May 4, 2017
Last week, we spent time with a group of 14 guardians of our scholars at TFFT’s first parent training. The main purpose of this training is for TFFT to emphasize the importance of guardians’ involvement in their child’s life both at home and in school. The guardians have been grouped according to geographical location, and we expect to host training sessions for all of our scholars’ guardians to attend in the location that is most convenient.
We shared with each guardian details about their child’s aspirations and what areas they excel in at school, and the guardians shared details with TFFT about what they observe when the scholars are at home on break. It was interesting to compare what goals the scholars share with their guardians vs. with TFFT.
We explained the importance of creating a relationship with the scholars while they are away at school. Ways of doing this include visiting them at school and picking them up from and dropping them off at school before and after holidays. At the training, we encouraged the guardians to praise their children’s work to motivate them and to improve self esteem. We also explained how to help children balance the various aspects of school and home life. We focused on how the development of a well-rounded, successful person happens through more than academics and grades. We want to help our scholars to develop in social, creative, and emotional ways.
We also talked about the six dimension of the wellness wheel. This includes six important elements: intellectual, physical, social, environmental, emotional, and spiritual as seen. Ideally, all six aspects should be attended to for a balanced life.
Part of the training session focused on behavior. We began with a quote from James Lehman, “Good behavior is a skill, and kids can learn the skill they need by making it a goal to achieve”. We went through four steps to help guide our scholars’ guardians on how to enforce positive behavior during break. First, pick one or two behaviors to work on with their child. Second, define a behavioral issue in a positive way for a child to understand. Third, to come up with a goal, which is realistic, specific, and measurable. Finally, create steps to take that will help meet the measurable goal.
Before the training was over, we had a brief review of each topic covered throughout the day. The guardians present participated in the training and left with an assignment to do with their child during the next school break. We hope to check in with them in June when the scholars are on break.