Have you ever wished you could sit down for coffee with your child’s teacher to really hear what’s on her heart? If you’ve been dreaming of going deeper to open the lines of communication, I hope this is a good start in the right direction! Here are 10 Things Your Child’s Teacher Wants You to Know.
I’ve gathered feedback from 10 teachers (who are also blogger friends) to provide a window into those wise words your child’s teacher would love to share but often just can’t. We all know how hard teachers work but there are just never enough hours in the day to communicate all the things to all the parents that they’d love to be able to!
So below you’ll find 10 insightful quotes to help foster understanding AND a few gift ideas to show your appreciation. If you’re a teacher too, we’d love to hear from YOU in the comments of this post as well!
School is hard – so much harder than when we were kids. Some students are stressed. Some bored. Some overwhelmed. But for every kid the day is long. They don’t need more activities and more demands on their time and attention. They need to decompress, to have some fun, to move around, and to sleep. They desperately need sleep. – Laura from Charming Farming
Don’t be offended if teachers don’t reach out to parents first when it comes to communication. Parents need to be proactive when it comes to communication so that teachers know you expect. Teachers hands are very full and they are not aware of concerns parents may have, nor do they have time to communicate with parents as much as they would like. – Maura from Happy Deal, Happy Day
Hugs, kisses, family game nights, stories before bed, and dances in the rain will stick with your child much longer than extra math practice will. Homework is important, but make sure you make time for quality time with your child daily. This will raise their self-esteem and give them an even bigger academic boost than any amount of homework can – Ashlee from the Well Nourished Nest
What I wanted to tell every parent who was going through the special Ed process was, don’t depend on the schools for answers and guidance. Be loud and research and know your rights because the school is considering staffing, class size, and budget when making decisions. They are doing the best they can and what they know – but you are your child’s #1 advocate and you have rights and say in their plan – Jennifer from Simply Kinder
It takes a lot of courage to tell you that your child is struggling. Please take us seriously. It may be social, emotional or academic issue. We are working with an entire class of children and if your child’s needs stands out, please listen. Let’s work together to get your child the help he or she needs.PS – I can’t stand the Science Fair either! – Kristen from Busy Kids Happy Mom
I’m worried about your child’s eating habits! When I taught 3rd grade, many of the parents sent kids to school with full-size bags of potato chips and Twinkies. Poor diet truly affects their ability to focus in class (and please-oh-please feed them breakfast!). – Chelsea from Someday I’ll Learn
If you’re positive and happy about school then your kids will be too! When it comes to starting school, homework or any other aspect, don’t be negative about it at home because kids hear everything! – Niki from Play & Learn Every Day
I taught high school and I always wanted to tell parents that their kids were more inclined to confide in me because they trusted me and saw me daily but I wasn’t family. Sometimes I would get treated poorly by parents but knew more about their kids than they did. – Kara from Kara Carrero & The Extremely Good Parenting Podcast
I think a parent’s involvement in helping with homework and making that time of day a priority is so important. As I am now the parent helping with homework, I can see how my presence helps my child’s focus and makes him feel important. I make it a priority to be available during that time. When I was a teacher, I could tell which parents were making the after school time a priority and which were not. Children will learn to value what we value. After school time is very over-scheduled for a lot of kids. I think “just school” needs to be put back on the list as the main priority. It helps us reinforce that what the teacher is teaching is important for them to pay attention to also. – Jaimi from the Stay at Home Mom Survival Guide
Your son/daughter’s grade on a standardized test doesn’t necessarily mean s/he’s a great/poor writer, reader, etc. Sometimes a high/low grade simply reflects great/poor test taking skills…which is not the same as being able to use skills in other ways and in real life. Most teachers hate standardized testing for this reason. – Stephanie from Enjoy Simple Pleasures
Did you know Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner? Linked below are two versions of encouraging printables you can gift the hardworking teacher(s) in your life! What an easy way to inspire teachers to remember they make a huge difference in the lives of the next generation!
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Looking for more gifts for deserving teachers? I have just the thing that will leave you & your child forever remembered as the apple of the teacher’s eye 😉
For more on why Young Living essential oils will rock your socks off, head over to this post next! 🙂
