Home Visits to Start the Year

Hi, y'all!

Every year, our entire district goes on home visits at the same time. It's part of our professional development hours, and it seems pretty crazy when you see the same 100 people canvassing the streets all over our small territory. But overall, I love home visits and always find them enlightening. So, what do I think about home visits? Here's some info without giving any personally-identifying information.

The first year, it was incredibly uncomfortable. I knew no parents or students, and I wasn't leading the visit (I was an enrichment teacher and didn't have a home room, so my job was to be backup/safety for another teacher with a home room). The second year was SO much more comfortable. I knew the kids and even some of the parents, and I could actually lead the conversation and ask questions that were appropriate.

Going into someone's house is highly personal, so I had to read a lot of cues. Some people open their door and invite you in and even though you may not be comfortable with their living environment, you have to be courteous. Of course, I'd never go in some place that I thought was dangerous! Some people are adamant that you stay outside (which I honestly prefer because it keeps the visit short when you are visiting ~25 houses in four hours) and some people don't want to answer the door at all, even though you can hear them inside and see them peeking through the curtains.

The visits give you a much better read on what actually goes on at home. At school, most parents are on guard regarding their behavior. At home, they start on guard but let loose usually within a few minutes, giving you a better picture of what life is like for those students. I know that this has definitely made the difference in how I approach unwanted behaviors in certain students and has totally changed my relationship with certain students from last year to this year!

I think home visits might actually be a big reason why we have a high level of parent engagement in our very high poverty district. We start the year on the right foot by seeing as many students and parents as possible and building the connection in a positive way. We also do it en masse, so that community members come out of their houses to say hi and welcome in the new school year.

Do you do home visits? What do you think of them? If you don't, would you ever consider it?