Keeping the Parents Involved

Having parents involved in their child's education can be a crucial aspect of how they are able to learn and succeed. For some, it can be tricky to have the time to be involved in their child's learning because of work, home life etc.. For others, they are fortunate enough to make sure that they block the time out to be there for their children no matter what. Keeping the parents involved in what is going on inside the classroom can benefit the child more than they will ever know. Looking back when I was in late elementary school throughout middle school, my parents were always involved with what I was doing. For example, when I was learning my multiplication facts, my father would sit down at least three times a week and quiz me with flashcards on them, or if I was learning new words for a spelling test, my mom would sit down and we would do "mini" quizzes until I felt prepared for the real quiz every Friday. In that moment, I always hated my parents doing this to me because I had just spent nearly six hours at school and the second I got home I just wanted to relax, but looking back on it now, I would not nearly be good at spelling or multiplication facts as I am today.

As a teacher, I would send home weekly notes to the parents about what their child will be learning that specific  week. I would have the students bring them home, have the parent read it, sign it, and bring it back so I know that the parent read it and not the student just throwing it away. In this note, I would discuss how I am going to teach the specific material, wether it be a presentation, one on one, group activity etc. There will then be a section for notes for the parents to write questions, comments or concerns on what they think would best benefit their child best learning this material. This can be a great way for the teacher and parent to connect on such a simple level but also to learn more about how the specific student learns based on what their parents see.