No matter where you fall politically, teachers and schools around the country are in crisis and need our help. There are some easy ways to bless your child's teacher in the midst of these budget issues and help your child as well.
1. Read to your child. It increases their attention span, broadens their vocabulary and grows their imagination. It will make a direct difference in the classroom.
2. Get involved in PTA/PTO. Our PTA does a lot to better the school environment and help the teachers out. My favorite "little thing" that our PTA does is bring the teachers their favorite drink from Sonic every now and then. That really perks up their day. Also, participating in PTA fundraisers can really help when schools lose tax dollars.
3. Volunteer in the classroom. Whether it is for the Valentine's Day Party or making copies, volunteering in the classroom takes a lot of the load off the teachers and lets them focus on what they do best...teaching!
4. Buy supplies. Teachers all of this country are using their own money to buy supplies for their classroom. You can help by responding if they put out a list of needs for their class and making sure that the supplies you bring at the beginning of the year are exactly what they need.
5. Pray. Either pray alone or join a group like Moms in Touch. Moms in Touch is a group of moms from each school that meets and prays usually once a week for one hour for the students, teachers and staff.
6. Help your child with homework. Check everything before it goes back to school and make sure they are staying up on their assignments. If something needs to be signed...sign it and return.
7. Help your child study. Talk to your child about what they are learning and reinforce what they are seeing and doing in the classroom.
8. Healthy Breakfasts! Children that have healthy breakfast do better at school. http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/educators/school-nutrition-breakfast.asp
9. Family dinner table. Make sure you sit down and have as many meals around the table as possible.
Kids who eat most often with their parents are 40% more likely to say they get mainly A's and B's in school than kids who have two or fewer family dinners a week.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760-2,00.html#ixzz1GJ6ifbLW
10. Let your teachers know they are appreciated If you have the money for a gift card to Staples or Starbucks, most teachers would love that. If you don't, a note of thanks is really appreciated and can really bless your child's teacher.
Thanks for posting this. After teaching in a high-needs public school for several years I can tell you that teachers need all the encouragement they can get. Last year our school counselor had all the students write letters about their teachers and then the local public radio station read them from 7-8 every morning during teacher appreciation week. I can tell you, it was pretty awesome to hear a heartfelt thank you in a student's own words on the car radio while driving to work.
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