Connecting with Teachers and Coaches
Being a teacher, coach, or other school staff member is difficult these days. Not only is it challenging to have twenty-five or more students or budding athletes to instruct simultaneously, but the quality of parenting has gone down in many cases. Kids today are not what they used to be, and many parents have less respect for the public school system than in the past.
Additionally, our changing population and constantly fluctuating society, plus our rising expectations and push for school accountability, have placed extra stress on educators. As a consequence, be careful not to add more pressure to their already tough jobs. Instead, communicate with the staff at your daughter's school in an efficient, helpful, and friendly manner that honors them for the hard work they do.
Fact
Approximately 100,000 parents support an educational program called “unschooling” or “child-driven learning” that lets kids — not parents and teachers — choose what they want to study. It's a legal option in all fifty states but is controversial because no studies of its long-range effectiveness exist.
Teacher Notes
As soon as possible, establish a way of getting in touch with your daughter's teachers, according to their preference. At the school open house, find out how they want to be contacted. Some teachers prefer old-fashioned written notes sent via your daughter. Others want to be called in the evening during a specific hour, and still others want to be e-mailed or texted any time, day or night. Once you know how to contact your girl's teachers, do not use their permission to contact them about every small item. Ralph Ellison said, “Education is a matter of building bridges.” Do not destroy them, or your daughter will feel the effect.
Grade Parents
To connect better with the teachers who have such a huge influence on your girl's success, volunteer in their classrooms. Most elementary and middle schools ask parents or caregivers to become grade parents and help with special events or activities. Step up and be one of those grade parents. Offer your assistance with updating the bulletin board or with research on a topic. Collect magazines for your girl and her classmates to use as supplemental materials, or serve as one of the judges in the science fair for a grade level your daughter is not in. Find out what addition to the classroom would make the teacher's job easier, and then supply it. If your time is limited, you can volunteer to serve as:
The reminder parent who calls or texts the students to remind them of an upcoming exam or other important dates
The make-up parent who helps to get a child who was out sick caught up
The unpaid substitute who spends one lunch hour per week supervising the cafeteria so the teacher can eat in peace
Be sure to ask your daughter what she wants you to volunteer for at her school. She will tell you. On the days you visit her class, ask her if she wants you to speak to her in front of her classmates or just wave. Remember the school is your daughter's second home. She knows the rules there best.
Honor Teachers
When you see up close just how much teachers do every day, you will want to recognize them for their special dedication. Sit down with your daughter and discuss her teacher's hard work, his patience, and the positive influence he has not only on your daughter but on the kids in his room, maybe even the young teacher next door. Then decide together how you and your daughter can honor her teacher and his coworkers — all of whom are your parenting allies.
Here are some options for recognizing teachers:
Send a fruit platter, flowers, or fresh bagels with a selection of spreads — and a thank-you note written by your daughter and other students — to the teachers' lounge.
Write a letter of commendation for the teacher and send copies to the principal and superintendent.
Have your daughter write a paragraph praising her teachers and send it to the newspaper to be printed as an open letter for the community to see.
Or do all three. Society can never thank teachers enough, and your daughter needs to learn to show her appreciation to the people who guide her.
