Family Factors / Home Environment

Family factors and home environments are the circumstances and social climate conditions within families. Family factors and home life are incredibly important when it comes to the classroom. Many students face a lot at home, which can affect how they perform when they come to the classroom. Home environments can have an effect on students' grades, assignments, motivation, self-confidence, attendance, and behavior. It is significant that teachers are aware of student's home life in order to help best serve them in the classroom. With trusting communication, teachers can work with students to determine what kind of day it is going to be in the class. An example would be, maybe not calling on a student to answer as many questions so they can work independently and at their own pace that day.                                                   

Students engaging in the teacher's lesson

Family factors and home environments are two important aspects to me. I feel strongly about taking care of students first. Not all students get the best home life, so it is very imperative for me to do daily check-ins. Some students may not want to share personally what is going on, but check-ins are a great way to let the teacher know that they need a little bit more care that day. In my experience, I sub part-time and have observed in low-income elementary schools. There are many students in these schools that have expressed to me difficulties at home. I have had the opportunity to observe mentor teachers and see how they treat the situation. One student, in particular, did best on bad days working alone and staying to himself. He completed all of his work in a timely manner and still raised his hand if he needed any assistance. Another student was given three options to decide what worked best for their situation. They were given the opportunity to sit out in the hall for five minutes to gather, pass on doing the activity, or continue to do the activity with a partner or individually. I loved the idea of giving the students choices and allowing them to decide what works best for their feelings. A student's education is incredibly important, but also making sure that they are doing well is just as important.