13.Tips on Family-Centred approach in teaching

These are notes from a lecture on Family-centred approach in teaching delivered by Mr. Hafiz Mohamad during the National Seminar on educating Teacher Educators for diversity  organized by  Govt. CTE, Kozhikkode.

*Though the child spends a lot to time at school, it is the family that plays a crucial role in moulding  a child’s personality.

*Family addresses the child’s physiological development and socialisation. It also provides help in time of need, builds a lasting relationship, imparts a status and develops an attachment to generations.

*Family disorganization can affect a child. This could be in the form of family conflicts, separation and desertion, extra-marital relationship of parents and  disease or death. This  would affect the child and  reflect in its behaviour.

*Problems of separation are unique in nature. The psychosomatic disease found among  house wives whose husbands live in the Gulf is a case in point. Lack of physical proximity, feeling of isolation, unavailability of an authority figure in times of crisis or conflict with the mother can lead to intra-psychic problems in children.

*No attempt should be made by parents to belittle, blame, joke at poor performance, punish or grumble for minor flaws. Attempts to generalize and use abusive words can also cause mental stress in children. 

What role can the teacher perform?

The family-centred approach should begin by  the teacher making an attempt to understand the problem. Next, the role of  the parents should be identified. The parents should be contacted and if necessary social support should be sought.

*There are several things that the teacher can do: Develop empathy, develop understanding, involve in listening, avoid biases and open criticism and try to find solutions. 

*Mentoring is also possible. This should  be individual centred, and the teacher should  try to become a trusted counsellor and guide. The teacher should act as a fellow traveller and give relevant information and inspire the student. Basically it would involve establishing a new relationship with the student.   The teacher can begin by establishing a rapport, a partnership and  exchange views and identify plans and resources needed. Then, diagnose the needs  and go about setting   objectives and  commence the work. While making  progress,  make it a point to  review the work.