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How Parents Can Make the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences

October 1, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

parent teacher conferences
Talk with your child’s teachers at parent-teacher conferences

The parent-teacher conference is a deeply personal ritual. It can be a wholly congratulatory experience or an indictment of one’s parenting skills. As comfortable or as uncomfortable as conferences may be, the most important thing to remember is that you’re there to talk about your child. Keep in mind a few basic principles when talking to your child’s teacher, so you can make the most out of the conversation.

Come prepared
The parent-teacher conference is a dialogue of great value. Like anything else, it’s important to be ready. Define your goals. Define your child’s goals. Write out a list of the ten most important questions and talking points prior to your meeting. Take advantage of the fact that you have an opportunity to gain insight into your child’s educational experience from the person who sees them almost as often as you do. By doing so, you’ll also prove that you take your child’s school experience as seriously as teachers do.

Stick to the subject
National Public Radio came up with a list of general principles to note the next time you’re scheduled for a parent-teacher conference. It boils down to three things: the child, the classroom, and the future. You may be tempted to boast about your child’s learning abilities. You may be tempted to defend their shortcomings. Stick to the subject. Listen to one another. Resist the temptation to chitchat and put the focus squarely on your child’s habits in the classroom. Discuss strategies to improve their learning habits and opportunities to improve the school experience, both inside the classroom and beyond.

Stay Engaged
The Harvard Family Research Project reaffirms what most parents already know: “family engagement matters for students success.” The Project defines Family Engagement in the following ways: 1.) A shared responsibility among families, community organizations, and schools; 2.) Continuous throughout a child’s life, from birth through adolescence; 3.) Occurring across the multiple settings and contexts in which children grow and learn.

It’s a perpetual process involving several factors of outside life. Take the conversation seriously and apply any suggestions or tips for better learning back at home, within a support group, or a community even, that fosters mutual success among its participants. Remember that education is a lifelong process, that continues beyond the classroom. Staying engaged and helping your child at home is one of the most important things you can for your child, but involving them in other learning-based, communal activities shows them how other kids are working towards the same goals. Establishing these learning habits and communities throughout childhood will help your young student succeed in school and out.

Open the lines of communication
Several factors may contribute to your child’s learning, even beyond the classroom. A recent divorce, a separation, a move to a new city, losing a best friend, or even a death in the family—all these things and more can contribute to a child’s psyche and well being. It can also affect you, which indirectly affects your kids. Addressing these issues with your child’s teacher may provide additional insight into their learning habits, and also make the teacher aware of how they may be coping with lingering issues at home.  It is certainly not unusually for at-home “issues” to follow a child with them into school and extracurriculars.

Follow up
Parent-teacher conferences generally happen every 1-2 months and they last about 15-20 minutes a piece. Depending on the extant of your conversation, there may be many more topics left to discuss. Suggest a follow up with your child’s teacher either by phone or in-person. If the teacher is willing, you can cover more ground on a regular basis to ensure your child is improving in school and/or establish better learning tools at home.  Ask the teacher if he or she can email you updates, or if the teacher puts class information online where parents can also see what their kids should be working on.

 

Best Parent Practices and Safety Tips for a New School Year

August 29, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again: Time for pens and pencils, notebooks and notepads, stencil boxes and three ring binders. It’s back to school season, and for many parents it’s a time to prepare for the unexpected as only parents can do. We’ve rounded up a list of best-practices and school safety tips from a few reputable sources, as your toddlers, tykes and tweens embark on a new school year filled with new adventures, new learning and, most importantly, a better appreciation for secure and safe environments.

Back to School Chicago
Image credit: Deptartmentofed Flickr (US Dept. of Education)

Check, please.
The National Safety Council—a national non-profit whose mission is to “save lives” by promoting safety in an around the home, school, and the workplace—offers a comprehensive checklist of best-practices and safety tips in anticipation of those initial first days of school. The standard applies (e.g. teaching your child to look both ways before crossing the street, fitting them with a helmet before they ride a bicycle), but there’s more to this checklist than meets the eye. A recent report by the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission estimated that 7,300 backpack-related injuries occur every year, and for those kids taking the bus to school, it’s important to stress the unpredictability of large vehicles on the road. In a nutshell: there’s lots to love about this list.

What’s up, doc?
For most students, back to school is an exciting time of year. But for others the transition to a new grade, even a different classroom, can have adverse effects on students who might not adjust as easily as others. Preparing your child mentally for the eventual return to school can be extraordinarily beneficial safety measure. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends scheduling doctor and dental appointments in advance or in the early stages of school, which can make you aware of potential red flags before that momentous first day of class.

Spoiler alert.
A healthy and productive mental state can make all the difference for young students. And believe it or not, your child’s mental health has the potential to rub off on others. Scholastic offers a smorgasbord of tips and tricks to make your child’s school year the best it can possibly be, one of which includes designing his or her very own work station, complete with a tailored aesthetic and good vibes. By catering the design to your child’s study habits, you can influence what happens in and outside your home by (slightly) spoiling your future Ivy Leaguer.

Just breathe.
This time of year can be particularly troublesome for kids with asthma. Given the unpredictability of the seasons thus far, it behooves any parent to ensure that kids are well-prepared for the ill-effects of the summer-to-fall transition. The Public News Service recently interviewed Kathleen Shanovich, a former school nurse and pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who suggests parents meet with a school’s resident nurse to discuss a detailed action-plan, should a problem arise. Shanovich also advises parents to leave an extra inhaler with the school nurse should any unforeseen issues occur.

I’ll be back.
The Washington Post recently provided parents with back-to-school tips and tricks for the upcoming school year. A surprising, if not overlooked aspect of the back-to-school process is establishing the concept of “leaving and returning.” This seemingly miniscule detail might sneak by most parents, especially if they’re in a hurry, but it’s a detail worth remembering. Reinforcing the idea at drop-off that you’re leaving but will return later to can save your kiddos any unwanted heartache.

 

 

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