Calling all teachers

[nd93]

After reading a post in the Bitching Post section I started thinking, what advice do all you teachers out there have for us parents who are about to send our oldest off to school? Can be on anything, types of supplies, how to help out, how to best communicate with the teacher, etc. What do you wish you could tell parents but sometimes can't?

[jd11365]

Great question!

I loved my parents who would be in close communication with me. I had parents come out and tell me they had a crazy schedule, but if I needed anything, to let them know and they would have it to me the next day...which they always did. Or, parents who couldn't afford to send things in, but had extra time to take things home that needed assembly/stapling. Just offering some kind of support is always appreciated, no matter what it is.

And if you are unhappy with something, don't get mad, just ask the teacher. Often, parents would get upset about something, fester about it for days, then call the principal before I ever knew there was a problem. Most of the time, there was a miscommunication. Once a parent didn't like a book that was being read in my class. She bypassed me, and the principal and went straight to the superintendent of schools!

Also, remember, while we may be teaching 8 year olds, we are professionals. We've gone to college, many to graduate school and additional training. Please remember to treat us that way. It is rare to have a teacher who doesn't have the best interest of the child at heart.

I would also suggest to spend time in your child's classroom. Personally, I loved having parents in my room because they could see the incredible learning that was happening. If you are unhappy with your child's teacher, which happens, spend at least a full-day in the classroom so you have a clear picture as to what you are unhappy about. Either you will see a different perspective than you had in your head based on your child's stories, or you will have some documentation to sit down with the teacher about.

HTH!

[almostamom]

Communicate, communicate, communicate. I can't say it enough. If you have a question or a concern -- ASK. Attend the ice cream socials, open houses, conferences, etc. and if you can't, call up the teacher and find out what you missed. For years I had my students video tape part of the open house presentation (info on schedules, assignment sheets, major projects, etc.) I had almost 100% of the parents attend those open houses, but those that couldn't could always borrow the tape. Many teachers now use Power Point presentations for parent meetings. They could easily email that to you if you can't make a meeting -- just ask.

Also, let the teacher know when something is going on that might affect your child (a parent is away on a business trip, a pet died, etc.) If it affects your child at home, chances are it affects him/her at school as well.

If there's a policy you don't understand -- again, ask. Ex. the color folders. My younger students had red and green folders. One stayed at school with work they needed to fix/correct. The other went home with homework/notices. It was just easier to help them stay organized when you could say, "Put this in your red folder so you can finish it" or "Make sure you take your green folders home" It didn't mean they couldn't have/buy other folders. In fact, I always bought the red and green folders for them, but there was a reason for having them.

Okay, this ended up much longer than I intended. Cliff Note Version: Talk with the teacher -- you are a team with a common goal - the well-being of your child.
~Linda~
DS 11/04

[nd93]

NOOOOO that's not too long at all! That's just the thing I was looking for! Thanks for the great inside info! Teachers are hugely underappreciated. I hope my DD has a great time at Kindergarten this year, and I'll do what I can to help her and her teacher.