Being on the same team with your child's teacher is essential to promoting success for your child. When your child has multiple adults rallying around them, they feel supported, loved and included. This means better outcomes for both you and your child. There are many ways that you can show appreciation for a teacher, but these are a few of the ways that don't cost a thing!
1. Handwritten Note/Email of Appreciation
This is such a great thing to do not only at the beginning of the year, but year round. Teachers work so hard. Their days and hours are much longer than you would possibly think and their salaries are not commensurate to the amount they have to work just to perform at the minimum (and let's face it, most teachers go above and beyond).
The least that you can do for the person educating your child is thank them and let them know how meaningful their work is to you. If you particularly liked a craft that was sent home, reach out and share a little note. If your child was excited about something they learned that day and shared it with you, share it with their teacher. If you like how their classroom is decorated, mention it!
Everything a teacher does is for their students and to hear that their work is making an impact is one of the greatest accolades you can give them.
2. Sharing Praises with an Administrator at the School
If you believe your child's teacher to be doing a great job, one of the best things that you can do is to tell an administrator at that school (i.e. an assistant principal, a principal, school counselor, etc.) Receiving positive feedback from you will not only help the administrator to see the good works of that teacher in a different way but it will also create a positive relationship between you and that administrator. Additionally, administrators typically receive negative feedback regarding various things, especially teacher performance, but spreading positivity and recognizing the hard work that their teachers are doing will also help to fulfill the administrators of that school. After all, they are responsible for how the school operates and functions on a daily basis, so what better way to appreciate their efforts than by telling them about the good works of the people they are leading.
3. Rallying the 'Troops'
The 'troops' in this scenario refer to other parents. When parents of your child's school get together or even communicate on social media, are you the type of person promoting positivity about your child's school? or are you in the negativity with the rest of them?
Yes, I want you to feel validated if you are frustrated with something, but I also want you to find something positive that is going on at that school or with your child's teacher and try to put that in the conversation. Teachers are very much at the scrutiny of public opinion. We, parents, only want the best for our children, but sometimes our 'Mama/Papa Bear' instincts come out a little too hard. Remember that teachers are just people and they are easily capable of making mistakes, but when they might don't let yourself or others demean their character. Instead, promote positivity and support because when your child's teacher feels uplifted and supported by you, they are far more likely to perform at their best.
4. Maintain a Consistent Message from School to Home
Teachers have an entire classroom of students and while this means they are always busy, it also means they have a classroom full of anecdotal observations. Your child's teacher is likely to have been in the education field for years and/or have specialized training. This leads them to have a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to children and their emotional, behavioral and cognitive development. So, when they tell you something about your child, it is coming from not only an informed place, but also from the perspective of care and/or concern for your child.
If they share some information or even advice with you, as your child's primary caregiver it is your choice what to do with that information, but you can also validate that teacher and their informed opinion by implementing whatever they suggest to do at home.
Being on the same page with your child's teacher allows for your son or daughter to have a united team behind them and what more could you ask for as a parent?
5. Ask How You Can Help Support Them
The last piece of advice is to just simply ask. I don't mean use the forms that the teacher fills out with all the goodies that they like (those ARE amazing though!), but I mean actually asking them if there is anything they need help with during the school year. Some of the most amazing ways that parents showed me they appreciated me wasn't through a physical gift at all, but actually showing up or demonstrating acts of service. You might have a talent or gift to share that would be so helpful. For example, one year I had one parent that was extremely artistic. They not only created it, but helped me set up my classroom door decoration in a way that I never could have. This type of support does cost your time, but what better way to create a positive relationship with your child's teacher than physically showing up to offer support.
Whatever it is that you are able to do will be appreciated because after all teachers are just in this for their love of teaching and everything else is just a bonus!
If you're the type of person that likes to give physical gifts, I have a blog post coming up just for you!
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