Home Visitation: A Teacher's Way of Showing Love and Care to Students

End of school year is fast approching. Today is 27th of February and the last day of the month is coming so soon. In March, schools will be busy as the streets during rush hours. A time for parents to show up who never visited school between June to February to check and monitor their childrens performance.

Thursday of last week, 22nd of this month I and @felicitas decided to home visit one of our students who was absent for succeeding 2 weeks without any noticed like sending an excuse letter to let us know what had happened. Before the home visitation, we asked permission from our school principal to go out for the purpose mentioned above and he agreed.

Before the succeeding two weeks of absences, she was already in an "on and off" mode in school. Since she is a transferee from another school and new in the place, no one from her classmates know where she and the family lives.

It was on the 21st of the same month when one of my students learned that the family has a store in a baranggay next to our school and gave me the details how to get there.

@felicitas is also a very concerned teacher, go with me using her motorbike. I felt blessed to have her with me in helping out convinced the student to go back to school with the help of her parents.

When we arrived in the store, there was no one except the other business people beside them. But sad for no one was familiar with the family that we are looking for. We stayed for few minutes until one man passed by and was able to share information about who we are looking for. And we were glad for we are at the right place. Based from the information the good man gave us that our student's parents were still at the market to buy for their small business "crispy chicken".

After an hour of waiting, we met the father and to his surprised he didn't know that his daughter was constantly not in school. He only knew that sometimes the child will just stay home when not feeling well.

From the father's story, he and his wife were both busy making money everyday that they even forget to monitor their daughter's performance in school. He also claimed that probably his child can not go along with her classmates for she was from another school during grade 7. He also mentioned that his daughter doesn't like moving out from her previous school. The student's quiet behavior refrain her from gaining new set of friends.

From the time of visitation, the student was not in the store, she was with her mother at home.

Before going back to school, we made an agreement and let the father sign that he is going encourage her daughter to go back in school and that he will visit school the following day to know things needed to comply to catch up the missed activities his daughter didn't have.

Those factors affect the performace of every learners not just to our student whom we have visited.

Lesson of the story:

• Parents play an important role for every child's education. Paying tuition fees, supplying school needs, feeding them every day and others are NOT ENOUGH. Your constant monitoring for their school performance by visiting school from time to time is REALLY NEEDED.

• Before you make adjustments as to where your children would love to go to school as long as you can be a provider then give them the freedom to chose school they like. I know a lot of things to be considered, but when your child knows where comfortablity is, then give it to them. It helps them do well.

• Encourage your children to be outgoing and to make new friends to make their days brighter. How you handle your kids at home will definitely affect them as a person in school.

• Constantly have a follow up on how their day was in school. Ask them what they have learned on that day. Refrain from nagging them most of the time*. Let them understand things by telling them softly without judgment.

• When you happen to visit school, please pay some respect to teachers if ever you have any concern. Remember, you just have few children at home to deal with everyday, but us teachers we have more than 200. We have practiced full patience and unconditional love. So don't judge us as if we don't do anything good for your children.

• Teach your children always for what is right from wrong and to do good all the time. RESPECT towards others should be prioritized.

As a teacher, I am dedicating my days with the motivation of helping my learners not just to learn what is in the book but what life is all about and how to deal with it day by day.

And to share the good news, we were able to convinced the student to go back to school with the support of her parents.

Education should not be taken for granted. It should be prioritized.☆☆☆☆☆

Best regards,
Georgie《♡》