Just a Little Advice

So I haven't done anything too exciting lately, but I did have open house night at school which made me think about what kind of parent is ideal to a teacher. For what it's worth here are my top ten things a parent should or shouldn't do/be to be on the teacher's good side. 

Disclaimer: None of my student's parents read this blog, so I'm not trying to get anything out of this. :)

Ten: You can walk your child to the door (or not) on a daily basis, but they don't need you to unpack their backpack, clean out their desk, sharpen their pencils, and do their morning work for them. Independence is sweet!

Nine: Just sign their folder/planner each night please, so we know you have checked behavior, etc.

Eight: Do sign up for conference nights so we know you care, but if your child has no issues, don't stay for 30 mins. or more asking what more we can do for your child. They're fine!

Seven: Don't believe everything your child tells you. Believe me, most children lie when they know they're in trouble. Tears don't necessarily mean they are telling the truth. Do stand up for your child but listen to our side too. (Can you tell I've experienced this one a lot?)

Six: Smile and wave when we see you. It's just nice, plus we know you aren't mad about anything.

Five: Do homework with your child so you know what we are doing in class, how much they know, and so you can supplement what we don't always have time for in class. Plus, it's a good chance for you to play a little, "Are you smarter than a ________ grader?" with yourself. 

Four: Whether your child is in trouble all the time or is a perfect angel, their teacher will just plain like them better if you send in gifts. Sad, but true. Christmas, birthday, teacher appreciation week, and end of the year are all good occasions for presents. Oh, no mugs or candles PLEASE! I could line my classroom in mugs and candles. (If the mugs are filled with something really good, we'll accept them happily. Suggestions? Gift cards to anywhere, teacher supplies, children's books, flowers, and chocolate. 

Three: Be patient with us. Don't think that we are bad teachers if we forget to send home one homework assignment, answer one note, or are a bit behind in returning work. We have a whole class to think about and get about a thousand interuptions a day of little fingers tapping us with a thousand different needs.

Two: Teachers love compliments too! If you thought a project was really awesome, tell us! We work really hard to make learning fun and worthwhile, and we do worry if parents think we are doing a good job. Don't wait until the end of the year to tell us we are the best teacher your kid has ever had, or that they loved coming to school everyday. 

One: Okay, this one is the biggie. I feel very strongly about how a parent volunteers. Do volunteer in the classroom in whatever way you can, but don't overwhelm us by making you more work than you help. If you have little kids, offer to cut stuff out at home or come in for big parties or events. If you just have to be there more often... tell the teacher what kinds of volunteering you are comfortable doing, but let her/him tell you what they need done most. Don't tell the teacher you will be in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 to 11:00. We will work around your schedule and probably don't need your help three days a week. We don't want to feel spied on, so when you are in there, smile a lot and give sympathetic looks to the teacher when a kid (or the class) is acting out, instead of judging. I love volunteers... just not that much...sorry. 

There you have it. Ignore me or take some of it to heart, but I swear teachers talk about this stuff! I'm just trying to make life easier for parents and teachers alike. By the way, I do know that there are some bad teachers out there and that is really hard. You have to do what is best for your kid!