Mark Heald Portfolio

The PDF below displays evidence of parent contact while serving as a student intern at Mariner High School. The interactions I had with parents while at Mariner proved to be a valuable and enriching experience that ultimately made me a better teacher. Most of my parent interactions came while at IEP meetings. My situation at Mariner was such that I took over as the lead teacher in my 11th grade US history classes shortly after returning from my alternate level observation experience. At IEP meetings involving my students, I was asked to inform the parent of their child’s strengths and shortcomings in my class. I found it very easy to talk about each individual student’s strengths, though it was a bit of an adjustment for me talking about areas where the student might be struggling. As a young teacher, I wanted to make sure I phrased everything I said in a manner that would not offend the parent or student. As I became more comfortable with my parent interactions, this became less of a concern and I found that just being honest with the parents is the best route to take.

Through my interactions with parents, I was able to learn a lot about the students in my class and ultimately this made me a better educator. I am a firm believer that relationships are extremely important in education, and being able to learn more about my students through their parents was of great benefit to me.