Twenty Tips to To Provide Teacher Support
We are knee-deep in the school year and as we have settled into our family routines, we (parents) think teachers no longer need us, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. The job of a teacher does not stop after 8-9 hours a day. She/he is still planning for the next day, preparing materials, decorating bulletin boards, or correcting papers. So if you are able to support the services they provide in any small way, it is very much appreciated by them.
What ways are you able to help? Check out these tips to support your child's teacher.
#1: Decorate Bulletin Boards
Do you like to decorate? The bulletin board is a way to display an upcoming event, time of year, class studies, and display artwork. The bulletin board changes every month as new events occur or new studies start. Talk to the teacher to see if you may help with each month's theme or events. You might be able to cut out the letters for the board while watching TV or be the person who puts the final decorations on the board. Any small gesture of time is appreciated.
#2: Provide Afternoon Snacks
It is so helpful to have a parent take care of either providing the afternoon snack or setting up a parent sign-up list. The afternoon is hectic, and if it is hot, fresh fruit is a splendid way for the children to cool down. The snack does not have to be fancy; just knowing it is one less thing for the teacher to focus on is helpful.
#3: Manage Supplies
Usually at the beginning of the year, a list is sent home naming certain supplies that would be helpful to have in the classroom. Offer to be in charge of these supplies. You can sort and arrange the supplies and send out reminders to parents when items are getting low.
#4: Assist with Special Events
Prior to special events, such as the science fair, book fair, and other events, ask for a list of tasks that a parent could prepare for or help with. During these events, teachers welcome a second pair of hands.
#5: Organize the Classroom Library
The books in the classroom library become cluttered and unorganized quickly. Offer to be the classroom librarian and organize the books weekly. This is such a helpful way to offer teacher support.
#6: Compliment the Teacher
If your child comes home and tells an exciting fact they learned at school or sings a new fun song, send the teacher an email or bring it up during pick-up time. Teachers love to hear that your child it learning and growing from something that was taught in the classroom.
#7: Dedicate Time In and Out of the Classroom
Spending time helping in the classroom is priceless. Dedicating an hour a week of time outside the classroom by helping cut out items or prepare for a lesson is also very much appreciated. Talk to the teacher and request a way to make an hour a week count and then dedicate an evening in front of the TV helping with small projects.
#8: Help with Clean Up
Offer to help with a weekly clean up. Wipe down desks, tables, chairs, and other items in the classroom. It gets dusty and dirty just like at home, so one less task the teacher has to do means more focus on your child.
#9: Be a Reading Buddy
Offer to come in at designated reading times and be a reading buddy. Children can practice reading to you, and you can read to them. Feel free to ask them questions about the book. Reading comprehension is important.
#10: Talk About Your Job
Teachers like parents to share their stories from the real world. It can be a description about your job or something fun you did in the community. Allow the teacher to be your guide. Help rally other parents to come in a talk about their job in the community. Children are curious by nature, and your child will be excited to have you sharing in their day.
#11: Share Your Skills
Do you help the teacher to reduce her workload? Some teachers do a monthly newsletter or schedule. Are you savvy with computer skills and can easily set up a newsletter? Ask if there is any computer work you can help with.
#12: Sort and File
There is always a ton of paperwork and items to be sent home. See if you can do some filing and develop some organization for items that need to be sent home to parents. If you have great organizational skills, offer to help set up areas in the classroom.
#13: Label the Classroom
The use of sight words in classrooms is big as reading and spelling skills develop. See if you can help with writing out labels for items in the room. Great penmanship is needed or creating the words on the computer to be printed out is helpful.
#14: Offer Computer Support
Most children can operate their devices at home but learning to operate the computers in school is totally different. See if you can be available for computer class and assist children with developing their computer skills.
#15: Provide Lunch Support
Some schools eat in the classroom and others go to the cafeteria, but both need help with supervision, spills, and selling extra items like ice cream. This helps give teachers peace of mind knowing that all students are receiving the support during lunch that they may need. Extra hands and eyes make a BIG difference.
#16: Monitor the Playground
Help teachers with all the added responsibilities they have besides teaching in class. Teachers are assigned to do playground duty on a rotating basis. Filling in for that teacher or helping during recess allows the teacher to have more planning and preparation time for their class.
#17: Prepare Your Student for Class
Please make sure your child is prepared for class. If your child needs to bring something in for class or read a chapter from a history book, please make sure they are prepared and have completed the assignment. I know we want to make our children independent, but they are in the stage where they need help to develop good habits like doing their homework.
#18: Chaperone Field Trips
Many times, a successful field trip is based on parent participation. In order to go on a field trip, a teacher must have enough chaperones to help supervise, or a trip might be cancelled. This is an important way to offer teacher support. Please volunteer or even look for a grandparent to volunteer, if you are not available. These trips are educational and fun for your child.
#19: Work With Small Groups
Offer to be a small group leader to study sight words, spelling words or math facts. If the teacher thinks this will be beneficial, it could be scheduled once or twice a week. Be creative each week as to how you present the material to make it fun for all of you.
#20: Teach Your Kids to Clean Up
The task of cleaning up the room after an activity is either done by the teacher or a few children. Teach your child how to clean up and enforce the rule. When you allow your child to not clean up at home they think that it also applies to when they are at school. Teach them rules that apply to the real world. This is a great way to offer teacher support.
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