How to Start the School Year Off with a Bang!

Guest Post from The Teacher 

                As a
teacher going into my 6^th year of teaching, I wanted to help out
PARENTS in regards to starting the year off right with your child’s new
teacher. There are three easy ways to show your child’s new teacher you are
going to support them no matter what and you are going to help in every way
possible.

 1. Be proactive

 2. Volunteer 

 3. Always assume the teacher is
correct.

                Being
proactive as a parent can be an easy task to help your child’s teacher. By
being proactive, make sure your child has their homework done every day, make
sure their agenda is signed daily, turn in or return all notes, forms, etc.
ASAP. Make time to meet with the initial parent conference. Remember you only
have to make a change or adapt your schedule one time, imagine 18 or possibly
more. Know what your child is receiving as a grade. If you don’t see grades
returned after two weeks of school call or e-mail to find out. Most children
who receive bad grades find unique places for their work to hide. It will also
tell your child that you want to have everything turned in and returned to
them. Lastly, make sure you clean up and clean out their backpack. As a teacher
there is nothing more frustrating than a child who is a pack rat. This also
tips me as a teacher off to the fact that no one at home checks the backpack.
If this is the case then you are not aware of what is going on at school.

                Volunteer
as much as possible. Now by volunteer I would love to say be at the school
weekly and help out as much as possible, but I know that is today’s economy
with multiple jobs, working overtime, or making sure your work is done makes it
quite hard to take off during the middle of the day to help a teacher on a
field trip, class party, or some sort of help at school. As a teacher this is
very far from the truth, you can volunteer time at home. How? Well ask the
teacher if there is any collating to be done, if you can cut out any
lamination, if you can help prepare science labs. You can also help out by
sending in extra supplies for the classroom: pencils, paper, scissors, Kleenex,
Hand Sanitizer (Check with school first, some are banned), hand soap, extra
folders, extra notebooks, extra glue sticks. As a teacher it is frustrating
when half the class is out of pencils by November. If you count 18 students
needing a pack of 20 pencils every month then you would have a lot of money out
of pocket for your teacher. All of these things are volunteering, if you have a
question call your teacher and ask if this would help or if you can help by
bringing these things. In my county I am not allowed to even ask for things. I
have to hope and pray parents help out in this area.

                Lastly,
make it a point to assume the teacher is correct. Think about the logic first:
why would your teacher lie about what your child did? Your teacher has enough
to do in a day and then comes home and fabricates things about students? I am
not saying that there isn’t two sides to every story, but agree with your
child’s teacher that this probably did occur. Then explain to them that this is
quite out of the ordinary for your child. Ask the teacher if they spoke with
your child and got an explanation from them. As a teacher I never ever call a
parent without knowing every side of every story. I ask questions and find out
what happened from everyone who saw it including adults. Then I start to ask
students why they did what they did. If you will take the initiative that the
adult is using adult maturity and professionalism then you will save yourself
and your child a lot of time and frustration.

                In
short, make sure you start the year off by acknowledging that your child’s
teacher is going to do everything in their power to help educate all students
in their class as well as the next teacher. Then find ways to make sure you are
the parent who is called for help, or if a problem arose in class you’re your
child, you were called to check up on their well being or if the child was out
sick you got a call to make sure all was well. As a teacher I start every year
out with great anticipation and delight in every child I receive. 

Somewhere
along the ride of the 180 days things happen. Mostly with the students and they
feel mistreated or misunderstood. (It happens to all of us) But being a parent
who is overprotective and would never believe Johnny would do such a thing
really takes the authority away from the teacher. Be a parent who understands
we have let-downs and things don’t always go the way we plan, that is part of
life and growing up. I have never said good bye to a class in five years of
teaching where I couldn’t look back and consider enjoyable moments with every
child and miss them in the year to follow. Be supportive at home and don’t
always assume your child’s teacher is out to get them. (If we did, we wouldn’t
still have jobs) Sometimes we make mistakes and could use some support. 

All in
all, consider the time your child’s teacher spends over the summer, every
evening, and on the weekends trying to educate your child. If you don’t believe
me go to school an hour before a teacher is required to be at school in the morning
or check the school grounds after the school day is over even as late as 7 and
8 o’clock. All of the teachers you see there are there on their own dime for
your own child because we LOVE and CARE!

From the Teacher