with parents/community

-occurs when teachers and parents dialogue together.Effective dialogue “develops out of a growing trust, a

mutuality of concern, and an appreciation of contrasting perspectives” (Lawrence-Lightfoot,2004). A

teacher may contact parents to celebrate a child’s successful school experience.

-However, more frequently, the contact is to share a concern about the child, which can be a source of significant tension for both teachers and parents alike. Teachers should strive to make these interactions as productive as possible.

Tips in Dealing with Parents

1. Use conversational tone2. Create an atmosphere of an informal chat rather that that of a

confrontation3. Make more positive than negative comments and suggestions4. Involve parents in school programs and activities

Creating a community of learning partners in school recognizes that many public and private community institutions share responsibility for helping:

• Children develop socially, emotionally, physically, and academically

• Students become motivated and engaged in learning

• Families and schools work effectively together

• Communities become safer and more economically vibrant

What have you learned?

1.List down the important learning points that you have gathered from the session.

2.Why do you consider these learning points important to you?

Always remember……………….

It takes a village to educate a child!