This week’s guest speaker spoke on the important topic of accessibility in the classroom. The speaker’s perspective on accessibility provided insight into the parent’s point of view, which is valuable for me as a teacher candidate who wants to build positive relationships with the parents of those students in my classes who need extra support.

My main takeaway on parent-teacher relationships is the importance of communication. I’ve always been a very non-confrontational purpose, who avoids as much conflict as possible, but I’m realizing more and more that as a teacher, unwarranted conflicts are inevitable. However, from Tracey’s talk and our conversations with Joanna, I’ve learned that initiating thoughtful and transparent conversations is what diminshes unproductive parent-teacher relationships. With open discussions on sensitive subjects, a teacher can foster a relationship with a parent or guardian that benefits the student’s learning and provides accessibility within the school.

A photo from above of colourful blue, green, yellow, and red letter and symbol magnets spread out on a pink and blue background.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Tracey also spoke about intersectionality and its impact on a student’s educational experience. There is a large community of Korean families who have immigrated to Canada in hopes for a better future for their child or children with disabilities and my parents are both support workers for such families. In these cases, an additional hurdle that the families and the individuals face, is the language barrier. As a teacher candidate, I left this week’s class pondering how such cases of intersectionality should be approached when clear communication plays such a key role in building valuable parent-teacher relationships.

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