5 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew (Let’s Ask A Few Teachers)

Most parents consider the school is a third party realm. Many unwittingly assume that there are invisible connecting lines between the child’s home and their school, but teachers wish parents could understand the relationship with the teachers and the school more clearly.

Parents need to understand that their attitudes, messages, and signals to the child have a great influence on the child and their ability to have a healthy experience in school.

There’s definitely some truth to the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, the teacher is only a part of that village not the entire village. Read what some teachers across the United States had to say about expectations from parents and what they wish the parents knew:

1. We Care Even If We Are Not Able to Respond Immediately To Your Calls:

Between morning staff meetings, requests from administrators during a lesson and planning surprise activities for the kids, there’s only so much time left for a teacher to answer your calls or reply your messages extensively every single time.

Ashley,a fourth grade teacher in New Jersey had this to say:

“We are also wives, moms, daughters, and caregivers. I often have parents angry I don’t respond to an email in four hours or try to communicate with me at 11 p.m.”

2. It’s Okay If They Make Mistakes On Their Homework:

Many parents are disappointed beyond what is necesssary when their kids don’t get a 10/10 in their homework. Teachers wish parents could understand that not knowing it all, is why they are there to help your child.

“I wish parents would not fix homework. A lot of times I have explained how I want it done, which may not be the way YOU would do it! Mistakes also tell me how I need to work with your child. If their work is always 100% correct, I won’t know they need more of my help to understand. It also emphasizes to them that you think they are not capable of doing it — not a good message to build confident learners.”

— Mindi, first grade teacher in New York.

3. Teachers Are Not Perfect:

Although teachers care genuinely about your kids, they are not an extended arm of your family, and you and the environment you provide your child at home, will ultimately determine how effective his school learning experience will be.

Many teachers say they have a passion for their jobs, but that does not make them super heroes, who spot and fix your child’s every emotional need since they are his ‘teacher’ and are skilled with kids.

Jenn, a second grade teacher in Oklahoma had this to say:

“We aren’t superheroes. We are just doing a job we love. Sometimes we knock it out of the park. Sometimes we fall on our faces. Most days we are somewhere between the two. We can’t do it all (remind us of that sometimes). We need your help and words of encouragement, too.”

4. Parents Need To Put Their Phones Down And Talk More With Their Kids:

“I wish parents knew to talk to their kids. Have conversations every chance they get — in the car, after school, during meals, etc. Put down devices and talk to one another!”

— Patti, third grade teacher in New Jersey.

Teachers wish parents would understand that their child’s behaviour at home is different from their behaviour at school, and they could be living a double life. The only way to get to know them better and nip a potential problem in the bud is by getting close and talking with your child.

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5. Kids Really Do Need To Read:

Reading stimulates the imagination and expands our understanding of the world even as adults, therefore your impressionable child needs to do a lot of reading to develop their cognitive skills early in life.

Read what some teachers had to say below:

“I wish parents knew just how important it is for their child to read 30 minutes every single day and for struggling readers to read 60 minutes.”

— Stacey, second grade teacher in Oregon.

“Reading is not ‘homework.’ It needs to be part of life … If you can’t read, you will struggle in all subjects.”

— Diana, middle school math/science teacher in Washington.

“I wish parents knew that the single best thing they could do to prepare their child for school is, from the day they are born, to read out loud to them every single day. Every. Single. Day.”

—Kim, third grade teacher in North Carolina.

Source: goodhousekeeping.com