Parents Supporting their Online Learners: part 5 of 11

Things the busy parent can do

UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND, USA, April 14, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Parents have mentioned that they feel ‘judged’ when they miss parent workshops, but they want teachers to know that they are usually extremely tired once they get home, and are overwhelmed attending to feeding children and helping with homework. It is not that they do not value parental workshops, but balancing work, family, and school can prove to be a feat.

Because Parents as Tutors (www.parentsastutors.com) values the parent/teacher relationship, and recognizes how beneficial this relationship is for student success, we are sharing tips that will maintain the partnership, even when parents are busy.

Your child’s teacher will likely send home a weekly or monthly class newsletter, copy of your child’s work, or information on upcoming events. Teachers need to know you read and understood the information, so, as busy as you are, spend 10-minutes to read and write comments or feedback on the document, and then take a picture of it for your record-keeping. If you are unable to attend an event, let the teacher know. You can also follow up by phone.

If you are receiving only generic information such as 'read with your child each evening' please send a note and ask the teacher for specific tips on reading to 'your' child, all in view of 'your' child’s needs. Keep that two-way communication going because you want to be sure that you are also attending to your child’s specific needs.

There are two workshops you should not miss, one that explains the standards that your child should meet at each grade level, in each subject, and the other on understanding the data. These are workshops you should request at the beginning of the school year, and here is why. Teachers teach to State standards. These standards specifically state the skills that your child must master at each phase in a subject area. They can also be accessed online, but you may have questions that teachers can answer.

Teachers will share grades (data), whether it is end of term, or on your child's classwork. Sometimes parents need clarification pertaining to the grade (data). Teachers will discuss your child's grades in the context of whether your child is meeting the standards or not; therefore, it is necessary to understand the subject standards and strands that your child has met, as well as those on which your child need extra help. The workshops on Standards and Understanding Data are vital to the partnership; vital to understanding the documents that will be sent home. You will also understand how formative testing informs summative testing - as in how testing throughout the term and using the data to improve teaching and learning strengthens your child's ability to do better on the end of term/end of year tests.

Communication does not have to be one way. Send notes to teachers requesting further clarification. For example, if you are not sure what reading on grade level means, ask the teacher. Set up a time for a phone meeting. Your previous understanding of the standards will also shed light on this, so do not miss that workshop.

Finally, teachers have complained about some parents being hostile. After speaking with some parents, the following was shared. Sometimes parents feel judged and shamed when told that their children are not doing well. Others have shared that it is the teacher’s responsibility to help their children because that is what they were trained for.

Do not feel judged. Teachers are reaching out to you because you are a partner. While they are addressing deficits on one end, they need you to also work from their end. Your child stands to benefit when the partnership is strong. They need to know that parent and teacher care about their wellbeing and success, equally. Do not view this as a blame-game. Teachers are keeping you abreast, and not just informing you at the end of a term.

While the teacher is the one that is definitely trained to teach your child, note that this is a partnership. They must keep you abreast of your child’s learning. In this partnership, teachers will introduce the learning, but they are sharing strategies with you that can be used at home to maintain or bolster the learning. Maintain the partnership. Your child will benefit from the team effort. No one can do it alone.

Parents as Tutors (www.parentsastutors.com) provides resources for parents to understand reading standards and strategies that you can use to bolster your child’s reading. The resources will only strengthen your ability to have those academic discussions with your child’s teachers. Access the resources and tutorials. We’re here for you!

Dr Andrea Thompson
Parents as Tutors
+1 3018141303
Drthompsonandrea@gmail.com
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