Navigating Ball Field Meetings

Picture this. A beautiful spring day, the scent of popcorn filling the air, watching your favorite little player running from first to second base. Suddenly you overhear, "Did you hear what Mrs. Smith allowed to happen to my little Johnny?" Another “bleacher meeting” is taking place. The ball field, church gatherings, community events, and other settings where members of the community are together often serve as the background for these field-side conferences where the focus often shifts from the event they are gathered for to school happenings, complaints, or just plain gossip that fuel frustrations and resentment for the school amongst those involved in the conversation. These “conferences” although sometimes innocent, can often lead to a venting session that leaves everyone feeling fired up as well as hostile toward the school faculty and staff. With the rise in technology, these grievances have started being centered around issues dealing with devices, such as concern for the lack of monitoring student devices.

So how can teachers play a role in preventing these gatherings from spiraling into something far beyond control? Maintaining public relations is key. According to Whitehead et al. (2013), "The development of a strong public relations program is at the core of educational change and reform" (p. 149). Promoting open communication, involving members of the community in decision-making, and providing regular updates can assist in assuring parents and community members their concerns are being heard and considered in their protocols.

One of the most effective ways teachers and administrators can prevent these bleacher meetings from going too far into negative territory is by fostering open communication with community members. Strong parent-teacher communication has been known to correlate with more positive behavior from both parents and students. By building this rapport and establishing healthy relationships with parents, addressing their concerns, and being proactive instead of reactive, teachers can aid in mitigating the parents’ need for public venting sessions.

With the concerns increasing over protection for students using technology, concerns should be addressed when developing a technology plan. “The technology coordinator should enlist the aid of a variety of stakeholders when beginning the planning process” including community representatives (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017, p.169). Community members bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the table which can greatly aid in the decision-making process related to digital safety and other issues. Frazier & Hearrington (2017) suggests that one should engage “stakeholders in an analysis of the school’s or district’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats” (p. 169). By engaging in this, not only may concerns dealing with technology arise, but other concerns community members may have about school happenings and/or protocols.

Providing regular updates keeps parents informed about school happenings and eases their minds about any safety concerns they may have for their students. This relief from anxiety can lead to a reduction in the likelihood of grievances being aired out at community events. Regular updates through newsletters, emails, or community meetings with the school allow for ongoing dialogue and transparency which can prevent misunderstandings from occurring and manifesting into something major.

Overall, teachers play a vital role in shaping the school community and relationships between the school and the community. By promoting open communication, including community members in decision-making, and providing updates to community members, teachers can assist in the prevention of these ball field meetings from becoming platforms for expressing frustrations about the school and its protocols and/or happenings.

 

References

Frazier, M. & Hearrington, D. (2017). The Technology Coordinator’s Handbook, Third Edition (3rd ed.). Eugene: International Society for Tech in Ed.

Whitehead, B. M., Jensen, D. F. N., & Boschee, F. (2013). Planning for Technology: a

guide for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum

leaders (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.