Experiencing the Real Context between Families, Schools, and Community Relationships: Transforming Preservice Teachers' Perceptions

This Reflection on Practice is based upon a change in the undergraduate course "Family and Community Relations." Historically, this course has been taught on campus in a lecture format, as well as small and large group activities. However, during a spring semester at a midsized Midwestern University, it was altered to provide more direct experiences for preservice teachers (PSTs) with families in a local child care program. This change was grounded in the belief that PSTS need "authentic experiences with families"(Pedro, Miller, & Bray, 2012, p.13). In addition to being in classrooms at the end of the child care day to interact with parents and participating in parent/teacher conferences, the PSTs planned and implemented two family events as well as created a space for families in the child care program's entry area. Reflections from the instructor's journal and feedback from parents and administrators following the events indicated a change in the PSTs behavior resulting in increased professionalism and a desire to do their best for the families of the early childhood program. This outcome suggests that providing PSTs opportunities to work directly with families as part of their educational program holds promise for the possibility of transformative learning to occur.