The Partnership

The partnership between the parent and the teacher cannot be underestimated. When it is built on mutual trust and respect, everything else falls into place. Everything!

This poem, by Ray Lingenfelter, says it all:

Unity

I dreamed I stood in a studio
and watched two sculptors there.
The clay they used was a young child’s mind
and they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher.
The tools she used were books and music and art;
One was a parent
with a guiding hand and a gentle, loving heart.

And when at last their work was done,
they were proud of what they had wrought;
for the things they had worked into the child
could never be sold or bought.

And each agreed she would have failed
if she had worked alone;
for behind the parent stood the school,
and behind the teacher stood the home.

I’ve always loved this poem.

In this life, we don’t go it alone. When we learn how to connect with one another and appreciate what others bring into our lives (and into the lives of our children) – how rich it all becomes.

If you would like to further discuss the parent relationships in your program, contact me at marciahebert@earthlink.net. I have lots to share.

My next series of posts will focus on Environments for Children.

This entry was posted in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Training for Early Childhood Directors. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to The Partnership

  1. Jennifer Bialobrzeski says:

    What a beautiful poem! Love it. And quite fitting for where I am this week. Thank you for sharing.

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