Theories to Practice: How I can apply strategies in relation to my own teaching

 Reflect on the questions posed at the beginning of my blog: Have you built any relationships with organizations in the community? If so, what are the successes and challenges you’ve experienced? Which social services do your families need most? 

Some strategies that I found throughout my research that I would like to use within my own classroom are as followed: 

Consider offering local organizations free space in your school as a way to encourage them to bring their services closer to your families (Houk, 70).  

• This may include the extension of library hours that allow the community and their families to make use of the resources within the school, specifically technology.
• Use the school for meetings with the families and community organization

Ask your families which organizations they think would make good partners for the school community and which issues are of concern to them. 

• Reaching out to the parents and families will allow for a stronger connection to be made between the community and the students / families

Find out if your district has a community education department that might be able to support a partnership with a local organization. Specific for my own region in Kingston Ontario we have the following: 

School to Community Services

School to Community Services (SCS) is the name of the service delivery model the Limestone District School Board has in place to provide supports and services for students identified with a developmental disability. SCS is committed to the principle that all students can learn in a supportive environment within an inclusive school community. 

Loyloa 

School of Adult and Continuing Education These classes are free of charge and may help my students parents acquire academic language abilities that will help with various issues when resettling into Ontario, such as employment. 

Kingston Literacy & Skills

Kingston Literacy & Skills (KL&S) is a non-profit community organization. With professional, knowledgeable staff and dedicated volunteers, we deliver literacy upgrading and workforce preparation programming to adults and families in Kingston and surrounding communities.

Community Based Pathways to Education Kingston

Pathways to Education is a unique community-based program designed to increase high school graduation rates in designated neighbourhoods. The program offers tutoring, mentoring, financial support, and advocacy to support high school students to successfully transition to post-secondary education, training or meaningful employment.  

    In addition to these programs, I would invite members from the community to inform parents about their services, such as a local librarian, a nurse, or a firefighter. When inviting guests from the community to the school, I would assure parents that identification will not be checked and explain that they do not need to show proof of legal residency to sign up for a library card.

            Additional Resources Provided by School Districts in my Region: 

References 

Houk, Farin A. Supporting English Language Learners: A Guide for Teachers and Administrators. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2005.