Parents-Friends or Foes during the PYP Exhibition? (#PYPX)

I don’t know about you, but school just hasn’t been the same since COVID. There have been numerous accounts of parents overreacting to curriculum and over involvement in school. I don’t quite understand the roots of polemic attitudes towards school, but so many educators face skeptical families who feel like every classroom lesson contains a political statement, every book has a hidden agenda and curriculum is now a festooned act of indoctrination. This strange extremist view is unfamiliar to many of our IB schools,  who prize open-mindedness and free thinking, in which in pre-covid times had a lovely community spirit that had a common goal for a better more peaceful world. It’s an unfortunate situation if you find yourself in one of these school communities in which educators are now being vilified.

But I think to recede from working with our families (even the whingers and fault-finders) is a mistake. I think we can’t say that we are living our IB mission without engaging fully with community. This moment, albeit tense, will eventually come back into equilibrium, in which the family-educator bond of trust will be healed.  We have to keep the faith and do the work to ensure that a more sane and harmonious time is on the horizon. We owe it to our children’s future to act compassionately, to be a model of our IB Learner Profile.

So it was for this reason why our school invited parents into the process of PYPX. In the past our school had used them as mentors, and they were excellent resources for our students, so making them more involved wasn’t a big stretch for us. In addition to our PYPX Parent Coffee, we host a Family Inquiry day, in which families come in and explore the UN’s Sustainable Goals, brainstorming topics. It is a powerful moment to observe, as parents see their child’s passion shine through and the child experienced how beneficial it can be to consider parent ideas and opportunities for action with them. We feel that including family in the process of helping their children to develop their exhibition topic is a win-win for everyone.  I’m really proud of the work that our teachers did to facilitate these conversations, and amazed by how supportive and collaborative our families are. Here are a few scenes from the event:

Needless to say, when you witness such a powerful moment, you want to share it with others. So, if you haven’t considered inviting parents into the process with an event like our Family Inquiry Day, I would like you to consider 3 reasons why you might want to rethink that approach.

Improves student well-being

With the demands of this project, PYPX is by far one of the most stressful events that a child can go through. Of course we know that this inquiry project helps them grow in so many ways as we support their ability to develop emotional resilience and intellectual stamina. But when we add parents into the mix, students feel more supported and confident, realizing that they aren’t alone on this journey–they get to share it with their loved ones. Even if they go through a rough patch during this process, it is a comfort for them to know that not only do they have their teachers and mentors who understand what they are going through, but the families also have a clearer picture and can be of greater help.

Encourages meaningful action

Naturally when students can stay more focused and can self-regulate their stress levels, they can put more of their attention toward generating meaningful action. And parents can get involved with helping them to make connections with organizations and foster relevant service for their local community. So launching the PYPX with parents in tow, is an excellent opportunity to motivate our students to do great work in our communities. I know that last year some of the best student action came from the groups in which parents were well aware of what the student was exploring; in fact some families banded together and worked with the PYPX group to join in the community service as well. The whole family might have volunteered at the animal shelter or worked

Builds relationships with families.

If you are a parent of a teenager, you may recognize the importance of this milestone moment for the student.  For many parents, this is their last moment to really be engaged in their child’s learning. Their “baby” is becoming all grown up. We know that once students go to the MYP, there is an expectation that students don’t need any hand-holding. For parents, this can be a painful moment to accept, in which peers become more important and family relationships come in second place. As much as a parent may be eager for them to be independent and mature, it’s hard to stomach that they are becoming their own person, with different opinions and perspectives.  Needless to say, giving families this moment to feel connected and involved helps to foster positive relationships that will last into those tumultuous teen years. This is a special moment in the parent-child relationship. Having parents active in the process can really help the student cross the threshold into adolescence.

Learning is a Team Sport

Our school mantra is “it takes a village” and it’s true. When educators and parents work together, it’s the students who win. When students are the center, it’s easy to work together. We want the learning and action developed in the PYPX to be sustainable and long-lastin. I think having parents involved is our insurance policy for our students going on to doing amazing things to improve the quality of life for all.

If you have thought that it was “breaking the rules” to include parents into the process, I would caution you to consider the impact it will have on the students and the wider learning community. Yes, you might have some overbearing parents who might try to micro-manage their child’s exhibition project, but perhaps you should weigh the pros and cons ahead of time. In the past I might have been adverse to this idea, but if we want to change the dynamic of enemy shift to ally, we need our families to go on this learning journey with us and understand the power of an IB education.

Please share in the comments below the ways in which your school involves parents in productive and meaningful ways during the PYPX. Growing our ability for partnership with families is vital for student success.