EHMS Teachers Make Connections Through Home Visits
Happy tears rolled down the cheeks of one East Hartford Middle School mother when she saw her daughter’s teacher walking up to their door. She said she couldn’t believe these educators actually took the time to come to their home.
“She was so overwhelmed and overjoyed,” said Angela LaBianca, Science Teacher and Team Leader. “It was really nice to see how proud she was of her daughter.”
It’s just one example of the connections EHMS teachers are making as they continue their home visits this fall. These in-person visits began as a method to check in on families throughout the school year in regards to attendance. They have evolved into a wonderful way to celebrate students and for teachers to get to know the children in their classrooms on a deeper level.
“A highlight from one of our visits is when we visited a family and she happened to be cooking at the time. The family was from Puerto Rico and she was making tostones. It ended up sparking a conversation and then the next day the daughter came in with a whole plate full of them for us,” said Hayley Fieldhouse, English Teacher and Team Leader.
During these visits, teachers are sometimes meeting families for the first time. Meanwhile, they are undoubtedly forming stronger bonds with their students.
Brendan Boyd, Social Studies Teacher and Team Leader said, “[Teachers] get to see the kids in their environment. In addition, the kids get to see us out of our environment, to see that we’re human beings and not just teachers.”
These visits also provide an opportunity for teachers to affirm the great work students are doing in class and to discuss any areas of growth they can work on together.
“To let them know that their teachers actually care about them, not just academically but want to get to know them, want to get to know their strengths, how to help them with their weaknesses. It’s that overall relationship building, but just on a much deeper level that you probably won’t get in school,” said Gaunet Davis, English Teacher.
Teachers say they enjoy these visits as much as the families do.
“It just reminds you why you started teaching in the first place,” said Fieldhouse.
East Hartford Middle School Principal Anthony Menard said, “The middle school teachers continue to go above and beyond to connect with families. That personal connection means everything to us to build trust and to help the child achieve.”