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As this chapter (mercifully) ended, I found myself thinking about the efforts we, as teachers, make to support our students' growth in the classroom. Before we can get down to the business of teaching and learning when the new school year begins, we have to "sell" the classroom not only to our students, but their parents and families. Once you have the parents and families on your side, the rest seems to fall into place. This relationship is essential. Rose supports the idea of "wooing" children in the relationship of the student/teacher/classroom, much in the same way that a business "woos" its clients with the "customer is always right" attitude. By treating parents and families as customers (even when they're not right) they tend to support the classroom and teacher in difficult situations. Combine this support with the "romance" of the child in the teacher/student/classroom dance, and you create the most successful environment for the child as he/she grows academically, socially, and behaviorally. I relate to this (difficult to read!) chapter because it supports the idea of this successful environment by nurturing the students through mutual respect. In essence, the students are given encouragement and are made to feel important because they are valued. This value supports their self-confidence in the classroom environment, which helps them to grow as learners because they feel like they're PART of the classroom - a valuable part. They feel their opinion matters. They look to themselves because they value their own growth and understanding as a learner. And they take ownership in their learning. This is very powerful. The ideas presented in this chapter support the need for the involvement of parents, students, AND teachers in the classroom. The classroom can't be viewed as the "teacher's" classroom. While the teacher oversees the classroom, the students and parents need to feel ownership within its walls. I LOVE THIS. I wish I had the parental involement necessary to forge such a successful relationship with every parent in the classroom. This, unfortunately, isn't possible. Many parents don't view themselves as part of the classroom. Their narrow view is of what classrooms used to be: classrooms that belonged to the teacher, were run strictly by the teacher (with no student input), and were solely the responsibility of the teacher. The students were extensions of the teacher. The parents were merely vehicles to administer support when something went wrong or to help with homework. I much prefer the classroom Hicks is talking about in this chapter. Such involvement and support are ideal and create an optimal environment for all involved. This, in turn, paves the way for each student to fully reach their potential in all aspects of the classroom.

The author speaks of the cultural boundaries in the classroom. I'm guilty of assuming that my students and their families think like I do. This, as I mentioned in an earlier post, has been one of my most difficult challenges in the classroom. I have to constantly remind myself that our values are different and that I need to be the one to bend to meet the understanding and the needs of my students and their families. I need to be the one to bridge this gap. As the teacher, it's my responsiblity to make my students and their families feel comfortable in the classroom. I hold that key. I am working to be mindful in our interactions of the vocabulary I use and the inferred meanings in my statements. They may not understand some of the vocabulary I choose and my inferences may not have the same meanings. Therefore, I need to be very deliberate in the things I say. As teachers, we hold the power to bridge the cultural and social gaps in our classrooms. The bridge is built with solid relationships that we nurture with our students and their families that meet THEIR needs on THEIR terms. What a challenge in the classroom!