Developing Caring Relationships Among Parents, Children, Schools, and Communities - Softcover

McDermott, Dana R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1412927862 ISBN 13: 9781412927864

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc, 2007

Synopsis

"This text provides a fresh look at an important topic-teachers and families working collaboratively. A strong blend of research and practical application is presented."

-Beth Nason Quick, Tennessee State University

"I was captivated by an innovative and a gentle, humanistic approach to viewing families and working with parents in parenting education."

-Gloria Wenze, University of Scranton

"A synthesis of theory, research, and practice couched in a very readable text... a provocative examination of teacher and parent relationships that holds the promise of a better future for the next generation of educators and parents. This book should fan the flames of professional reflection and professional practice."

-William McInerney, University of Toledo

Developing Caring Relationships Among Parents, Children, Schools, and Communities looks at parent-professional-child relations very differently than other books in this area. Author Dana McDermott focuses on parents and teachers as adult learners who should be growing and learning along with the children in their care. Accessibly written, the book synthesizes the latest theories and research on parent-and adult-child relations and on adult learning and development, focusing on a dynamic process rather than a static role and, on all the social-contextual factors affecting parents, teachers, and children.

Key Features

• Focuses on parents and teachers as adult learners: This will supplement traditional books on family involvement or parent child relations which rarely drill down to understand parents as anything more than a conduit to a child's development.
• Emphasizes the dynamic process of parenting and teaching: The author provides a useful tool, or a caring decision-making process, for parents, children, and professionals to think through any issues they face so that everyone's needs are considered in any interaction.
• Provides a theory to practice model to support parents, families, and teachers: This book lays out a theory of what parents and teachers need to care for children and themselves and then shows how to put these theories into practice in preK-12 schools.
• Uses narratives to demonstrate applications of theory and research: The latest theories and research are woven into stories from the voices of parents, teachers, and children.
• Explores research from diverse cultures: The book looks at many schools around the world and from various socioeconomic backgrounds to identify their common and differentiated concerns.
• Includes additional web resources: Questionnaires, workshops, newsletters, model development information, resource material and other exemplary projects/resource sites can be found in the appendices located at www.sagepub.com/mcdermottappendices

Intended Audience

This supplemental text is designed for undergraduate and graduate courses such as Parents/Home-School Relations in Early Childhood and Elementary Education; Parenting; and School and Community Relations in departments of education, psychology, family studies, health sciences, and social work.

About this title

Review:

"Long-time family educator Dana McDermott has written a volume with a large arc that deserves attention by all working with families. Published as a textbook, its readership should go beyond students to educators, administrators, social workers, and many others that are part of the caring circles for parents and children. The book is conversational. It utilizes a theory to practice model so that readers can read and explore the inextricable links between developmental wisdom and best practice with families.  She is contextual in her viewpoint, exploring the many demands on parents AND on those that serve them. Respect for self and others jumps from the pages. This volume should sit along side the best of our books on group leadership, parent child communication, your favorite “arenting”book, resiliency materials and related books. If so, you will be picking this one off the shelf regularly to enhance your perspectives and your work." (Ted Bowman 2010-11-15)

Synopsis:

Developing Caring Relationships With Parents, Children, Schools, and Communities focuses on parents and teachers as adult learners, who should be growing and learning along with the children in their care. It is a strengths based approach to looking at parents, families and teachers. It synthesizes the latest theories and research on parent and adult-child relations and on adult learning and development, which focuses on a dynamic process, not a static role and on all the social-contextual factors affecting parents, teachers and children. This book lays out a theory of what parents and teachers need to care for children and themselves and then it shows how the author has assisted parents and teachers to put these theories into practice in pre K-12 schools. McDermott relies on stories and listening to the voices of parents, teachers and children to make her case. She weaves together the latest theories and research with these stories. She uses narratives of actual school meetings, workshops, parent planning and discussion groups, testimonies, newsletters, and research of others in the field, to demonstrate applications of theory and research.She fills a gap by focusing on parents from all socioeconomic background.

She challenges components of current models of parent-involvement in light of what is now known about what teachers, parents and families need to grow and develop.Key Features:Focuses on parents and teachers as adult learnersFocuses on the dynamic process of parenting and teachingProvides a theory to practice model to support parents, families and teachers Provides a tool or guide for thinking through problems and finding solutions that take into consideration the needs of all involved

About this edition

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1412927862
• ISBN 13: 9781412927864
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304