Parent-Teacher Communication
Written by: Isabelle Saunders
During the school week, a child will spend an equal amount of their day at school and at home. This leads, in many ways, to a dual tutelage of the child, a partnership of upbringing between teachers and parents. How important, then, is proper cooperation between these key figures in a child’s life?
Teachers and parents each have their own domain: consecutively, school and home/outside of school. It is essential to a flourishing academic life that the gap between the two domains is bridged in a healthy and productive way. During this season of long-distance learning, this bridge is more important than ever before.
This begs the question: how?
How parents can reach out
While parents may find themselves scratching their heads when asked by their child for help with homework, they’re still able to play an active role in their education.
Schedule a parent-teacher conference for a proactive method of head-on conversation. Ask teachers how you can get involved, be it helping your child get more sleep to improve attentiveness or quizzing them before tests. If a student is struggling, they are also encouraged to attend to provide personal input and talk through what would work best for them.
Talk to your child. Ask them what would edify them, taking into consideration their unique method of learning and working. Their points will give you a foundation on which to build your discussion with their teacher.
Help your child’s teacher set goals for them. It’s helpful for a student to have something concrete and attainable that they can work towards.
Engage multiple teachers. For students who have a different teacher for each subject, it’s a good idea to have them discuss how best to instruct your child. Say, for example, your child loves art class, but is less enthusiastic about math. Those two teachers will likely see different behavior and levels of engagement from your child, and the math teacher could discuss with the art teacher which techniques to use to best assist your child. Teachers learn from each other, just like parents.
How teachers can reach out
Don’t be afraid to contact a parent just for the sake of good news. Any parent loves to hear that their child is an asset to class discussions, or really gave it their all on a recent project. Sharing a student’s progress with their parents is an easy way to boost their confidence.
Regular feedback: when trying to help a student through a difficult patch in their studies, it’s crucial to update their parents. Tell them how they can meet their child where they are, and how they can help at home.
Talk to school administrators about hosting school events. Fun, easygoing activities at school can help foster positive relationships between staff and guardians. To adhere to social distancing rules, try hosting events over video conferencing or in the form of a drive-in.
Utilize multiple methods of contact. Communication isn’t a glove perfectly shaped to fit one way. Apart from face-to-face meetings, consider practices such as handwritten notes, emails, and phone calls.
Ask about a child’s personal interests. If you’re a math teacher who can’t seem to get through to a child, and their parents say they’re artistic, consider using visual or artistic teaching methods with that child as a form of personalization. A tailor-made education will always be more helpful than a “one size fits all” education.
Benefits
No child wants to see school as a tempest they have to weather, struggling to keep their head above the water. Especially in the wake of distance learning, many students feel that they’re in danger of being plowed over due to the subsequent lack of direct contact and all it entails. By exercising the strategies detailed above, educators and parents can work together to help students feel more engaged in their own academic life. In the end, the student doesn’t just memorize a bare concept of subjects they’ll forget after a test; they can fully grasp and understand the subject, further growing a well-rounded and truly useful education.
For more information on parent-teacher relationships, check out the links below:
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships
https://www.pbisrewards.com/blog/improving-parent-teacher-communication/
Back to School Tips
Written by: Coach Nathaniel Jenkins
Summer is just ending and school is back in session. For some, there are feelings of joy that there is another opportunity to further their education, but for others there is a lack of motivation. Back to school anxiety is typical for all students, but the nerves can be heightened in students with executive functioning difficulties or ADHD. A student with ADHD in their daily life may feel like they’re struggling with school, whether it is a small homework assignment or a large project, more than their peers and that is NORMAL. Every new school year allows for a clean state for all students, but sometimes that isn’t enough. ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, may negatively impact a student’s life and outlook on a new school year. While it’s understandable to feel a sense of struggle, it doesn’t have to be that way. According to the Child Mind Institute https://childmind.org/article/back-to-school-tips-for-kids-who-are-struggling/, there are a few key points to understand when working with a student who feels like they are struggling or falling behind because of diagnosed, or even undiagnosed ADHD.
1. Make organization a priority
2. Address how to handle situations if things don’t go according to plan
3. Set up morale boosters
4. Don’t surprise students with questions about school
5. Allow space for trying, failure, and trying again
Firstly, it is highly important to approach the struggle head on and create strategies for how to move forward with an approach that works for the student: instilling organizational skills in the student will promote a sense of achievement. Next, developing a support system for the student will go a long way in academics and life in general, but this is something the student must be willing to ask for and accept when offered; unfortunately, a lot of students are afraid to ask for help. Knowing how to help the student through these times with morale boosters, or ways of boosting the students’ outlook, will help the student stay on track and keep from becoming defeated. It is important to keep in mind as a parent, teacher, coach, etc. that school is meant to be challenging for students. The goal of receiving an education is so a student can form educated opinions, learn problem solving, and communication skills, but asking about the progress in all of these unexpectedly can be overwhelming for a student. Setting up a schedule for times to discuss questions and concerns with the student about school is very beneficial for both parties. By doing this, the student doesn’t feel like they are receiving criticism and it will allow for the student to start becoming independent and confident in their own abilities. Allowing the student to try one method, potentially not succeed, then try a new method will be far more valuable for handling obstacles in the way during life and academics.
Students with ADHD have incredible opportunities for success. ADHD or not, there is more to life than school, but sometimes it may not feel that way for the student. School is very important and understanding how to coach the student to handle struggles and obstacles is priceless. Nerves before the start of the new school year are completely normal, but nerves and potential struggles don’t define the outcome, the amount of work and willingness to succeed are what define the student. As a coach, understanding the student is imperative to help them succeed in life and academics. The best tip for those who feel they struggle with school in general is to approach the new year with the mindset that they will succeed and do whatever it takes to do so.