Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Teachers: Don't Leave Out the Parents - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Teachers: Don't Leave Out the Parents - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Teachers: Don't Leave Out the Parents

teachers.parents.being-left-out.jpg
"I think we need to stop assuming we know what parents want
in our classrooms and rather ask them."

Don't Leave Out the Parents


by Mrs. Ripp

Parents - every teacher has an opinion on what their role in the classroom is.

Some people welcome them with open arms, others prefer to keep them in the copy room. Whatever your take is, parents and dealing with them are an inevitable part of our job.
And yet nothing is really mentioned in teacher's education about the role of parents and
just how valuable they can be to our classroom. No one sits you down and explains that
when parents contact you it is probably because they have the best interest of their child
in mind.

I think we should embrace parents and their role in our teaching realm.
I think we need to stop assuming we know what parents want in our classrooms and
rather ask them. I think we should start assuming that parents are truly on our side and not someone who is out to get us.

This does not mean that I suggest they plan our lessons, but most parents know their child much better than we do, so we not ask their advice? Now is the time to reach out and