Teachers can gain great insight from their experience. How cool it is when a child’s parent and his teacher can
partner up. This partnership is a true gift of learning that will bless
the child forever!
Master Teacher Cheryl Cummard provides some invaluable tips
to help such great learning take place:
1. Be your child’s
advocate. A child should feel safe and
happy at school. When something is
wrong, speak up. Most of the time, the
child can’t or won’t speak up, so you must figure out what is wrong and talk it over. When her child was asked to read a book that
was way too hard for his level, Cheryl went to the teacher and asked her to
please read it in class. That way, she
could explain the antiquated language and the difficult words as she went. Realizing that Cheryl’s son may not be the only student who
was struggling, the teacher did just that, and thanked her for bringing the
problem to her attention.
2. However, Stay out
of petty social incidents and they will die quickly. For example, if your daughter tells you that
so and so isn’t speaking to her, don’t jump in.
“What are you going to do about it?” is a good response instead. Even if her reply is “I don’t know,” you give
her the message that she can do something.
Don’t just solve it for her. Pray
about it together. Help her be nice to
someone who is being mean, or to see where that person is coming from. Remind her that her friend may not have been
taught what she has been taught. But if
parents go to the teacher or the other parents, the incident is blown out of
proportion and may not be resolved for the entire year! Let these things die a natural death by not
feeding them too much. If you must
intervene, however, then get the two together and Mediate.
3. Go to the teacher
first about concerns. The principal is
always last resort.
4. Make your child
accountable. Support the teacher. Many parents these days let their child off
the hook, and blame an incident on the other guy or the teacher. Find out the truth, including the part your
child played. Teach him to say, “I messed
up. I will fix it as best I can, and I
will do better.”
5. When there is a
big assignment, cut it into pieces. Make
a plan to have each portion done by a certain date. Kids typically will not do this process on their own. Without this kind of plan, kids learn to
procrastinate.
6. If a child must
memorize something, put it to music and add actions. They will learn and never forget it. Cheryl's song: “D-A-V-I-D and I can spell my name!” (set to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat) was adapted for each grandchild! Even
the scout oath, with a jingle and an action to each trait, will be imprinted on
your child’s memory when learned with actions and a melody.
7. What is the best
reward for a home run or a goal or a slam dunk?
It is the home run, the goal, or the slam dunk! Similarly, the best reward for an “A” on a
child’s report card, is the A! A dollar
or a candy bar or a doughnut takes away the satisfaction of earning that A, and
becomes the reward instead of the intrinsic self-satisfaction.
8. Read! Read to your
child. And if you read one of their
assignments or assigned books with them, don’t have each of you take turns
reading one page. During your page, the
child’s attention may have wandered. One idea is to sit close
together—close enough to touch. You read
at least one full sentence, and the child can cut in and take over on any word
after. Then it’s your turn to cut in. That way both of you are reading every
sentence, and are staying tuned in to it all.
9. Teach students to
become an “editor” rather than a “speller.” As an “editor,” the goal is to recognize when a word doesn’t look right. Then you can look it up or spell-check it! In contrast, a “speller” often memorizes and remembers the word until the test, then promptly forgets it.
10. Homework. Ideally, it should include communication, such as talking to someone about a certain topic for 10 minutes. That and reading. Reading helps every other subject. Don’t turn your home into a war zone over
homework.
11. A teacher can
always spot the children that didn’t eat breakfast. They simply cannot learn if their tummies
are growling. A teacher can also spot
those that ate sugary cereals for breakfast.
They start to nod about 9:30 each morning. Cheryl kept a toaster and peanut butter in
her room, for both cases.
12. Teachers have such a heavy load that anything and everything a parent can do to help, (i.e. grade papers, help in break out groups, etc), frees the teacher up to do more teaching. If your student
ever tells you that he doesn’t want you there, ie. to volunteer or to chaperone,
that’s when you do need to be there!
Know what is going on in the classroom.
13. Every time your
child gives a talk in Sunday school or helps with the lesson or leadership of
Family Home Evening, they are building skills that will help them at school.
14. Talk over their
day. “What was your favorite part of the day?” Or, “What were you grateful for at school today?” If you ask, “What did you learn today?” they might answer, “Nothing.” So you could:
15. Encourage kids to
keep a journal.
One idea is to write
what they learned that day. If they only
wrote one specific thing they learned each day, then they realize what they
have learned, and there is at least a documented 200 things they learned in the
school year!
16. Display their
work. Put up a paper frame, or have a designated area, and let the child
put there what he chooses. He can pick his
favorite paper, and change it about once a week.
17. Pick a place for
everything that must be signed. Cheryl had a “Sign By Tomorrow” box. That way papers don’t get lost, and get signed.
Have a child empty her backpack at least once a week, so important
things get read, nothing gets lost in there, and papers don’t build up.
18. There are lots of
ways to learn. Point out what your child
is good at. Maybe he is a good artist or
a people person. If you are concerned
that your child is struggling, be sure to have him tested, so he can qualify
for extra help.
19. Be at school and be on time. Kids learning to miss school just because they don't feel like it or because they are too tired (or parents are too tired) is a bad lesson for the future. Life will be full of times we don't want to do things but we just have to step up.
20. Most importantly,
enjoy your children rather than spend so much time worrying.
Another great Teacher Dixie Parrish adds:
1. Teaching kids to
serve others at home helps them get along with other students and teachers at
school. If they are given chores at home,
it transfers to taking responsibility and perseverance at school.
2. Read to your
children daily, so they will become readers themselves.
3. Make sure they
know their math facts by 4th grade, so that they then can focus on
problem solving. Flash cards are great.
4. Turn off
electronic devises at home, and provide a place to do homework.
5. Say something
positive about learning and school every day.
6. Thank your child’s
teacher often—a little praise goes a long way.
See also: Children—School
Success #2 It Takes a Team. “Give me a C!
A Caring Teacher, a Coach, and a Cheerleader!
Labels: Children--School Success #3 Tips from Teachers
