So, what is the essential conversation about? The development of humans throughout the ages has been a gradual process. From learning human attributes to focusing on skill development, books have always been an irreplaceable aspect. A personality develops as one indulges in the habit of book reading. You may ask how books are a source of enlightenment to man.
Hold your breath a bit; what you may learn now can provide a new perspective to book reading. When we read a book, we decipher new meanings. The meaning we make from the mere black printing marks on the pages is an extension of our experience. Thus, we re-read ourselves, our experiences, and our feelings when we read a book. An informative book like The Essential Conversation is alike. It ignites awareness in an individual. This ignition is a reaction to how we should behave when exposed to an institutional framework. So, let’s learn more about this book.
What Is the Book Essential Conversation About?
Appealing to the didactic nature of literature, Essential Conversation revolves around the relationship that parents and teachers must share to bring out the best in a child’s personality. A question may arise why parents and teachers should concern themselves about their behavioral characteristics. The answer is simple. A child learns by imitating their role models. Teachers and parents become immediate role models to children. The necessity lies here.
Essential Conversation thus focuses upon the necessity that seeks to provide meaningful insight to the teachers and the parents. Though the main argument has its basis in student psychology, the thematic concern is the parent-teacher relationship.
At first instance, the book may seem to talk about ordinary encounters in parent-teacher meetings. However, a deeper look will reveal that the book highlights the psychological themes of anxieties, insecurities, fears, painful memories, and biases both parents and teachers exhibit during the twice-yearly ritual. Though the interaction appears to be about the child, sometimes the adults may find themselves wrapped up in their childhood histories.
The author, Sara Lawrence Lightfoot, beautifully identifies the dynamics of this complex and intense relationship from the perspective of both the parents and teachers. She also laid down practices for improving family-school relationships.
According to the author, parents and teachers can learn much from each other while interacting. Lawrence wants her book to offer valuable insights, deft guidance, and intelligent lessons for parents and teachers to support their children’s learning and growth.
Fascinating Aspects Of the Book
Sara Lawrence Lightfoot’s book might appear to be fascinating for two reasons.
Emotional Illustrations
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot captures appealing emotional dynamics in her book, which is the first reason that the text appears captivating to the readers. Splendidly, the author illustrates the emotional distinctions existing between parents and teachers. In addition, she highlights a dynamic that reverberates between both parties.
Parallels Between Dynamics
The second reason the book might be fascinating is that she draws parallels between dynamics involved in conventional parent-teacher conferences and those experienced by educators and families in annual Individualized Education Programs (IEP) meetings.
Who Wrote the Essential Conversation?
The book “The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other” is written by Sara Lawrence Lightfoot on a self-retrospective trip. She is the first African-American woman in Harvard’s history to have an endowed professorship named in her honor. Keep on reading to know more about her.
Who Is Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot?
Sara Lawrence Lightfoot was born in 1944. She is an American social scientist who examines the patterns and structures of classroom life, the culture of schools, socialization within families, and the relationship between learning styles and culture.
She has written eight books, including Worlds Apart: Relationships Between Families and Schools, Beyond Bias: Perspectives on Classrooms, I’ve Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation, The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other, and several others.
She was awarded the prestigious MacArthur prize fellowship in 1984. and is also the recipient of the Emily Hargroves Fisher endowed chair at Harvard University. In addition, her book “Balm in Gilead” received the Christopher award for literary merit and humanitarian achievement in 1988.
Observation And Thoughts Of the Author
Sara Lawrence Lightfoot shared a keen understanding of how parent-teacher conferences can often turn dreadful for both the parties involved, which can hamper the quality of the interaction. She made close and subtle observations of many parent-teacher meetings and interviewed educators and caregivers to examine the dynamics.
She also noted how admired educators and caregivers mirror each other’s reactions where the teacher feels defensive or intimidated in response to the parent’s concerns, and the parent’s also frequently exhibiting wariness and assume defensive postures in response to the teacher’s concerns.
The author has used an unusual term to define family school relationships, “natural enemies,” because a parent’s view of their child might be loving and intimate. In contrast, a teacher’s view of the same child might be distant and dispassionate.
How Is the Book a Personal Investigation For the Author?
The author is a mother of two children. According to her, she has the same experience as any other guardian. Yet, she also faces anxiety, terror, and dreadfulness as she approaches a parent-teacher conference. Thus, she wanted to know why she felt this way because, as an individual, the author feels sorted in her life. Therefore, finding the answers to these questions became essential to her.
What Is Essential in the Conversation?
In an interview, the author mentioned what in the Conversation appears to be essential and what is at stake. According to her, the children’s achievement, development, and learning are at risk. So, what is necessary is the achievement of the child.
Final Words – What Is The Essential Conversation About?
The book by Sara Lawrence Lightfoot provides a valuable contribution to a curious and never-ending topic of discussion – a parent-teacher relationship. The author connects one’s agonizing memories and deepest passions to the Conversation between the parents and teachers that help determine a child’s future. So, this book is a must-read for those on the path to parenthood.
