One big issue many teachers are having these days is just how unprepared students are when they come to school each day, and this doesn’t always mean they aren’t prepared academically. Many students are just plain unprepared or not ready to begin the school day at all. Several teachers wrote to the National PTA website (www.pta.org) in hopes that this parent-teacher website would make a list of things that parents could do at home to help children be more prepared for the school day. This is just what the PTA did, it created a list of important things parents could do to help teachers out each day at school.
1. Get the day started smoothly and send your child off smoothly. Remind your child that you love him and let him know how proud you are of them. Boosting your child’s self-confidence has shown to improve school performance.
2. When your child comes home from school, incorporate into your routine a time where you and your child just sit and talk about school, assignments and other kids at school. This shows your child that you think school is important and that you are interested in hearing about what happened that day.
3. Make sure your child has a healthy, well-balanced diet by either making sure she chooses healthy food at lunch or by packing her one each day. It is hard to learn when you are hungry or your body is full of junk food.
4. Make sure your child has a routine or schedule that you follow at home with a bedtime that allows your child to get enough rest for school the following day. A well-rested child has improved school behaviors and academics. Never send your child to school sick. Seriously, teachers love that kids come to school daily, but they don’t love when parents send them to school sick. It just gets everyone else sick, including them!
5. Make sure your child does his homework. He can have your help, but don’t forget the homework is his and his alone. Offer assistance but don’t do his work. Make sure your child does his homework at a designated time in a spot that is free from distractions.
6. Make the relationship between you and your child’s teacher a partnership. You both have your child’s best interest at heart, don’t forget that. If you ever have a disagreement with your child’s teacher, never let your child know and NEVER badmouth the teacher in front of your child. If there is a problem, speak to the teacher in private, but it should never be done in front of your child.
These are just a sampling of what the National PTA site has offered for suggestions. Parents and teachers need to work together to educate children. Students should be prepared for school daily and should be taught that teacher’s deserve respect. This starts at home. If parents prepare their children for school, teachers are able to teach easier and with fewer distractions. Working together is a key to success.
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