Home visit

Why do home visits?

In order to conduct my doctoral research, I had to enter the homes of parents as I collected their personal narratives. I remember hesitating every time I arrived. I was not invested in them as part of my school family. They would be data - of important work? yes, but I knew that I was not there to build relationships. 

Fast forward 4 years and 6 weeks! During my  6 week summer PLN around the topic of family and home engagement - home visits came up. I made it a goal then and there to incorporate home visits into the foundation of my program. I cannot service students for 30-45 minutes each a day and build any kind of relationship. Work has to be done outside of the ABCD's (and by that I mean the walls of our building).

I've always been fascinated by bridges. My family and I got to cross a few different bridges in the past, both figuratively and literally. The most recent bridges we all cross was while playing Frisbee golf. I recall my eldest son even recalling how each bridge was made of a different material. The first natural wood, the second composite (almost plastic-like) and the third a metal of some kind. As he crossed the third bridge I heard him say - "geez, what kind of material will they use next?" In essence, did it really matter what they used? The diversity of material was intentional, yet the structural make up of the bridges were identical. They served a purpose - transporting us safely over a chasm of sorts in the terrain.

How many bridges do we cross each day in school? How many do we build? - sometimes without even knowing? Yet, building bridges that extend out from our school into the community seem too daunting. Isn't that gap/divide important enough to cross?

To me it is! 

It is a lifeline that needs to be erected with the sturdiness to carry the weight of each family member plus their 'baggage'.

During our back to school picnic we had the opportunity to meet several new families to our school - and set up home visits right then and there. I couldn't wait!

I have worked closely with families from the Indian culture before on a personal level as a nanny and knew many of their customs and traditions. 

As we arrived last Thursday to their home, I shared that we would more than likely need to remove our shoes as we enter their home.

The front porch was decorated a symbol of peace - hand drawn in chalk - and above the threshold were dried mango leaves strung from side to side. This 'festoon' serves many purposes so feel free to read about that here.

We entered the home of the family on the far left - who's son just started Kindergarten. They have been in the US a few months and are adjusting to the new routine of school. The second family who lives nearby came over for a dual visit and her daughter is in the same Kindergarten class. Pictured next them is our principal and family resource coordinator.

While removing our shoes I breathed in spices and remnants of lunch and saw familiar hangings of gods on the walls. I asked permission to move the chairs to accommodate the visitors and soon the second family arrived. As our visit coincided with nap time with the younger siblings I was aware of our time commitment to keep our initial visit short but long enough to lay the first rung of foot beams on our bridge.

Our conversation covered snacks/bathroom training/ work visas/ family meals and more. 

Our goal was to welcome the families to the school community and to reach out to share that we care about the whole family and that their culture is an asset to our experience.

I asked our principal to share her feedback from the visit and she shared this:

I thought it was a great; a learning experience I needed to have! I really would like to involve and learn more about the cultures of our second language families. The only way to change some of the perceptions/beliefs of our Y___ Family is to bring education into the issues. I believe we can be barrier breakers for our new families and grow our own professional knowledge at the same time. Ignorance is the tool of the enemy and he will utilize it if we keep ourselves in the same place.

If you google 'how to build a bridge' you will see lot's of videos and how to's.

One line struck me : When building a brand new bridge, it's important to build it in balance.

The balance of mutual respect - the balance of mutual acceptance and the balance of a mutual appreciation of growth. Don't just visit - stay a while ..............