7 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew Article


By Lisa Collier Cool for Good Housekeeping

Parents, pull up a chair: Here's how to help your kids do their very best at school

Good Housekeeping went into classrooms at schools around the country and talked to the teachers who spend their days with your children. Here's what they said about how you can help them help your kids:


1. Don't be a stranger!

Talk to your child's teacher early and often. Back-to-school night shouldn't be the only time you connect, but it's a great time to introduce yourself and find out the best way to contact her in the future. Then stay in touch with updates on how things are going at home, questions about your child and his work, or to schedule conferences to head off trouble (should you worry about that string of C's?). Most teachers have e-mail at school, which is a great way to check in.


2. Learning doesn't stop at 3:15.

You can help the teacher do a better job by encouraging your child to show you something he's working on at school, suggests Ron Martucci, who teaches fourth grade in Pelham, New York. It doesn't have to be a big deal: "Ask him to demonstrate how he does long division or to read his book report out loud," says Martucci. "Every time your child gets a chance to show off what he knows, it builds confidence."


3. Keep your child organized.

That means helping teachers with the paper chase. "I spend way too much time tracking down tests or forms I've sent home for a parent's signature," says Judy Powell, a fifth-grade teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Usually, the missing items are crumpled up in the bottom of the kid's backpack, along with lunch leftovers and other clutter. Powell's solution: Have your child empty his backpack every day as part of a regular after-school routine. Set up a special place, such as a box in the kitchen, where he can put the day's papers, and provide another spot, such as a desk drawer, for old assignments that you want to save. A bright-colored folder is a good idea, too, for toting homework — and signed papers — to and from school. And about those supplies: Keep plenty on hand. "Kids run out of pencils and paper, and it'll be three weeks before they'll remember to tell you," says Powell.


4. Let your child make mistakes.

Don't forget, he's learning. Teachers don't want perfect students, they want students who try hard. "Sometimes parents get caught up in thinking every assignment has to be done exactly right, and they put too much pressure on their child," says Brian Freeman, a second-grade teacher from Red Spring, North Carolina. "But it's OK for kids to get some problems wrong. It's important for us to see what students don't know, so we can go over the material again."

Is your child struggling with an assignment? Help him brainstorm possible solutions. If he's still stuck, resist the temptation to write a note. Instead, encourage your child to take charge by asking the teacher for help the next day.

Hands off bigger assignments, too, says Marty Kaminsky, a fourth-grade teacher in Ithaca, New York. "I assigned a project on inventors, and several kids brought in amazingly detailed reports with slide-shows. They looked great, but they clearly weren't the work of a nine-year-old," he says. "I was much happier with the posters with the pictures glued on crooked, because I knew those children did the work themselves. What matters isn't the final result; it's letting a child have ownership of the project."


5. If the teacher deserves a good grade, give her one.

Teaching isn't easy, and there are days when a kid has a tantrum, or a teacher feels like crying because a parent speaks to her harshly. So why not e-mail or call when your child enjoys a class event or says something nice about the instructor? And if you feel the teacher is doing a good job, let the principal know. Volunteering is another way to demonstrate your enthusiasm and support, even if you only have time to help out once a year. It shows your child — and his teacher — that you really care about his education.


6. Stay involved — even when you don't know the material.

You can provide moral support and be your child's cheerleader no matter how well (or poorly) you did in a certain subject. "Parents tell me they didn't take trigonometry or flunked chemistry, so how can they check the homework?" says Tim Devine, a high school social science teacher in Chicago. "But we don't expect you to be an expert on every subject." Just knowing a parent is paying attention can be very motivating for a student.


7. The teacher's on your side — give her the benefit of the doubt.

Rachel James, a third-grade teacher in Reson, Florida, was having a terrible time with one of her students. For days, the boy had been disruptive, rolling his eyes and sighing dramatically whenever anyone spoke to him. Naturally, she had to reprimand him. "His mom called and accused me of picking on her son," says James. "When I told her what was going on, she was shocked." After the mom had calmed down, they worked out some ways to change the boy's behavior. "A lot of parents go into attack mode when their child complains about a teacher," says James. "Or they take the problem to the principal, so the teacher feels blindsided. But parents need to get all the facts before they react."

5/12/08

fruit
hot dog
veg. beans
sherbert waffle cone

afternoon

tortillia pizza
coconut cake
1/3 burger from hardees
ice cream coan sonic
glass of juice
salad for dinner with water and free catalina dressing and cheese

Sat

1 bowl of corn pops 5 points

Breakfast

1/2 sons muffin 8:00
1 protein shake with protein powder, mixed berries-frozen, activia yogurt and wather


Snack 10:30
110 cal. bag of dolphin crackers

more reflecting

Daily Journal Checklist

The following journal plan should be copied and filled in every day. Never let a day go by that you don't document everything here. If you do it every day and concentrate on improving in most areas, you will succeed.

THE MORE SECTIONS FILLED IN, THE FASTER YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT!
IT'S THAT SIMPLE. YOU CAN DO THIS.


Date:____________ Current Weight: ______________ Goal weight:__________ Point Range:______________



Fill In Day of Week:


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____

Fill in:


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Total Points for the day (keep within your Points Range)


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ No. of glasses of water (only) you drank today (target=8)


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Minutes of moderate activity (walking, vacuuming) (target=20+)


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if you ate 3 meals including breakfast.


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if you ate one or two low Point snacks per day to replace the high-fat extras you regularly eat.


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if you ate 2 - 3 fruit servings.


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if ate reasonably at your daily main meal, and did not gorge.


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if you ate 2 - 3 vegetable servings.


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if you took a quality multivitamin/antioxidant (important for metabolism/health)


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Number of times you left food on your plate (show who's in control)


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check if you made an extra effort to be more active, such as picking up, wrestling with the kids, doing one 'odd job' per day, cleaning that closet or workroom, fixing something, just moving around instead of hanging.


___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ Check here if you focused on and walked with perfect posture today, sucking in your gut and holding shoulders high and back perfectly straight. (You'll look like you just lost 5 pounds if you just do this last one)


What were the biggest obstacles you had this week?

_________________________________________________________________


_________________________________________________________________


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What can you do to try and remove those obstacles?

_________________________________________________________________


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What did you feel good about this week?

_________________________________________________________________


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Document any other comments or thoughts here. Discuss your feelings and your commitment to keep this thing going, so you can be healthier and feeling better than ever. Discuss the importance to yourself in reaching your goal, the benefits you will receive, how you will improve and extend your life:


_________________________________________________________________


_________________________________________________________________


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Use additional paper if necessary, and never, ever underestimate the power of keeping a daily journal. Sometimes, you might just get inside your head. It also helps you find your "trouble" areas during the day.

Every day is a new day. Never give up. If you only had to journal for one day, (tomorrow), could you do it? Of course you could! We can all do this together!!!

Good luck on your journey and remember, ONE DAY AT A TIME, NO GUILT and just MOVE ON when you are having a rough day! YOU CAN DO THIS - I'm rooting for you.

daily journal sheet

Daily Journal

Knowing when and why you ate is important to avoid overeating, eating when stressed, eating when depressed. This food record is a daily journal of your eating habits. To the right of each meal listed below, record what you ate, when you ate, your hunger level, and your mood when you ate. Good luck on your journey and remember, ONE DAY AT A TIME, NO GUILT and just MOVE ON when you are having a rough day! YOU CAN DO THIS - I'm rooting for you.

List the following: Food /Points/ Time Eaten / Hunger Level*/ Mood**

* Hunger Levels (1-5): 1 = not hungry, 5 = super hungry

** Moods: (A) Happy; (B) Content; (C) Bored; (D) Depressed; (E) Rushed; (F) Stressed; (G) Tired; (H) Lonely; (I) Anxious; (J) Angry; (K) Other (describe)


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Date:____________ Current Weight: ______________ Goal weight:__________

Point Range:______________




Morning:







Morning Snack:







Midday:







Afternoon Snack:







Evening:







Evening Snack: