Teacher - Parent Cheat Sheet

OOOO!  Cheat sheet??? 


Yup.  Absolutely.  Even the best of us (teachers included) enjoys hearing those words.  It's like someone handed you your first piece of candy, or your grandparents handed you the ice cream behind your parents' backs.  It's great.  It makes you feel like you have the "in" others don't, that somehow you are special.


Well, the people at "Good Housekeeping" are continuing in the same vein and giving us grownups our own cheat sheet.  The culprit?  The reason for this oh-so-loved piece of information?  Teachers spoke up.  Yes, that's right (breathe, it'll be over shortly), teachers were polled and determine the list of 9 Things they Wished Parents Knew.  It's a great list, including things like:  Stay involved in your kid's education, even if you don't know the material they are learning.  I love that one!!  No one ever knows everything, and even if you have no idea what an imaginary number is, or how to pronounce that tiny little word in Spanish, you can still show interest and excitement for the things that your children are studying.  And who knows, maybe some of it will come back to you as they explain what they are studying, or at least maybe talking to you will help them verbally study for a test or end up answering a question they had about the material.  Either way, it shows you care and that, in and of itself, is important for children.  


Another one I like, and this is probably the teacher in me coming out, was about giving teachers the benefit of the doubt because they are, ultimately, on your side.  Yes, yes we are.  We want your child to succeed just as much as you do!!  I remember complaining about things in school growing up all the time.  Half the time my parents believed me and half the time they believed the teacher . . . most of the time they realized I just needed to vent and followed up with "Welcome to life.  It's not fair," or "Well you better find some way to get through the class.  You'll have bosses and coworkers for the rest of your life.  Some you'll like.  Some you won't, but you have to figure out how to make the best of it."  All life lessons.  All great...even if I did hate it at the time.


Anyways, enjoy the article.  Happy School Seasons!