Children's School - Directors Corner

For Parents

Director's Corner
May 2005
Dr. Sharon Carver

This week, my reflections have focused on community at the Children's School, particularly the diverse ways that each member of the community can help each other member learn. We expect the teachers to facilitate the children's development and to share their insights with parents, but adults are also challenged to grow when they reflect on children's insights (as the articles related to Erin Weber's study clearly indicate). In addition, parents raise questions that challenge the staff to observe more carefully in an effort to understand each child's unique patterns of growth. Others raise concerns that prompt us to seek further training and improve our policies and practice. Parents and staff members serve as resources for each other, because each has unique experience and expertise. Children, too, have served and coaches and teachers for each other in amazingly insightful ways. We also value our undergraduates, whose perspectives and inquiries encourage us to articulate our ideas more clearly while they are immersed in both teaching and learning from the children in their groups.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I encourage you to consider talking with all of the people who have helped you and your children to grow this year. Tell them how they have impacted you and hear about how you have impacted them as well. Also, I invite you to reflect on your personal Children's School experience during the past year. I would love to hear your reflections in person, via a note, or in an email message.

Enclosed with this newsletter is a structured evaluation form designed to invite you to share your perspective on our program, including our current progress and possibilities for the future. I hope that each one of you will take the opportunity to provide your honest input so that we can best plan our improvement efforts for the coming year. I appreciate the many parents who have already taken the time this year to share their feedback with me personally. Together, we create an exceptional environment in which we all can grow and learn.