Morbid Romantic

bringing you quality randomness since 1981

The new school semester starts here on September 2nd. While I am not currently a practicing teacher, I have taught before and I hold a current license to teach in the state of Virginia. I’ve had plenty of experience putting educational theory into practice, as well as interacting with students on a personal level. I’ve seen their needs, their deficits and how much of a negative impact they can have on students.

In the education world, we like to refer to a student’s readiness in terms of their “toolbox.” For instance, if a plumber doesn’t have his toolbox, he can’t do his job. Likewise, if a student is not prepared both mentally and physically, as in being in a learning mindset as well as having their own materials, they cannot do their job. It also hinders the ability of the teacher to be effective and slows down the pacing of the class.

I have come up with a short list of things parents can do to help their kids get ready for school and stay in a mindset that makes them eager and active learners. The job of a teacher gets frustrating when parents leave the entire process of education in the hands of the educator alone. Education is a team job. When a teacher has the support of home, the student can make so much more progress. Parents like to wash their hands. I’ve heard parents say, “Well, he’s/she’s your problem now, so you deal with it.” This makes me sad because I know their child could benefit so much more if the parent felt differently, if the parent shared responsibility with the teacher.

Five Tips For Learning Readiness

1.) Read all of your child’s syllabi. Know the expectations that your child will have to follow. At the last school I taught at, we had a thing called K-12 Planet where a parent could sign up for a password and have daily access to their child’s assignments, grades and attendance. Unfortunately, not every school has this program accessible. You can make up for where the school lacks by sitting down with your child and their syllabi to make a calendar of assignments and due dates. If you know what your child has to have done, they will have no excuse to wait until the last minute.

2.) A good teacher will never mind you coming in for conferences just to discuss their child’s progress. If you can, visit your child’s teachers every few months to make sure you are up to date on the status of your child’s learning. If you have a concern about a project or an assignment, ask the teacher to make it clear to you.

3.) Support the teacher. In 8 cases out of 10, the teacher is not out to attack your child. A good teacher wants your child to succeed. A good teacher cares about your child’s individual learning and progress. If your child finds himself/herself in trouble, don’t automatically assume that the teacher is wrong and tell your child this. What this will do is lead to the student believe he/she can disrespect the teacher without consequence. The teacher will find your child much more difficult in the long run and much harder to reach. If you have a concern about your child’s teacher, schedule a conference. Like I said, 8 times out of 10, the teacher has good intentions. This isn’t always the case. Sometimes the teacher enjoys the position of authority such that they abuse it. Don’t stand for this! But don’t mitigate what a good teacher does.

4.) Take five minutes every morning to make sure your child is going to school prepared. Do they have all of their textbooks? Their notebooks? Their planner? Do they have the appropriate writing utensils? It takes out precious time in a class when a teacher has to pass out materials. It also does not do a student a good service if they have no pencil or paper and don’t take their notes or do their assignments. As much as a teacher would like to, they don’t see everything.

5.) Respect the rules of the school. If the school has a cell phone policy that states a student may only have their cell phone in their locker during school hours but may not have it on them during school hours, that’s the rule. If a teacher confiscates a cell phone or an iPod or any other electronic device because your child had it out during school hours, don’t race to the school to curse them out for it. I know they’re expensive, but a rule is a rule. Your child is not exception to the rule just because you want them to be. By not respecting a school rule yourself, you are teaching your child that rules don’t apply to them. In the end, this will again make the job of the teacher more difficult.

I hope that this helps. Throughout the course of the school year, I will make more posts to help parents, students and teachers. I might be young, but experience speaks for itself and everyone has a different perception of an issue. If my own experience and opinions can help someone, my job is done.

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