Educators don't always know what happens at a student’s home or understand how events may affect their behavior in school. To get better insight, some teachers in the Christina School District paid a visit to their students' homes Thursday.
Pulaski Elementary School teachers fanned out across their West Wilmington neighborhood as part of “Pulaski on the Prowl,” a reference to the school’s mascot, the Panther.
Pulaski principal Raushann Austin says the initiative will help the school better address the needs of the community.
“It automatically helps our teachers establish positive relationships with the families that they serve,” she says. “I think teachers get a lot of insight about a child when they are able to visit their homes. It really sends a positive message to our Pulaski families.”
Austin adds that parents are more likely to participate in school activities such as teacher conferences, once they’ve made a connection.
“Just because families may come from lower socio-economic backgrounds doesn't mean that they don’t want to be involved and they’re not vested in their children's education," she says. “It just may take you moving beyond the school building to reach them.”