SCHOOLS: An open letter to parents

Dear parents,

We need you. We cannot educate your children alone. The majority of the things that make a student successful at school happen outside the classroom. Beyond the basic food, shelter, and clothing, there are other things that teachers would like you to know about helping your child excel during the time they are with us. While the quotes below came from high school teachers, the concepts can be applied to students of all ages.

1.Communication

“They need to teach their kids to have conversations with adults.”

If 180 students go through a teacher’s class each day, your child is entitled to 1/180 of the teacher’s attention. Help your child communicate with us. It is easiest to solve problems when we hear from them directly, while they are with us at school. We can clarify assignments on the spot. Most teachers are available before and after school, and many schools have a time like an advisory, homeroom, or Palmer High’s PHARM when teachers are available for interacting with students outside a structured class period. This could involve something they don’t understand, a question about an assignment, a make-up test, or a possible error in the grade book.

By the time you see a poor grade on iparent, it has already happened (or not happened). Help your child organize so that he or she can be in charge of writing the paper; doing the project; taking the test. Coach and support, but don’t take the responsibility or the sense of accomplishment away from your student. Find a system of checking in with your child that works. Foster your child’s communication with teachers, but don’t do it for them. If you know that your child needs to have a conversation with a teacher, an email as a heads-up can help us to encourage your hesitant child to communicate with us.

2.Homework

“They have it.” Trust me. Even if they say they don’t.

If your child never has homework, proceed with caution. This may not be an issue of dishonesty. It could be doorway amnesia--an affliction that wipes all memories of homework from the brains of students as they walk out the classroom door. A solution here could be the use of a planner. Some students do better with a paper planner, but electronic/phone apps work for some. You will probably have to follow up at home until this becomes habit.

It could be procrastination. Students honestly believe that the only thing that counts as homework is what is due the next day. Spring is the time when even the brightest, most organized student may come to the realization that time management should have been a priority in January and February. Semester-long projects from several classes converge. This is when they may need your help prioritizing. A missing formal science lab and a single homework assignment do not have the same value when you are trying to stay afloat.

3. Absences

“Did I miss anything when I was gone?”

Nothing provokes the ire of a teacher faster than these words. They have to be in class. Even if the class is PE, art, or auto shop. Even if there was a video in class that day. Even if there was independent work time. Even if. Teachers work hard to prepare lessons and guide discussions that will enrich the learning of the students. Just filling in the worksheet, taking the test, or doing a project does not take the place of actually being in class. Missed labs, and demonstrations cannot be effectively replicated in a few minutes, and discussions cannot be reproduced. A student may get a passing grade, but not the education to go with it.

We understand the value of sports, music, and clubs. We know there will be illness. The absences that we wish you would avoid are the planned vacations during days when school is in session, and morning tardiness. Late arrivals look like a tardies on the record, but may mean they miss most of the semester in a particular class. Being out disconnects students from the nuances of the class. They miss out on being a part of the learning community.

4. Secret Identities

“The child you see at home and the one we see at school may be different.”

Your introvert at home may shine in public, or your bossy teen may be quiet and subdued around school. While professionalism keeps us from mentioning other student’s names, we see all kinds of social (and romantic) interactions between kids daily.

If your child is mildly disruptive, you probably won’t know. We try to handle matters at school as much as possible. If an issue escalates, you will hear. If you hear from us, take it seriously. Sometimes things can be smoothed miraculously when a student knows that the teacher and parents communicate regularly. Regular communication removes the “I can’t believe you called my mom” attitude and instead makes us a team.

Come to parent teacher conferences, and bring your student with you. Be prepared to brag a little, and tell us something we might not know about him or her. Then ask, “What is my child good at in your class, and what can my child do to be more successful?” We want you to know more about how your child is doing at school.

5.Technology

“They can do their homework without Googling every answer.”

MSBSD’s ultimate goal in utilizing technology in education is Personalized Student Learning. According to the district’s 1Technology Roadmap, this “is what truly prepares students to be competent, aware, and prepared for the future.” This means that, in our schools, the goal is that each student will have personal computer access.

There are all kinds of reasons that your child may not have computer or internet access at home on any given day. Whether it is a single day computer crash, or you live off the grid, or there are 5 students all needing to do their homework at once, there are solutions at school. At many schools there are study hall classes, extended lunch hours, or afterschool library hours where computers are available. Contact the front office or your child’s guidance counselor, and they will direct you to the support you need.

Still, the majority of assignments can still be done without Google. This was stated most emphatically by teachers of world languages. While online flashcards and games like Quizlet are great for memorizing vocabulary, Google Translate is not the same as learning a language. Likewise, in other subject areas, looking up the answers to questions on a study guide is not like reading the book, and WikiHow to do a math problem is not required preparation for a math test.

6. School Supplies

“Required materials are, required for your child’s success.”

If a certain calculator, binder, or book is listed as required, it is because in order to excel, they will need those items. When a student arrives daily without the required tools, they do not get to participate fully. A 4-function calculator borrowed from a teacher is not the same as the required graphing calculator brought from home, or checked out from the library. Similarly, shoving papers into a pocket or a bag is not as effective as having them in a binder, and it is difficult to study a book without the book.

Whether supply checks are entered in a grade book or not, preparation affects the quality of education your child receives. You may purchase these items, or use those available free of charge if needed. It is your child’s job to bring them to class daily.

7.Cell Phones

“Phones in class make me feel like I’m playing Whack-a-Mole.”

They are great for communication. Most teachers have them too. A quick text about after school plans; safety in an emergency; a portable organizer; a calculator. However, in spite of what you may hope, students do not leave their cell phones in their lockers, or turned off during the school day. They DO use them in class, and often not for assigned work. While some students use them responsibly most of the time, most use them often, if not hourly, for non academic purposes during class as well. They are one of the most significant distractions in our classrooms today.

What is a parent to do? First, keep an eye on their usage; Kahoot, Quizlet, and research, and Google Classroom look very different from Snapchat, Instagram, Farmville, and Clash of Clans. Second, please be conscious of the school schedule when you contact them during the day. It puts us in a tough position when we try to enforce the phone rules and it is a parent on the other end of the line. Finally, teach them to tell time. The excuse we hear most often is that they are checking the time. They either say they don’t know how to read the analog clock on the wall, or they say it “takes too much time.”

As educators, we enjoy passing on our love of learning. We spend countless hours beyond the official school day working to prepare lessons and give students quality feedback. Our families hear about our new strategies to engage students. Teachers chronically refer to students as “my kids.” We have rules at lunchtime that require us to find topics of conversation that don’t involve students. We enjoy your kids and want them all to reach their greatest potential. In order to do that, we need your help.

Rebekah Kitchin is an English teacher at Palmer High School.