Parents Must Connect To Education

 

While we can brag of a reasonably good education system, quality instructions and schools that believe that they should not be questioned and that it is their way or the high way seemed to be causing some problems.

 

For many students, good parental support coupled with the ability to engage in extra curricular activities, a balanced diet and adequate exercise offer them the appropriate tools for success.

 

The parents of such children usually communicate with their children to find out what they did at school, they look at home work, look through their books and they engage children in conversations about their struggles and help to calm any anxieties.

 

Not all children however are fortunate enough to have the above and even if they do, parents still need to question the school to stay informed about what is going on, where the child needs to be at and to find out what more needs to be done for the child.

 

Here are some questions that you should have for your child’s school.

 

• What academic standards do you use, and what do I need to know about them?

• Can I have a copy of the syllabus that you will follow for this year?

• How do you respond if or when my child struggles in class?

• What are the most important and complex (content-related) ideas my child needs to understand by the end of the year?

• Do you focus on strengths or weaknesses?

• How are creativity and innovative thinking used on a daily basis in your classroom?

• How is critical thinking used on a daily basis in your classroom?

• How are assessments designed to promote learning rather than simple measurement?

• How exactly is learning personalized in your classroom? In the school?

• How do you measure academic progress?

• What are the most common instructional or literacy strategies you will use this year?

• What learning models do you use (e.g., project-based learning, mobile learning, game-based learning, etc.), and what do you see as the primary benefits of that approach?

• Is there technology you'd recommend that can help support my child?

• What are the most common barriers you see to academic progress in your classroom?

• What should I know about your classes?

 

It is very likely that your child’s school or teacher may not take kindly to being questioned, but you need to be informed and you need to know what is happening every day in your child’s life and therefore you should insist on answers and keep a close eye on what is happening in the class room every day.