03 Jan, 2017 The Top 5 Things Your Child’s Teacher Wishes You Would Do!

What are the top things your child’s teacher wished you would do to help support them and make their job easier? Read this and find out!

Since schools are back in session and we are in the frame of mind of making positive changes in our lives – it’s the perfect time to address this topic. How can we, as parents, help our kid’s teacher do their job better? Regardless if the school year has been going fabulous or has flopped for your children, now is the best time to see how your child’s educational environment can be improved through your involvement.

After talking with some close friends who are amazing teachers along with Lydia Griffin, my mother-in-law who’s a para professional, these are the top 5 things your child’s teacher wishes you would do, to better assist them in their jobs.

1. BE INVOLVED! Teachers are noticing that parents become less involved as the child becomes older. When kids are teens, they still need guidance. Parents still need to show up to stuff. In fact, they need their parents even more as they enter the puberty age. Many kids question their identity and life itself. Now is the time to attend games, fundraisers, events, meetings, back to school nights, conferences the whole shebang. Unless it’s an emergency, if parents put their kids first, kids will put their parents first! One teacher told me that she sat for 4 hours on a parent-teacher night and not ONE parent showed up. To me, every single child should have had a parent show up and see how their munchkin is doing in school.
2. ASK THE QUESTION – “WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP YOU?” This is one of the best questions any parent could ask their teacher. Just showing concern causes communication to happen between the parent and the teacher. It might be a simple need for a volunteer at an event or to help encourage another student in the classroom who might not have a positive role model in their life.
3. UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT. If kids get unconditional support from their parents, they will flourish in life! Yes, they will make mistakes – they are kids. If they know they are loved regardless of their mess ups, they will come to you for advice and not turn to drugs and alcohol, sex and everything else dark and nasty. Sometimes it’s hard to be the parent, but a parent is what our kids need! Not another adult friend! (this was advice from several teachers along with my personal thoughts)
4. CHECK YOUR CHILD’S GRADES REGULARLY! Grades can now be accessed online in less than a minute and some schools have an app that you can easily click on and get your kid’s grades for all his classes in a blink of an eye. Many parents are shocked to find out their child was flunking a class for a couple of weeks. Checking grades will show your kid that you care about their studies and you can help them in subjects that are more difficult. In addition, you will find out why your kid is having a hard time in school. It might go deeper than just a hard time understanding a math concept.
5. DIG IN YOUR KIDS BACKPACK! Checking schoolwork that is due and what was returned back graded, will help parents stay in the loop on how their kids are doing in the classroom. If your child has a test coming up, you will know about it and will be able to help them study. Christina Krenzel, a local high school teacher and close friend of mine informed me, “Kids don’t know how to study. They need to learn. We take for granted that kids know how to study. They don’t. They need guidance. When parents are involved with their child’s education, the student thrives!” Christina said if we as parents help our kids learn how to study their notes, they will flourish in the classroom!

There are many things we can do as parents to help our child’s teacher do their job better and in turn, create a better learning environment for our children as a result! As Lydia Griffin shared with me, “Stay involved with your child. Being aware and knowing specifics regarding your child’s day-to-day basis creates an accountably in your child.” Yes, it’s work, but so worth it when we see how this investment now, pays off in our young adult children in the future.

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THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE: Find out how you can be more involved in assisting your child’s teacher.

Question: What did your kid’s teacher say when you asked how you can help make her job easier? Share your answer by clicking here.