Children spend around 20% of their hours awake at school. This is a big chunk of their time. As parents and caregivers, appreciating school and school personnel may go unsaid. This month it would be great to let your child’s teacher know one thing that you appreciate about them.
If you think back to your own childhood, can you think of a teacher that had a positive impact on you? Sometimes that person may have started your interest in the job you eventually took or may have shared an interest in sports or other activities that you liked as a child. Perhaps your favorite teacher had qualities that you admired such as treating students with respect or showing interest in students’ talents. Maybe you remember a time when a teacher helped you through a rough patch. Your child may also have a positive story about one of their teachers that they want to share with you.
You could help your child to write a positive note or draw a card of appreciation for their teacher. You could email or tell your child’s teacher in person that you are grateful for their positive impact on your child. Appreciation can take many forms and make a real difference. Research indicates that teachers who felt more appreciated were also more skilled and successful at their work. So, thanking a teacher benefits your child and other students in your child’s class.
Research indicates that children learn better when parents / caregivers and teachers collaborate. When parents are more involved in knowing what their child is studying and work together with teachers to support coordinated learning, it works! You can show appreciation for your child’s teacher by asking how you can keep the learning going at home. This could be assisting with homework or checking in to make sure assignments are turned in. It can also be listening when a child shares a struggle in a school topic and reaching out to communicate this to the teacher.
Schools are an important part of children’s lives. During Teacher Appreciation Week and throughout the year, we can complement good teachers. This will make our collaboration better, which helps our child learn. Also, showing gratitude for those who spend so much time with your child can benefit not only your child, but also other students in the class.
Want to learn more?
Articles
https://www.kidcoach.app/article/how-much-time-do-kids-spend-in-school
file:///C:/Users/pcavt/Downloads/ssrn-3461618.pdf
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