Ask A Teacher |

Ask a Teacher: Showing Some Love on Valentine’s Day

February 12, 2018 By: admin

My child’s school has asked that we not send Valentine’s Day gifts to school. While I am not faulting the school and totally understand why they are discouraging gifts and flowers being sent to school, other parents still do it. And as a result, last year my child felt left out and of course I felt horrible. While I want to follow the suggestions of our school district, I also want my kiddos to feel loved and special that day too. Suggestions on what would be an appropriate way to make sure my kids don’t feel left out at school this Valentine’s Day?

Teacher 1:

Valentine’s Day is a very special day to show the ones we love how much we appreciate and love them. Love doesn’t always have to be shown through material gifts. Although those are fun to get at school, other things can be done to show your child love and follow the school policies.

Being a teacher, I get the opportunity to observe students everyday. The one thing I see students get most excited about at school is when a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or even friend comes to school to visit. Instead of sending Valentine’s treats to school, arrange to have a special Valentine’s lunch date at your child’s school that day. Bring a Valentine’s Day themed lunch and treats. You could even bring a gift, but bring it back home with you when you leave.

Another special gift I have observed is special lunch box notes on Valentine’s Day. Let your child know you are thinking of him/her when they open their lunchbox on the special day. Even sneaking a favorite Valentine’s Day candy would be appropriate.

Teacher 2:

As a mom, I have played this 2 ways.

For YEARS I followed the rules and did not send my kids Valentines to school as it was highly discouraged and noted in all their student handbooks My kids would come home and be sad, we would have discussions about: following rules, life isn’t fair, disappointment can build character, when you are adults you can interpret rules how you see fit, we don’t always get what we want, jealousy and envy are not acceptable and we should strive to be happy for those who get what we want, we don’t always win, life is not always about getting it is also about giving, respect of authority is even in the bible….

My kids would be sad that afternoon and then we would celebrate Valentines day at home with treats and fun. The next day I never heard another word about Valentines day. It was like the problem never existed.

I have also been the parent, especially the last few years, that joined the crowd and sent flowers!

Teacher 3:

I think as a parent, you could send treats with your child to give to teachers and friends so they can share in the joy of giving and not receiving…. which is another life lesson.
Letting your child take his/her lunch to school and include a special treat or surprise would be fun and my help ease disappointment about not getting flowers/gifts at school.
Having a celebration at home, after school, and preparing your child for the event, can help them say, “I love your flowers… We are going to the movies tonight, etc” Give them something to look forward to.

If you’re like us, you are probably constantly on the hunt looking for ways to improve your child’s education and help them reach their full potential. Our anonymous panel of teachers have some great advice. If you have a question for the teachers, email us and we’ll send it to them. Then look for your answer here. Email to: info(at)SouthwestMissouriMoms.com.

Ask a Teacher: Fresh Start for Second Semester

January 2, 2018 By: admin

My child had a rough first semester. She wasn’t excited to attend school and her grades have suffered as a result. How can we start fresh second semester and help her feel encouraged about school and about learning?

Teacher 1:

Communication, communication, communication! Communication between the teacher, principal and parent MUST take place! Be proactive!

Call a meeting with at least the teacher and parent to discuss strategies that parents can do at home to help with the preparation of next semester. Does the teacher know that your child is unhappy? Teachers are not mind readers…They get close sometimes, but it is a good practice to visit with the teachers when issues arise.

Once again, make sure that Christmas break is not a free for all…especially for the last few days before school starts. Make sure children get back into a routine so the transition between break and school beginning is not overwhelming. bedtimes, breakfast, bathing, and etc. are important to get back in the habit BEFORE the break ends.

Teacher 2:

School can be an overwhelming place for children. Many environmental factors surround a child. Trying to learn can be difficult if other basic needs aren’t met.

At school, the child not only is in an academic environment, but a social environment as well. Having conversations with your child of why school was so difficult the first semester can help. Making a list of the challenges and reasons why things were made difficult can help you come up with a plan for your child to follow when things get tough.

Try visiting with the child’s teacher. Ask:

How are they fitting in socially?
Do they feel included within the classroom?

Staying closely connected each week with the situation will ensure help stay on top of it before things begin to get difficult. Have weekly debriefing sessions and make sure things are staying positive with your child. Once you realize things are getting difficult be proactive and step in and make arrangements to visit with the teacher on ways to work together to ensure school remains a positive place to learn. Ensure your child understands that people care about their well being and school is a safe place to be.

In order to learn, the student needs to feel safe, secure and comfortable in the learning environment. Once the child feels safe, and comfortable with the learning environment, things will most likely improve.

Teacher 3:

This is a really difficult situation, motivation has a lot to do with student success. As a parent and a teacher, I would really encourage my child to try to have an open and fresh perspective.

As a teacher I always come back with a clean slate ready to start off second semester and I want my students to do the same. There is a lot of pressure in the Spring to get in everything with the possibilities of snow days and the upcoming state tests so it can be a stressful time, but remember Summer is just around the corner. Really encourage your child to stay on top of things at the beginning of the semester.

Ask about their school work, if they are struggling, have them attend tutoring so they don’t get behind. When a student falls behind at the beginning of the semester it can quickly snowball into weeks of playing catch up and never feeling caught up and ahead. This can be a big drain on motivation and excitement.

Ask a Teacher: Is my child falling behind, or I am expecting too much?

October 4, 2017 By: admin

The end of first quarter is quickly approaching and I am worried my child is already falling behind. I have tried to talk to my child’s teacher, but I feel like they are not taking my concern seriously. My child’s teacher says she is fine and we should give it more time, however, I am worried if we don’t help my daughter now, she will fall more and more behind. Should I trust what the teacher is saying and let it go? Or do I try to reach out to another source, and if so, where to do I turn?

Teacher #1:

I think the parent should try to trust the teacher, however staying in connection with the teacher will be very beneficial! This parent needs to have prepared questions…specific questions and concerns that can be asked of the teacher. To see work that is comparable to the daughter’s peers is not unheard-of. The teacher can not show the parent other students work, but examples can be brought into the conversation. I truly believe in communication!

Teacher #2:

When children begin to struggle in school it is hard on everyone. Parents feel hopeless when they recognize their child is struggling, but don’t know what resources are available to help. Parents want to try to fix the problem, and worry if it isn’t fixed quickly the child will get further behind and become frustrated and not like school.

Turning to the child’s teacher is the first step in the right direction. It is very important to voice concerns to the child’s teacher as soon as worries arise. Teachers like to establish a classroom community and solid routines before determining a child as a struggling student. Usually by first quarter conferences, the end of October, a teacher is more aware if the child just needed a consistent routine, or is seriously struggling with academics. During Parent/Teacher conferences communicate concerns with the teacher and work together to determine a plan. Teachers realize the benefit of a school/home partnership and working together to help the child is powerful.

If the parent still doesn’t believe their concern is being taken seriously, make an appointment with the school principal to express concerns. Parents need to surround themselves with a team that only wants what is best for the child. The best advice is to begin establishing a positive relationship with the teacher and the school to work together for the child’s success. Don’t give up, if concerns are not addressed, keep trying until concerns are being heard.

Teacher #3:

This is a tough situation to be in. I have to say trust the teacher for now. The teacher is trained in their craft, they know how to take students from where they are to where they need to be.

As a parent you are concerned about that final grade and rightfully should be. It is important to advocate for your child, but also trust in the teachers abilities. That teacher is also concerned about the final grade for your child, but is doing what they can to ensure that the learning that is taking place is going to stick around and help your child build a strong foundation moving forward. This takes time and may not be reflected on a grade check right away.

Don’t feel like your only option is let it go or take it a step higher. If you’re worried that nothing is being done, reach out to that teacher, ask them about the strategies and resources they are using to help your child improve. Ask what can I do at home to support and encourage my child to help them stay on track? This is a nice way to show that you are involved and concerned, but also get more information and feedback on the learning process. A phone conference or face-to-face conference between parent and teacher can solve a lot of issues.

If you still feel that your child is not receiving adequate help and support then contact the counselor or principal in that building. At that point you would have a lot more information and be able to illustrate the steps you’ve already taken with the teacher should that not be successful.

Ask the Teacher: Avoiding Summer Slide

June 19, 2017 By: admin

If you are a parent, no matter the age of your kids, you probably deal with this (we know we do!)…

The summer slide. Blah. If you aren’t familiar with that term, it is when kids often lack motivation to learn over the summer and, in fact, lose some of their achievement gains over the last school year.

We asked our panel of local teachers and educational experts how we can avoid the summer slide as much as possible.

Also, how can we motivate our kids to still be excited about learning over the summer when they would rather be outside with their friends (can you blame them?!). Here is what they had to say:

Teacher #1:

Begin the summer with a “Bucket List” of things they would like to do this summer. Keep it simple and inexpensive. You will be amazed at what they want to do. Most of it requires very little money and maybe just some extra time on your part. It is hard to motivate kids if they aren’t interested! Find out what they think is cool and what interests them and make a learning activity out of it!
Get involved with your local library or begin your own “Learning Club.” It could be centered around what your child is interested in or needs extra help with. *Reading, Science, Math etc. Invite friends to be part of the club!
Family Culinary Nights: Each week have your child help read a recipe, write out the shopping list, go to the grocery store to locate items and help make the meal. This activity is fun and can help strengthen writing, reading, math and science skills!
Games/Puzzles: Many skills are embedded in the games children play. Learning can be tons of fun.
Pen Pals with other friends. Ask friends for addresses (email or home) and have kids keep in touch with friends throughout the summer! Reading and writing skills are enhanced whenever kids are writing or typing!
Local field trips and then put on presentations to family and friends. Our area offers tons of opportunities to visit free learning locations. Don’t be afraid to even call a local vet office, bank or dining facility and ask if your child can interview or tour the local business. After their visit they can construct a presentation and present to family and friends of what they learned.
Free websites for free things and watch the mail. Everyone likes to get mail. Check online for free educational magazines and stuff. Ask for maps or brochures of places they would like to visit. Have them plan a visit by reading and looking through the brochures. It is always fun to watch the mail and writing and requesting information can be educational!

Teacher #2:

Summer day trips to the library, nature parks, discovery centers and local museums can assist in helping prevent summer slide. When you take day trips, ask your kids questions about what they are seeing. Have them explain in detail their thought, feeling and answers to questions of what they observe.

Having story time or reading time at home at least three times a week will significantly help students brush up comprehension and reading skills. Conversations with your kids about what they see, thing and feel about certain topics can also be very engaging, especially if you add a google search to verify facts.

Another suggestion is having a word of the day! A word of the day can be fun and educational for students of all ages. Pick a word from a dictionary and have them use it in a sentence and give them points for as many ways as they can use it in daily conversation.

Most importantly, keep a positive attitude about school and education during the summer and really at all times is the key to student success. As a parent we should always talk to our kids about the importance of an education, no matter the time of year!

Teacher #3:

Avoiding the summer slump is a challenge. It’s important for kids to be kids and have time to play and relax, but you also want to make sure that they are geared up a ready for success in the school year to come.

If you have the opportunity to enroll in any summer programs, take advantage. There are many options available through summer school and local church and youth programs. Whether they are 1 week or a couple weeks these programs typically take a more hand-ons, creative and in-depth approach to learning that is sometimes not always available for every topic covered during the school year.

We all want to have a little fun over the summer too, try to incorporate some educational experiences into that as well. There are many free options to take advantage of such as local museums or festivals. Getting the family out and about and exposed to new adventures and environments opens the door for new experiences and learning. As the summer draws to an end, get them back in the habit of their school year routine so that things will be a little easier when those first few days of school roll around.