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Grow
is the process by which parenting educators become professionals and associate
themselves with colleagues through professional development activities.
GROW involves educators learning to know themselves and their values while building knowledge, skills, and connections as educators. GROW recognizes that the parenting educator and her/ his personal qualities are a critical part of the educational process.
GROW is used to suggest an activity that begins with the earliest preparations for becoming a parenting educator and continues as an ongoing developmental process.
Critical GROW Practices
To GROW, a parenting educator will
- identify personal strengths and challenges;
- confront personal biases that interfere with one’s ability to educate and support particular individuals and specific populations of families;
- develop personal awareness and skills to interact sensitively with parents in order to nurture parents’ growth and development;
- set personal and professional goals;
- continually reflect on one’s behavior and performance and revise goals for improvement;
- develop and share personal philosophies of parenting and of education;
- learn about and apply ethical principles in all aspects of professional life;
- locate and regularly interact with skilled colleagues, mentors, and supervisors;
- be an active member and take leadership in professional associations and advocacy groups; and
- keep current with the trends and issues in the field by participating in formal and informal opportunities for continuing education and professional development.
Examples of Specific Professional Objectives for GROW
The following parenting educator behaviors serve as examples of more specific objectives based on the critical practices for GROW.
The parenting educator should be able to
list personal strengths and challenges in program development and delivery and relate those strengths and challenges to her/his personal, educational, and professional background;
- describe personal values and beliefs regarding parenting education;
- outline a personal development plan that builds upon strengths, addresses his/her challenges, and cultivates a sense of pride in his/her profession;
- join and participate in a professional organization that has both state and national presence;
- become an active consumer of the research literature on parenting, child and family development, and effective learning strategies; and
- attend seminars and conferences designed to build the knowledge and skills of parenting educators.
What we know about GROW
Self-development and self-examination are critical processes in preparing for parenting education. It is important to continually reflect on one’s work with families and examine what one is observing, doing, and feeling. “Family life educators need to be in touch with their own feelings or biases” (Powell & Cassidy, 2001, p. 30). Such reflection can help reduce the risks of exhaustion, burnout, and isolation from colleagues (Fenichel, 1992; Carter & Kahn, 1996).
Parenting educators should assess their skills and seek training options that fill identified needs (Braun, Coplon, & Sonnenschein, 1984). In order to be effective educators, it is important for parenting educators to develop a philosophical basis for teaching about families and thoroughly consider where personal beliefs have originated (Powell & Cassidy, 2001).
Parenting educators should learn to identify different types of educational approaches and their feelings about each approach. Czaplewski and Jorgensen (1993) have listed three major educational approaches in family life education. The first is called the behavioristic approach. (Note that this term is not identical to behaviorism as a parenting style.) It assumes that the teacher is responsible for giving the student knowledge, skills, and competencies. Other authors have called this category the “expert approach.” The second is the personalistic approach. This approach portrays the teacher as a role model and emphasizes the development of autonomy, self-direction, and psychological maturity. It uses a cooperative approach between teacher and learner. The third is the inquiry-oriented approach. It recognizes that all members of society have responsibility to contribute in socially productive ways, so the teacher needs to support the development of critical thinking skills. Other professionals appear to use a fourth approach called eclectic. It uses some elements of the other three approaches. Czaplewski and Jorgensen (1993) say that much of the preparation of family life educators has been done in an eclectic fashion.
Professional development opportunities for parenting educators should take into consideration stages of professional growth. Studies in early childhood education have identified four stages of professional development. The first stage is characterized by a need for straightforward training that clearly defines work expectations and provides step-by-step instructions or prepared curricula. The subsequent three stages involve increasing amounts of self-reflection, a decreasing dependence on specific knowledge, and an increasing need for interaction with professional colleagues (Katz, 1977. Although research still must be conducted, similar stages may be evident in the field of parenting education.
Even professionals who have completed a number of recognized stages of advanced professional development still have needs for continuing education. As Powell and Cassidy (2001, p .45) so aptly noted, “Qualified professionals must stay current on research and developments in their field.”
Education and training should involve much more than subject matter. To prepare to teach and guide parenting groups, educators need to develop many complex and difficult skills. Parenting educators should seek to build background knowledge about children, parents, and families, but they should also develop skills in group process, program development, and problem-solving (Cochran, 1997; Rothenberg, 1992). In addition, theory should be a central component in training so that participants can organize their continually shifting knowledge base (Jones, 1993, xiii).
Educators need to understand the critical components of a program approach in order to maintain program quality. It has been observed that the highest quality programs are those that are flexible in their delivery and are adapted to the needs and wishes of program participants (Schorr, 1988). Yet, it has also been noted that adjustments to a program increase the risk that its theoretical underpinnings and conceptual framework will be compromised (Carter & Kahn, 1996). Professional development activities combined with continuing education and appropriate supervision can help ensure that a program’s integrity will not be compromised while it is adopted to changing circumstances and audiences.
A large portion of parenting educator preparation is done on the job, making mentoring and supervision critical. Traditionally, field experiences have played a key role in the preparation for all positions (Cochran, 1997). Field experiences that include learning by doing, in-service guidance, and supervision have been viewed as critical elements in preparing to lead a parenting group (Kawin, 1963). Because of the emphasis on in-service training and the focus on process skills, in addition to simple content, mentors and supervisors become critical elements of the training process.
Beginning parenting educators need to seek out and become comfortable with supervision. They should take advantage of opportunities to reflect upon their experiences with a more experienced colleague. Similarly, more experienced parenting educators who work with other educators need support and training for the role of supervisor (Carter & Kahn, 1996).
Professional organizations support knowledge and skills development and reduce isolation. Parenting education has its roots in many disciplines. Consequently it is difficult to identify just one professional organization with which the majority of parenting educators have an affiliation. The issue of differing and sometimes competing professional organizations in the field of family life education has a long documented history (Kerckhoff, 1964; Somerville, 1971).
A recent survey found that parenting educators belong to a variety of organizations and that most of these educators felt that their organizations did not fully understand their positions (Carter & Kahn, 1996). Many believe that the development of a professional organization is a necessary first step in “professionalizing” a field of endeavor. Given current circumstance and history, it will be important to watch whether one umbrella organization will emerge for parenting educators or whether several organizations will agree upon an established set of principles and practices.
A parenting educator is respectful of all individuals with whom he/she works and sensitive to their unique role as an educator. This requires maintaining high personal standards. As the profession of parenting education grows, it will require an acceptance of ethical principles in the various roles—parent educator, researcher, and community partner. The current set of Ethical Principles and Guidelines for Family Scientists (National Council in Family Relations, 1998) provides a basis for parenting educators to begin their personal growth in the process.
References
Braun, L. A., Coplon, J. K., & Sonnenschein, P. C. (1984). Helping parents in groups: A leader’s handbook. Boston: Wheelock Center for Parenting Studies.
Carter, N. & Kahn, L. (1996). See how we grow: A report on the status of parenting education in the U.S. Philadelphia: Pew Charitable Trusts.
Cochran, M. (1997). Training and education for family support workers: Issues for the future. Family Resource Coalition Report, 15, 2 (Guidelines for family support practice: Companion guide), 23-25.
Czaplewski, M. J., & Jorgensen, S. R. (1993). The professionalization of family life education. In M. E. Arcus, J. D. Schvaneveldt, and J. J. Moss (Eds.), Handbook on family life education: Foundations of family life education. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. 51-75.
Fenichel, E. (Ed.) (1992). Learning through supervision and mentorship to support the development of infants, toddlers, and their families: A sourcebook. Arlington, Va: Zero to Three/National Center for Clinical Infant Programs.
Jones, E. (1993). Growing teachers. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Katz, L. G. (1977). The nature of professions: Where is early childhood education? Montessori Life, 5 (2), 31-35.
Kawin, E. (1963). Parenthood in a free nation: Manual for group leaders and participants. West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue University Press.
Kerckhoff, R. K. (1964). Family life education in America. In H. T. Christiansen (ed.), Handbook of marriage and the family, 881-911. Chicago: Rand McNally.
National Commission on Family Life Education --Task Force of the National Council on Family Relations (1968). Family life education programs: Principles, plans, procedures. The Family Coordinator, 17, 211-214.
National Council on Family Relations (1998). Ethical Principles and Guidelines for Family Scientists.
Powell, L. H. & Cassidy, D. (2001). Family life education: An introduction. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
Rothenberg, B. A. (1992). Parentmaking educators training programs: A comprehensive skills development course to train early childhood parent educators. Menlo Park, CA: Banster Press.
Schorr, L. B. (1988). Within our reach. New York: Doubleday.
Somerville, R. M. (1971). Family life and sex education in the turbulent ‘60’s. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 33, 11–35.
This material is reproduced with permission. Debord, K., Goddard, H. W., & Myers-Walls, J. A., Bower, D., Mulroy, M., Kirby, J., Ozretich, R. A., & Kobbe, A. M. (2002). National Extension Parenting Educators’ Framework. Cooperative Extension System.
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