How do early childhood educators come to know communities, parents, families, and community members and establish viable partnerships? Are their perceptions based on experiences, values, fact, opinion, or theories of teaching and learning? To  facilitate your learning about the social context of this educational setting, you will conduct an interview with an early childhood educator.

Part 1: Interview

• Schedule an interview with an early childhood educator. Your interview may be with a teacher, principal or other administrator, or ancillary staff member.
• In the interview, inquire about the early childhood educator’s priorities in facilitating home, school, and community partnerships. Seek better understanding of routines, activities, observations, and decisions you have formed based on your experiences. Elicit the educator’s values and priorities related to parents, families, the school community, and the community at large.
• Prior to the interview, generate a set of 10 questions to ask the early childhood educator related to parent, family, and community involvement.
  • Potential questions:
    • Tell me about your priorities related to this group of learners.
    • What are some of the ways you routinely involve parents in their children’s school experience?
    • What are some of your greatest accomplishments over the years in this school community? In regards to the parents or wider community?
    • Describe the most challenging matters regarding work with families and parents in the community?
    • Are there any upcoming units/themes/lessons (or recent past) in which parent input could be/was helpful? In what ways did you engage parents, families, and communities.

Part 2: Results of the Interview

• Create a 4 to 6-page paper (not including the title or reference pages) in a Word document for your response. 
• Use APA format for the title page, references page, and in-text citations.
• Develop an introduction and conclusion for your paper.
• Convey the key ideas communicated in the interview by the early childhood educator.
  Discuss how the information shared in the interview aligns with best practices and research which support communication and forming partnerships with families.
• Include the interview questions as an appendix in the paper.