Information about educating your children

Parents and teachers conferences CAN be an experience you don't need to dread. Information on the questions, approaches, expectations and how to form a team with your children's advocate.

Conference time is met with apprehension, nervousness, and sometimes frustration. It doesn't have to be a time of dread. It can be a time of resolving issues and planning strategies to strenghten weaknesses the child may have, as well as highlighting the successes of the child.

If both parties come together with the common goal of helping the student achieve success in school, then nearly everything is workable. When either the parent or the teacher is angry, defensive, or uninformed, then those issue will hamper any productiveness from the beginning of the conference.

I can offer you a few suggestions as to how to have a better parent/teacher conference. These suggestions should help to ease some of the pre-conference jitters, or apprehension for either party.

PARENTS:

It is always best to meet the teacher before there is a problem. In that way you will be familiar with her, and even have developed a rapport with her. If you wait until anger or concern is the primary motive, a situation of dread or defensiveness will exist for possibly either you or the teacher. Go to Open House, call her and say, "Hi", or send a note expressing your willingness to "be there". Small gestures go a long way to narrowing the gap between parents and teachers.

Don't believe EVERY single thing your child tells you when they come home from school. Somewhere there was a cute saying to this effect, "If you don't believe everything your child tells you about me, I promise not to believe everything he tells me that goes on at home." There is a lot of truth in that. Before you decide to jump off handle and "go get that teacher", investigate fairly, ask the teacher. You would be surprised how many "stories" kids tell their parents to get out of situations THEY created.

Come to the conference with questions you might have, or any concerns you may like to discuss. Teachers will answer any questions they can, and try to help resolve issues. If you automatically come in thinking we are the enemy, that attitude comes through loud and clear. After all, your child is with us for over seven hours a day. We see many behaviors that you might not observe at home. Please realize that some children act very differently in a school setting than they do at home.

Please be prompt to the conference. On a conference day, we have appointments scheduled for a reason. Sometimes those times do run over, and your specific time may be just a few minutes late, but we will do our best to adhere to the schedule. After all, teachers know that you have a life too, and don't like to sit and wait anymore than we do.

If you have something positve to say, PLEASE do. We need encouragement, too. It makes our day to hear something nice from a parent. Sometimes we get discouraged, just like you.

When it comes time to discuss the negative issues, please do it calmly. It won't resolve anything to get hateful. School issues and grades can bring out the worst in some people. Our common goal is to help your child, and we can't do it unless we can discuss it rationally.

Be willing to do your part at home. Check and see if your child has homework. Keep informed. If you see a problem developing, don't wait until it has grown into a big problem. Let us know early enough so we can alleviate any concerns or fears.

If we suggest perhaps your child needs additional help, or even testing for special services, please know that we take that suggestion very seriously. Such testing costs a school district thousands of dollars per child. It generally takes two or three months to do this. Unless we feel it is in the best interest of the child, we will not suggest it. You have the right to disagree, but please listen to the reasons and then decide. Think about what is best for the child in the long run.

Additionally, I would like to say, unless you have a teaching degree, don't presume you could do our job better, or grade papers in a more efficient way than we can. We wouldn't dream of telling you HOW to do your job. Teachers have many years of experience and use tried and true teaching methods. If you spent a few hours volunteering in a school setting, you might come away with a NEW attitude about the life in the day of a teacher.

TEACHERS:

I know you dread conference day. It is right up there in the top ten list of things you don't want to do. But why not make it the best it can be? With preparation and a positive attitude it can be.

Preparation goes a long way to alleviate some of the stress and tension. Before that day, go over the prior records of the students whose parents will be coming in. Have a current grade average to discuss with the parent. If the child is fairly new to you and you haven't had time to know their strengths and weaknesses really well, talk to previous teachers. Have samples of good and bad work to show parents. Know whether the child has been retained before. Find out if they are older than the norm for the grade level. Maturity plays a big part in some cases.

Call the parents on occasion to tell them something their child did that was RIGHT. Tell them something they can be proud of. Send home a note of encouragement or praise. Don't just send news home that is negative.

Dress professionally, yet comfortably for the conference. You want to look poised and confident, yet not "stuffy". Parents will check out your appearance, believe me.

Smile, it can set the tone for the conference. Greet the parent at the door. Make them feel welcome, not like they are entering the lion's den for slaughter. Some parents feel outnumbered when having to talk to a group of parents all at once. If they wish to have a one-on-one conference, honor that.

Say something positive early in the conference. Surely there is one thing that you can say that is nice. If you have a problem or issue that must be discussed, inserting that into an already positive atmosphere will make it so much easier to handle. The parent will be more responsive if they realize that you actually DO like their child. If the child has a behavior problem, don't you know they probably have heard that before, and are tired of hearing it? Some kids are just hard to handle. Some parents are at their wits end when they come in, because they also are having problems at home.

Offer guidance counseling as an alternative measure of problem solving. Some will welcome this help. Others will take offense becaue they have issues they will not want discussed...period.

Tell them about the routine, schedule and homework policies. Some parents just don't understand the requirements of school.

Last but certainly not least, realize that their students are somebody's "babies". They love them, and in most cases they think they do NO wrong. Teachers are not going to change their minds in one conference about what has been going on for years. Deal with what you can, and accept the rest as part of your "job". We can only teach what we are given to teach. If we reach some of the children most of the time, and most of the children some of the time, then we have probably done the best we can do.

Go beyond just what is expected of you. Make an impression, be an inspiration to a child, and motivate them to learn more. Teaching is a gift. It will continue to grow if cultured with dreams, challenges, and successes.

Your next parent/teacher conference can be the best ever. It can make a difference in the child's attitude towards school. If children see parents and schools as a united front, they will see education in a more positive way. If it weren't for the children, we wouldn't be here, either of us.

A parents' guide to preparing for an interview with their kid's teacher. Help your children succeed in school by being an effective advocate.


 It's Parent and Teacher Interview Time!

Many of us dread meeting our children's teachers. We feel shy, awkward and worried. Sometimes, we come away feeling that the interview was a waste of time. Here's how to set yourself up for a successful meeting:

1) Understand why you need to meet the teacher.

The whole reason for this interview is to exchange information that will help your child succeed. Just by showing up you're off to a good start. If you accomplish nothing else, you'll at least be opening the lines of communication and sending the message that your child is cared for.

Another good reason for the interview is to learn more about what kind of person your child is spending her year with. As parents, we need to feel confident that our kids are in good hands. For me, this means having a sense that the teacher is both competent and compassionate. There are many excellent teachers out there, so most likely you'll come away reassured. But, teaching, like any other profession, there are a few duds. You'll never know, until you meet face to face, what kind of teacher your child has.

2) Gather information from your child ahead of time.

Knowing how your son feels ahead of time, will help you to be a better advocate for him and may save you some unpleasant surprises! Kids often 'come clean' about their scholastic shortcomings when they know you're about to hear all about it anyway. Most would rather you hear their side first. But good, bad or indifferent, find out from your son how he feels about school. What subject does he like best? Is he happy with his work and progress? What did your son think of his last report card? Was he surprised by his marks or by any teacher comments? Does he feel the report is fair? What are his goals now? Is there anything he would like to see change (in himself, with the teacher or about the curriculum)? Ask him to predict what the teacher is going to tell you. Then, ask him what he would like you to say to the teacher.

3) Make a list of your questions and concerns, especially if you feel a little nervous.

Just like when you visit the doctor, if you attend this interview without a list, you run the risk of forgetting an important point. Also, it can be difficult to ask the teacher to do something special for your daughter, such as giving her extra help after school. Having your request written down ahead of time can strengthen your resolve.

It's important to fill your daughter's teacher in on the big picture. Plan to let the teacher know about any major changes or challenges your child is facing right now. Events that can affect how students function in school include: the death of someone they love, parental divorce, a new baby at home, or even a time and energy consuming after-school sport or job. The background you can provide may help the teacher to react appropriately and to go that extra mile.

You can also give the teacher some information to help him teach your child more effectively. Is your daughter the kind who needs a quiet environment to focus, or is she someone who thinks best by talking through her ideas, out loud? It may take a while for the teacher to figure out the optimum learning style of every student. Your insights really help.

Encourage the teacher to see you as an ally in your daughter's education. Ask what you can be doing at home to help. Offer, if you can, to volunteer in the classroom, or drive for the next field trip or speak to the class about your area of expertise. And be very sure to stress to the teacher that you want to be informed right away if any problems come up for your child.

And finally, if your daughter has any special needs, such as a learning disability, check to ensure the teacher knows about, and has a plan for meeting, those needs. Don't assume that this information is automatically passed on from year to year. Reports can be lost and communication sometimes breaks down.

4) Relax! Remember when you walk in that classroom, that you're not 9 years old and in detention. You're a taxpayer. It's your money that's helping to pay that teacher's salary. You have every right to be treated with respect and deference. It may help you to know that many teachers are just as nervous as you are!

Is student discipline as simple as suspension? What alternative solutions are there to the problem of misbehaving students?
In the midst of escalating violence in our schools, many adults are calling on authorities to get tough with young trouble makers before their actions result in the type of incidents recently seen in Little Rock,Arkansas, Littleton, Colorado, and Springfield, Oregon.

“Zero tolerance!” “Kick them out!” “Get rid of them before they ruin things for the rest of the kids!” These are popular sentiments heard all around us.

In theory, banishing the problem before it starts sounds like a good idea. If,the first time a young person lost his temper and hit a fellow classmate on the playground, he was suspended from school, we wouldn’t have to worry about him,(or her), again--or would we? Is suspension really the solution?

True, suspending the culprit does make things more peaceful in the immediate area where the offense took place, thereby giving us a sense that the problem has been solved. And, perhaps it has been, temporarily at least. Unfortunately, the problem, too often, has merely been postponed. And, as with many postponed problems, is likely to grow, becoming more difficult than ever to solve when it pops up again, and you can bank on it, it will pop up again. Suspension is seldom the answer, and may lead to even more serious problems in the end.

A major problem caused by indiscriminate suspension is that of allowing already “at-risk” students to get even further behind. Most, although not all, students who consistently display anti-social behaviors are having trouble academically. If you send them home for a scuffle on the playground or a food fight in the cafeteria, they miss out on even more of the instruction they so desperately need.

Another problem with suspension is that you are simply moving misbehavior from school property to public property. Suspended students, sent home, seldom go there, and, when they do, seldom stay there. Many, with no supervision at home, are then free to roam wherever they choose, causing problems all over town.

Finally, even the suspended student who does spend the suspension time at home, under the watchful eye of a concerned parent, has, in a sense, been rewarded for his misbehavior with a vacation from school and, in many cases, the admiration of his friends.

This author is not advocating that the school put up with anything misbehaving students can dish out. Instead, I would like to propose several alternatives to suspension.

1. Have a minimum number of rules for students to follow; be sure every student knows those rules; and be consistent in enforcing them. (No one likes to find he has broken a rule he never knew existed, or feel that he got punished for doing something other people get away with all the time.)

2. Remove the offending student from the situation rather than from the school. (If discipline is called for, make it constructive. Helping the janitor wash windows used to be a great deterrent. It still should be. A time-out in the corner may work for some children but just gives others time to plot revenge.)

3. Discuss the inappropriate behavior with the student. Simply berating him for his misbehavior accomplishes little. He already knows he is in the wrong. (Ask him to come up with several more acceptable ways he could have dealt with the situation.)

4. Stress the need for co-operation with others.(Try to impress him with the idea that school is a training ground for life and that if he learns to deal properly with people here, he will be able to live a more successful adult life.)

Such simplistic ideas are not going to change life dramatically in the schools of America, but they can help ease smaller conflicts among ordinary kids. For kids that still insist on battling the establishment every day of their lives, there are other alternatives.

Since a large proportion of behavior problem are caused by students who are struggling academically, tutoring is an excellent way to help them. They can enroll in after school or Saturday classes without disrupting their regular school schedule at all. Many schools will arrange for the student to leave an hour or two early each afternoon for such special help.Countless behavior problems are solved every year when students are finally able to work at the same academic level as their peers.

Transferring the student who cannot cope in an ordinary school setting to an alternative school where his particular needs and interests are being met. This is much better than throwing him out of the school system where his choice of friends will be limited to drug users, thieves, etc. He will soon follow their lead.

Eugene, Oregon, this year is opening a federally granted “Turnaround School” for chronically disruptive or suspended students. Their goal is to be a transition school serving some 75-100 middle school and high school youth from the area who have been expelled, at risk of expulsion, disruptive, or at risk of dropping out. Some of the students will be referred from the juvenile detention center or mental health placements. It will be interesting to follow up in a year or two and see what has been achieved with these kids. Maybe, with a few good examples like this to show us the way, there will eventually be a “Second Chance” school in every community in America.

Ten easy, educational kids learning games for parents to promote their children's love of learning. Turn household chores into math lessons! Ten fun tips from a Teacher!



Learning should be a lifelong process, that we as parents model to our children. If we take the time to show our children that learning can be fun and practically applied to everyday life, then our children will grow to love learning. Here are ten strategies that I used with my own son, who is now in the top ten percentile of his classmates.

Educational activities for children that are inexpensive, imaginative and fun for the entire family. Ten great ideas from an elementary teacher!

Want to get your child interested in learning? Afraid that the cost of summer camp is beyond your budget? Can't afford to spend lots of money on educational software? Don't worry. You don't need money to participate in fun, imaginative, and educational activities with your child.

Here are ten great ways to have fun and expand your family's knowledge base!

1. Tune into a classical radio station. Play it loudly outside in your backyard. Encourage your children to imagine that they are the music. Have them dance to it. Have them march to it.

Several ways to get your kids to read books. Inspire your child to get away from the tv and read more




Television. Video games. Computers. Who has time for reading anymore? Probably not your kids. Unless you begin teaching them from a young age the importance of books and that reading can be fun, they may never open a book other than their school textbooks.

You can begin inspiring your child to read from the very day he/she is born. Read aloud to your infant. Read the newspaper, a note from a friend, your favorite novel, the back of a cereal box. Every oppurtunity you get, just read.

Compares and contrasts the differences between home school, private school and public school. Provides beginning resource for the searching parent.

Education always seems to be a hot topic ,it has been discussed in political circles, in the media and hopefully, in American homes. Schools are faced with slipping test scores, school violence and other problems and it seems obvious that there is a need to evaluate alternatives for educating America's children. There are many options but home school, private school and public school are three that are the most accessible and popular. There are pros and cons to all three but remember, a great education is waiting. The days where public school was appropriate for all children are gone. If child education matters, we may want to begin searching for different approaches to traditional education.

Gender inequality in the classroom is gradually declining yet still prevalent problem.

Gender inequality in the classroom is a gradually declining yet still prevalent problem in modern America. Even though legislation was enacted over thirty years ago to correct gender inequity in the classroom, this in and of itself was not successful in mending the problem. Recent studies and data overwhelmingly demonstrate that although significant strides have been made in this arena, there is undoubtedly more work to be done.

In Janice Streitmatter’s "Toward Gender Equity in the Classroom," gender bias is defined as the underlying belief that males and females differ in non-physical ways such as talents and interests. Streitmatter believes that it is the unconscious application of gender bias in the classroom on the part of both the teacher and the student that perpetuates gender inequality.

Substitute Teachers contribute a large part to today's classrooms. Here are some tips to help you succeed...

The first day a Substitute Teacher is called can be downright intimidating. Although, it’s not “hard stuff”, a Substitute has to be naturally very organized, responsible and punctual. Not to mention alert and on top of things at all times. Basically, a Substitute is a living and breathing shooting target for questions, concerns, jokes and ridicule. But, this is not for nothing or to scare one away.

Learn how to teach math at home! Fun and practical tools parents can use to help their child enjoy math.



If you’re old enough to be a parent, you may remember elementary school math as mostly five rows of six problems with a few word problems thrown in every now and then.

If you’re a little older, you may even remember the teacher calling it arithmetic rather than math, a reminder of the then-popular belief that if we concentrated on arithmetic in elementary school, junior and senior high (now called middle school and high school) would teach the rest.

Here are ten great ideas for homeschool gatherings whether you are in need of activities or just starting a group for the first time.

Homeschooling groups are being established in more and more towns and cities. If you are in charge of such a group, or wish to start one, there are endless things, both educational and fun, to do with your group. The hardest part will be making sure that events you plan will interest both the older students and the younger. Here are ten things that you can use to get started with some group activities.

If you are a homeschooler who would like more support, find out how to start your own homeschooling support group.

Once you decide to homeschool your children, it can be a lonely decision if you do not have a support group of people who understand the choices you have made regarding your children’s education and why you have made them. This is one reason why many communities have homeschooling support groups. These groups offer advice on curriculum, structured activities for both kids and adults, and a safe place to talk about the frustrations of schooling your own children. If your community does not have a homeschooling group, you may want to consider starting one. Likewise, if your community offers is a faith-based homeschooling group, and you would like a secular one, or vice versa, you may want to begin one of your own.

How to help your kids with homework, while still fostering responsible independence in their children.



Now that the kids are back in school, parents face that nightly challenge: homework. How do you fit homework into the busy schedules of you and your child? How much do you need to get involved with the homework process? Here are some tips for making the most of homework for your child.

Finding the best tutor takes time and effort. Asking the right questions is the key to finding the right match for your child.



Choosing a tutor for your child is something that should take time and careful consideration. A good match between the tutor and the student will hasten the results. Choosing the best tutor takes good questioning.

This piece provides a view of the areas of the American high school system that need to be reformed in order to achieve improvement.

It seems as though any time the topic of improving the American education system arises, so too do the tempers of many people lacking a proper perspective on the issue. It should be abundantly clear at this stage in the game that by not working together teachers and communities are failing to provide our nation's children with the highest quality education. Simply stated, until parents/guardians, politicians, community members and educators grasp a true understanding of the needs of today's student, the education system is doomed to plod along in the sub-par fashion we've witnessed over the past decade and a half.

Few things are more important to parents than heir children's education. This article has specific tips for parents wanting to help their children succeed in school



Every parent knows that success in school is important for success in adult life. Parents want to help ensure that success, but what, exactly, can they do to help? Here are ten steps to helping your child succeed in school this year.

Many people enjoy art, both creating and viewing it. It is the kind of thing parents very often wish to share with their children, but getting children interested in activities such as art is not as easy as you would think.



As with just about all hobbies, some kids are just not going to be interested in art. It is important to not force a child into any kind of activity that they are not interested it. They will not gain any appreciation of the subject and will be more likely to fight against it.

Ideas for parents on how to help encourage their child to have an interest and appreciation for viewing and/or creating art

Business teachers can educate students on organizational development with this simulation. It's a great discussion starter that will challenge students while having fun completing this activity.

Teaching organizational development can become tedious for the instructor and boring for the student when the classroom is not enlivened with interesting examples or creative activities. Indeed, simulations and creative activities help foster a supportive learning environment where students of all learning styles can learn.

One of the basics of business education is learning the difference between centralized and decentralized organizations. In centralized organizations, most decision making is done by top management and orders are passed down through the ranks. Decentralized organizations distribute decision-making authority throughout the company.

Learn about the reasons children have difficulty learning how to write and how to instill a writing process for them.

How many times were you given a writing assignment in your twelve years of mandatory schooling? Would you estimate you wrote a theme, an essay, or even a research paper a total of ten times?

If you are certain you had to complete more than a total of ten writing
assignments during your years of formal education, you are a minority. However, it seems (based on my informal poll) individuals who went to school prior to the baby boomers actually were given more writing assignments, which were carefully graded by their teachers and returned for necessary revision, unlike those who attended school from 1960 to the present.

Learn how teaching exceptional children can be a very rewading experience.




All children have the need to be trained or taught. This includes the exceptional child: those with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, communication disorders, learning disabilities, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Until recently, the availability and the opportunity for children with disabilities to participate in school programs have been minimal. Today, we are seeing an increased awareness on the part of educators for the need to mainstream education for the disabled.