Crystal Goodwin, A Champion for Parent Teacher Home Visits

I have worked with the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Robert Mitchell Elementary School for the past three years, and incorporating the Parent Teacher Home Visits program has been a huge success.  The key to the success is from developing trust and respect in building lasting relationships with the families.  

Doing home visits has given me awareness and an understanding of the problems that families face in their everyday lives.  After visiting one family from the Philippine Islands, I learned that two of my students are living with their father and grandparents.  The student’s mother is still living in the Philippines. 

The Parent Teacher Home Visits program at Robert Mitchell Elementary School has resulted in a strong partnership with parents and grandparents, improved student attendance and better grades and better student attitudes.

Parents become empowered and excited about teaming with teachers and staff members to help their children to be successful in the classroom in a myriad of ways.  And the children are excited when you let them know that you have scheduled a visit with their parents in their homes, especially when they realize it is not because they are in trouble.