Table 4 Post-survey open-ended responses... | Emerald Publishing

Table 4

Post-survey open-ended responses for participants’ satisfaction with PD series

Survey item	Participant response
Please indicate what you liked best about the format of the PD series	I loved the format of how everyone had the opportunity to express their views/insight, and how open we were in dissecting the information. Thank you to Amy and Sara for your great work
	The opportunity to share out and relate topics that occurred in book to my current work/life
	I enjoyed the open dialog. The questions were engaging and thought provoking
	It was nice to get the power point/questions early so that I could know what we were going to discuss. I like the format of reading and discussing different sections each week
	I liked how the flow of it was like an actual book club where different views were brought together
	It was great discussing with colleagues and listening to their different point of view
	I like the interactive open-ended questions and thoughtful conversations
Please indicate what you liked best about the content of this PD series	I loved the clarity and the slides presented at each session. Also, the questions to ponder for the upcoming session
	I appreciated that it was relatable to my profession
	I think the choice of text was very relevant. Hearing the perspective of a father of a child with special needs is pretty rare
	It was interesting to read the perspective of the parents of a student with autism. It was good to see what the other side of the IEP meetings and conversations looked like. I will be more mindful to make sure that I explain things to families and take the time to listen to their questions and concerns
Please indicate if and how this professional development series impacted your view of families of children with disabilities, particularly fathers/father figures	Definitely, yes Yes, all fathers need and should have access to information/resources that will empower/help them and their families Yes, it has. Families of children with disabilities need support not pity. They are doing the best they can to function as “normal” as possible. Fathers of special needs children in particular need patience, grace, and guidance. Many can’t handle it and may leave the family. Some may stay but still aren’t present in their child’s day to day routine. Finally, you have those who are “all in” no matter what the circumstance This book has opened my eyes to what happens in families with disabilities beyond the school hours. I have already started to address communications to families (instead of one parent or the other) and send feedback to both parents if I have their email address. When we are finally back in person, I am hoping to have more fathers join us in the classroom when volunteers are allowed – not sure how to work that into virtual instruction at the moment, but if I can, I will Yes, it was a very informative book and helped me see how fathers are just as important as mothers in a child’s education I am not sure how it has impacted my view. I think when the school begins and I meet with families, I will mentally reference this book and our discussions. It will be interesting to see how it drives some of my decision making and communication with families I think that it refreshes my mind about our families and their family dynamics and how best to support families and our wonderful students!
Based on the content of the PD and your experiences as an educator, briefly reflect on the unique experiences of fathers both in and out of the school environment	Culturally, this is an eye-opener in so many ways when working and presenting information to some of the fathers that we work with Many fathers may struggle in silence and mask what they have been through and place blame on their children. Depending on the father’s SES, they may not have the resources they need in order to properly care for themselves and/or their families. Many fathers want to be involved in their child’s life more, but factors like work and relationship with their mother may impact that Fathers are beginning to realize that they play a significant role in their child’s education. It used to be the mom going to parent conferences, communicating with the teacher, and visiting the classrooms. This is now shifting where fathers are more actively involved with their child at school when their schedules allow them to do so (e.g. attending classroom/school events and field trips) I think that fathers can bring a lot to the classroom, especially in early childhood and primary grades where we don’t have many male figures in the classroom. In my 10 years in kindergarten, I have been lucky to have 4 wonderful male volunteers that came to support the students in my classroom in different years. We also had a lot of tech support during Google meets from parents that had technology experiences. We just have to remember to be open and inclusive Fathers are key in their child’s education. I don’t think some fathers realize how important it is for them to attend PTA meetings or PT conferences. They are important in that their child sees that their dad is interested in their well-being and it does not have to do with sports but how the child is doing in the classroom Fathers bring a unique perspective to the school environment. Often they are more open and honest than mothers when discussing the needs of students and the impact on the family. It is often difficult to get them into the school building but once they are there, there insight is often invaluable Fathers have just as much and sometimes more to contribute as mothers do. Often, we see the mother as being more involved. However, through this book we get a father’s perspective on his experience with his son

Survey item	Participant response
Please indicate what you liked best about the format of the PD series	I loved the format of how everyone had the opportunity to express their views/insight, and how open we were in dissecting the information. Thank you to Amy and Sara for your great work
	The opportunity to share out and relate topics that occurred in book to my current work/life
	I enjoyed the open dialog. The questions were engaging and thought provoking
	It was nice to get the power point/questions early so that I could know what we were going to discuss. I like the format of reading and discussing different sections each week
	I liked how the flow of it was like an actual book club where different views were brought together
	It was great discussing with colleagues and listening to their different point of view
	I like the interactive open-ended questions and thoughtful conversations
Please indicate what you liked best about the content of this PD series	I loved the clarity and the slides presented at each session. Also, the questions to ponder for the upcoming session
	I appreciated that it was relatable to my profession
	I think the choice of text was very relevant. Hearing the perspective of a father of a child with special needs is pretty rare
	It was interesting to read the perspective of the parents of a student with autism. It was good to see what the other side of the IEP meetings and conversations looked like. I will be more mindful to make sure that I explain things to families and take the time to listen to their questions and concerns
Please indicate if and how this professional development series impacted your view of families of children with disabilities, particularly fathers/father figures	Definitely, yesYes, all fathers need and should have access to information/resources that will empower/help them and their familiesYes, it has. Families of children with disabilities need support not pity. They are doing the best they can to function as “normal” as possible. Fathers of special needs children in particular need patience, grace, and guidance. Many can’t handle it and may leave the family. Some may stay but still aren’t present in their child’s day to day routine. Finally, you have those who are “all in” no matter what the circumstanceThis book has opened my eyes to what happens in families with disabilities beyond the school hours. I have already started to address communications to families (instead of one parent or the other) and send feedback to both parents if I have their email address. When we are finally back in person, I am hoping to have more fathers join us in the classroom when volunteers are allowed – not sure how to work that into virtual instruction at the moment, but if I can, I willYes, it was a very informative book and helped me see how fathers are just as important as mothers in a child’s educationI am not sure how it has impacted my view. I think when the school begins and I meet with families, I will mentally reference this book and our discussions. It will be interesting to see how it drives some of my decision making and communication with familiesI think that it refreshes my mind about our families and their family dynamics and how best to support families and our wonderful students!
Based on the content of the PD and your experiences as an educator, briefly reflect on the unique experiences of fathers both in and out of the school environment	Culturally, this is an eye-opener in so many ways when working and presenting information to some of the fathers that we work withMany fathers may struggle in silence and mask what they have been through and place blame on their children. Depending on the father’s SES, they may not have the resources they need in order to properly care for themselves and/or their families. Many fathers want to be involved in their child’s life more, but factors like work and relationship with their mother may impact thatFathers are beginning to realize that they play a significant role in their child’s education. It used to be the mom going to parent conferences, communicating with the teacher, and visiting the classrooms. This is now shifting where fathers are more actively involved with their child at school when their schedules allow them to do so (e.g. attending classroom/school events and field trips)I think that fathers can bring a lot to the classroom, especially in early childhood and primary grades where we don’t have many male figures in the classroom. In my 10 years in kindergarten, I have been lucky to have 4 wonderful male volunteers that came to support the students in my classroom in different years. We also had a lot of tech support during Google meets from parents that had technology experiences. We just have to remember to be open and inclusiveFathers are key in their child’s education. I don’t think some fathers realize how important it is for them to attend PTA meetings or PT conferences. They are important in that their child sees that their dad is interested in their well-being and it does not have to do with sports but how the child is doing in the classroomFathers bring a unique perspective to the school environment. Often they are more open and honest than mothers when discussing the needs of students and the impact on the family. It is often difficult to get them into the school building but once they are there, there insight is often invaluableFathers have just as much and sometimes more to contribute as mothers do. Often, we see the mother as being more involved. However, through this book we get a father’s perspective on his experience with his son

Source(s): Table created by authors