FEEL

WE EXPERIENCED

Whilst, there were several opportunities for parents to engage with the teachers regarding their child, we wanted to be mindful that conversations don’t start becoming only about academic growth or behavioral concerns.

Watch Kiran share the instance that led to the creation of this process.

3:31

Try the empathy lens:


Recall the last time when you felt stressed on receiving negative feedback. Identify those emotions and also how long that memory stayed with you. Reflect on what was the impact of that experience on your future interactions.


Now, contrast this with your most recent memory of feeling celebrated by family or friends.


Imagine a child who might go through similar emotions and use this to design your next interaction with students and parents.


Try the empathy lens

OUR INSIGHTS

  • When we started school and our numbers were small, we were able to forge very personal familial relations with parents. When we met parents and shared with them anecdotal evidence of their child’s growth, parents always left with a sense of pride and felt comforted.

  • As we were growing into a bigger school, we sensed that some of those meetings started becoming more only about concerns. Then, we reflected and realized that even in the growth we wanted to stay true to the relationship between the child, family and the school.

This resulted in the creation of a process called ‘Celebrate the Child’ (CTC), which ensured that the same essence of how we started remained alive, albeit in a different form.

IMAGINE

WHAT IF...

the school could always continue to partner with parents and children in a way that would move them from being concerned to feeling comforted and confident?

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY

WE DESIGNED

a process called 'Celebrate the Child' (CTC) which:

  • intentionally documented anecdotes and milestones of the child through the year that showcased the plurality of the child’s story;

  • set aside time once a year for a meeting with every parent individually to celebrate and to make visible the child's growth for both, content and character;

  • took time to address the children’s concerns before meeting their parents, so that there were no surprises for the child during the meeting;

  • gave teachers the opportunity to comfort parents by offering enough strategies, in case they had any concerns about their child.

The fallout of this process was that the children felt confident that they have a champion in the teacher, and parents felt that their concerns were being addressed and they saw their child in a new light. Not only this, but the teacher’s investment in the child helped to strengthen the bond of respect and trust with parents and students.

DO

HERE IS WHAT WE DO

This video helps make visible the design and implementation of the ‘Celebrate the Child’ (CTC) process.

06:55

In the above video, you will get a glimpse of how the teacher collates anecdotes, sets the tone for CTC with her grade and meets the parents and child to spotlight all that the child is doing well in, along with goal-setting for the next term/year.

STAKEHOLDER INSIGHTS

In this section, Riverside edu-heroes share strategies and insights from their experience of the process and how the process has impacted their practice.

  • 04:33

    FAQ Video

    Watch Muzammil share some insights on how to prepare for and conduct the ‘Celebrate the Child’ (CTC) meeting to make visible the child’s growth to the parents.

  • 6:50

    Impact Video

    Watch how facilitating the ‘Celebrate the Child’ process impacts Muzammil’s practice and helps him to champion the child as well as comfort the parents.

  • 2:07

    Alumni Video

    Watch Chirag talk about the impact of the ‘Celebrate the Child’ on his journey beyond Riverside.

Resources

checklist Sample Invitation - KS 1 Sample Invitation - KS 2 Sample Invitation - KS 3 Post CTC Communication Anecdote Sample - KS 1 Anecdote Sample - KS 2 Anecdote Sample - KS 3

TIPS FOR THE LEADERS

  • When you are doing teacher appraisals, use the same strategies to celebrate your teachers as you do during CTC for the students.

  • Check with the teachers if they have difficulty in addressing specific parents. Ensure that you personally conduct the CTC with those parents. This way the teacher will see a champion in you who is ready to support them.