Edci 276

1
Creating Partnerships with Families

• Edci 276
• Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer
• (Gonzalez-mena, ch.11)

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Welcome to Class!

• Please sign in and take your folder. You may sit
  anywhere.
• In your small groups, discuss what this quote
  means to you
• It isnt whether good or bad things happen to
  you its how you handle them that matter.
• Ellen Galinsky

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• Working with families from a strength-based
  perspective

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Build a relationship with the family.

• What constitutes a family?
• What ideas did you read about for forming
  relationships?

5
Focus on the familys strengths.

• Acknowledge the familys own expertise
• About their child,
• About their family,
• About their culture.
• Facilitate and empower them to answer their own
  questions.

6
Self-awareness is essential in recognizing
others strengths.

• When it is difficult to find a familys
  strengths, look within.
• What are your attitudes and biases?
• What stereotypes do you hold?

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Affirm the family for the efforts they make and
for the strengths you see.

• Positive reinforcement and modeling.
• Explicit acknowledgement for the skills they use.
  

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Studying Successful Families

• Find your study group and read about your family.
  
• Share your reactions to this family. Do you know
  families like this?
• What is this familys image of success?
• Think about this family
• What are their strengths?
• What are their stresses?
• In what ways could you support this family? With
  your group, make a plan.
• Clue Use ideas from article, resource workbook
  p.264.

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Case Studies Ch. 11/Resource Book
Family Ch. 11 page Resource Book
Sara p. 254 16, 43
Roberto p. 255 31, 44
Junior p. 256 31, 45
Michael p. 256 15, 48
Courtney p. 257 12, 40
Jackson p. 258 34, 36
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Comparing Families

• Successes
• Commitment
• Attachment to each other
• Nurturing
• Ability to get needs met
• Coping skills
• Building self-esteem
• Communication
• Sharing of culture traditions
• Independence/ Interdependence

• Stresses
• Poverty
• Special needs of child
• Substance abuse
• Divorce/Custody issues
• Blended families
• Lack of support
• Communication
• Inaccessible resources
• Bias issues

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Exit Question

• It isnt whether good or bad things happen to
  you its how you handle them that matter.
  (Ellen Galinsky)

• Consider what you wrote on your card.
• Do you want to revise it?
• Can you think of an example?