Presentation

I have begun to work on my presenation. What is interesting is how my project has turned out. I am very excited to share with my fellow researchers how my project helped not only my students but myself. I believe that through sharing the results of this project, I can demonstrate that phone calls home can be for the positive and negative.
On a side note, I had a conversation with a parent yesterday morning. She was worried about a situation that took place on Monday. During our conversation she stated that I could use her name as a threat to her son. She began assuring me that telling him that I would be calling her would be a wonderful way to get his attention. Also, she would be more than welcome to come to school and discuss with him the problem that he is having.
I am a bit disheartened by this convesation. I have worked very hard on using the positive for his communication and progress in the classroom. I think that if I change to communicating more of the negative with the mother that her son may revert to some of his old ways. I then am led to think that there has to be a happy medium with the type of communication.
If there is this conversion of the two types communication (positive and negative) would they cancel each other out or would the positive to continue ot outweigh the negative?

P.S.

I know that I talked about Anna beforer, but her reaction has had such a positive affect on me that I just had to say it again.

Method 3

Well.....My third method is complete and my excitement is oozing out of every part of me. I have found a complete increase in student attitudes towards learning!
What an experiment is has been. Not only have students attitudes changed towards learning but they are more excited in their daily work. I must say that one of the greatest parts of the experiement was watching their faces light up when they received an awards or heard me tell their parents what a wonderful job they are doing. Anna was the greatest to watch.
Anna is one that just wants to be loved. She is a student who has the whole list of emotional issues ranging from foster to care to abuse. She is precious and was part of my focus group. It was the first time I gave her an award for math. Anna and her partner had worked wonderfully together in the math lesson. Her awards was for being a great math partner. When I handed her the award, her face was just amazing. She lit up like a child who walked into a room at Christmas that was filled with everything she had ever wanted.
Then there was Dustin's mother. When I speak with her in the car riders line to tell her about the wonderful things that Dustin had done that day, she was very excited. It was almost as she though she had never been told by the teacher what a wonderful job he had been doing in the classroom. I must say that it has changed my relationship with his mother. It started out being very rocky to being solid in a positive light.
What a great project this has been. I must say that this is going to continue is my classroom from now on. It is also going to be present in my room in the future.

Concerns

I am having some concerns about my third method. I know that what I am doing is working because I have seen a change in my students. However, what if their surveys do not change?
I have learned a great deal so far. My project has taught me that my students are like Pavlovs dog. Anytime that my students have heard that their teacher is going to call home they always assume that it is for the bad. However, it doesn't have to be a phone call for the bad, it can be for the positive. I have also found that my students would rather not have a phone call for the good because they want to be the one to tell their parents. So you ask, why don't you have the students make the phone call? Well, in surveying the parents, they do not want to be called at work unless it is an emergency.
Overall, I have found that this project has been very beneficial for my students. I have also found that their attitudes have changed!!!!!

Parent Survey Analysis

I have completed the second method write-up. I found some very interesting information in my survey analysis. One of the most interesting pieces of information was in regards to the parent choices of communication. Overwhelmingly, the parents choice is a phone call. I find that this response is very interesting because I believe it is asking for more personal communication from the teacher about their child.
Another very interesting response was a parent asking for daily communication. The parent wrote in reference to the child's kindergarten teacher. This teacher had a daily notebook in which they wrote about the child's day to the parents. In return, the parents wrote back to the teacher. It is my question as to how the teacher had enough time in the day to write about each student. If I were to attempt this type of communication in my classroom on a daily basis, I would be writing for at least an hour. That is time that is not in my day.
Overall, I am finding that increasing the amount of communication is not only good for the student but for the parent as well. I find this to be true because it not only helps the child with their attitude towards learning, but it also helps to keep the parents abreast to the specifics of their child's education.
This project is proving to be a wonderful asset in my teaching and my learning.

Method 2 and concerns

I have been working very dilligently on this project. This week I sent home my parent survey inquiring about the amount of communication and what types of communication they prefer. I must say that the responses were quite interesting.
On another note, I am worried that this project may not show changes in their surveys for the second time. However, what about the changes I have seen in my students in the classroom....do those count?