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20 WWW. UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 2013 HELPING YOUR CHILD IN SCHOOL by Irene Sawchyn, Ph.D. It is well accept ed that the best progress in education takes place when there is a strong rel a- tionship between students, teachers, and parents. Yet parents and teachers have very different pe r- spectives: a child may have 4 - 6 teachers, while a teacher may see 100 - 150 studen ts a day. What can you and your child do to develop a rewarding rel a- tionship with a teacher? Below you will find some suggestions culled from my teacher colleagues as well as my own experience as a teacher. Start the year on a positive note. Send the te acher an e - mail saying how pleased you are that she will be teaching your child. (Your child can do this as well.) Indicate that you will support the teacher however you can, and that you are open to feedback from the school. Read all the information that the teacher hands out in the beginning of the year — or better yet, have your child read this to you. This will sync up teacher's expectations and your child’s time management. Show your appreciation during the year with positive feedback. If your child com es home excited about a class activity, send an e - mail r e- flecting this to the teacher, and copy the supervisor or department head. The compliment will be much appreciated and may help the teacher shape her curriculum. The Cc to the administrator is very im portant, as often administrators don’t hear from parents unless there is a complaint. Positive fee d- back is taken very seriously. Help your child keep a positive, or at least open, attitude about the teacher throughout the year. Don't ever speak ill about a teacher in front of your child — hold any critical thoughts to yourself. You may not know the teacher's perspective or “the whole story.” Often children make judgments about teachers based on events that don't even involve them, such as what happened to an other classmate. It is important to reinforce to your children that they don't always have to like a teacher but they must always respect and work with a teacher. (This is a life lesson that is priceless!) Children also often change their minds, so staying objectively neutral and supportive is your best approach. At Christmastime or at the end of the school year, it is not necessary to buy a gift for the teacher. However, a hand - written note of appreci a- tion from you and your child is very effective and me aningful to a teacher. Many teachers keep these notes to cherish through their careers. Absences, even for one day, can be very disruptive for both student and teachers. Students should never miss school for non - essential re a- sons, like vacations during the school year. St u- dents who miss classes with block scheduling or in highly sequential subjects like math and science may find that they are lost for one or two classes after they return. If at all possible, help your child keep up with the material whi le they are absent. Get homework assignments and handouts from a reliable classmate. If your child should miss a test, help the teacher by being flexible in scheduling makeup time, even if it means arriving before school or skipping after - school activities . Reme m- ber, a teacher may have 5 - 10 absentees a day, all requiring individual accommodation. It may not be possible for a teacher to tutor each child individ u- a l ly. If any assignments are handed in late, have your child attach a post - it note of explanation why the assignment is late — this will help the teacher keep track of absentee paperwork. In the upper grades, encourage your child to keep a log of their grades and understand the teacher’s grading system. While you do not want your child to become obsess ed with grades, a log will help a student keep a perspective on how they are doing and recognize when there is need for e x- tra effort. This also reduces negative surprises at report - card time. Read all interim/progress reports carefully. Do the grades mee t your expectations based on your child’s log? Keep in mind that when you r e- ceive a report, so do all other parents, so a teacher may be busy right after reports are released. You are likely to get more access if you contact the teacher between report time s. What can your child do to develop a pos i- tive relationship with the teacher? The easiest thing to do is to practice simple manners! Teach your child early to greet the teacher when entering the class, say goodbye/thank you at the end of class, and to g reet the teacher outside of class as well. The manners that we teach our children every day in Ukrainian circles ( Чи ти поздоро вив/ила пан i Талю ?) really pay off! A golden rule for st u- dents: when the teacher starts talking, you must stop talking and liste n. Are you getting texts from your child during class, or is your child leaving class to call you from the bathroom? Make it clear that this is unacceptable! Hopefully these suggestions will help you set up positive relationships with your child’s teache rs. In the second part of this article in the next issue, we will discuss how to address needs and conflicts .
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