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How to Work Successfully with Your Child’s School
Seven Pointers to Improve School
by Mary Z. McGrath, Ph.D.
Your child’s academic effort and appropriate behavior are a larions Communicatge part of the formula for school success. The rest of this success formula is an interested and active parent. Consider these parental pointers to enhance your child’s edge at school.
1. Be there. Be part of the school culture as a gentle and positive force. Be a team player and supportive of the school’s purpose and mission. When you have a concern to express it can be done smoothly and comfortably in the context of previously established respect and trust. Your thoughts are more likely to be accepted and received based on credibility created by time and contribution. In contrast, an absent parent who suddenly appears on the school scene to complain, positions themselves as a troublesome unknown, rather than a familiar part of the school community.
2. Be on time. Parental promptness indicates interest and also shows respect for the faculty’s time. Some staff leave other sites and situations to attend the meeting about your child and appreciate your understanding of their complex and demanding schedules. If unforeseen circumstances require that you reschedule a meeting, offer optional dates as early as possible to prevent conflict of team availability.
3. Support the Staff. Send notes of appreciation for their work. Place an occasional treat in the staff lounge. Enclose a note indicating your understanding of their effort especially during a busy or challenging period such as conference time or near a holiday. E-mail feedback when your child comments positively about a class activity.
4. Honor the Accepted Communication Process. When you have a concern, start with the teacher. Beginning with support staff or a principal immediately positions you as excluding the primary player in your child’s classroom. If you are unable to resolve a situation with the teacher, access an administrator for assistance in resolving your concern. When setting up an appointment with school staff, be sensitive to their prep time and daily schedule. Planning ahead as opposed to popping in unannounced saves you time and respects a staff member’s need to attend to immediate issues and concerns.
5. Speak positively in public about the school, staff and programs . Be the one to share the good things you observe in school. Echo your child’s enthusiasm for a teacher or activity. Avoid any neighborhood discussion sessions that tend to take on a negative tone. Address personal concerns directly to school personnel through a phone call or appointment.
6. Read school communications. Be aware of events such as field trips so you can return signed permission forms in a timely manner. Set up a system with your child so you can promptly receive all flyers intended for parent review. Determine a specific spot where your child can regularly place school communications. Put a brightly colored folder in their backpack to be used exclusively for carrying communications. Check this designated spot or folder on a regular basis. If your child’s teacher already has an established system for communications use it consistently.
7. Be a contributor. Sending contributions to school in your child’s backpack is a convenient way to support your community, while giving your child a sense of pride and purpose as well. Offer outgrown clothing and toys to the school social worker or nurse for recycling to families in need. Ask about wish lists for less fortunate students during holiday time. Send cans for a food drive and supplies for needy students. Contribution of your time and experience also enhances the school community. You will be appreciated for everything you do, from serving food in the school cafeteria to accessing your business contacts for a special computer project. Creative contributions come in as many forms as there are parents of students.
Parental contribution completes the formula for a child’s success in school. Offering support and volunteer time during your child’s student years enhances their opportunity to make the best of their school career, benefits other students, supports staff and offers you fulfillment and fun. Keep completing the formula. The worthwhile payoff is a long term benefit to many!
Mary Z. McGrath,Ph.D., author of Teachers Today: A Guide to Surviving Creatively, offers presentations, seminars and workshops on the topics of self-care, support and personal development to educators and parent groups. She can be reached at Reflections Resources, Ltd., Phone: 952-894-7707, E-Mail: info@maryzmcgrath.com Fax: 952-890-3229.
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E-mail: info@maryzmcgrath.com
Website: http://www.maryzmcgrath.com
Ph: 952-894-7707
Fax: 952-890-3229.
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