Peacock Cards: teaching

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Teachers and Your Child

My daughter is a kindergarten teacher. This year she went back to school full time after working half time for the past few years so she could spend more time at home with her children who are quite young yet. I sometimes laugh and sometimes balk when I hear people saying that teachers have an easy job. I think, no...let me rephrase that. I KNOW that anyone who thinks teachers have an easy job does not personally know a good teacher.
My daughter won an award this spring for her school. Teacher of the Year! I'm so proud of her for getting that recognition, and I am also so positive she is deserving of the award. She puts so much effort, thought, foresight, and caring into her students. Her job is to teach, and she is very good at that. If a child has a hard time learning their alphabet she finds fun, interesting, yet educational ways to help them learn them easier. She insists on the children following a golden rule. To be kind to others. As adults I think some of us still need to learn that rule, and I for one think it's an excellent class motto and important lesson to learn at the kindergarten level. Not only does she spend countless hours after school, during summer vacation, and weekends on getting supplies and lessons ready, she also spends a lot of her hard earned money on her students. I don't think most people realize just how much of a teachers own money they spend. All those cute projects for holidays, the classroom treats, those stickers and trinkets your child comes home with as rewards for a job well done, the colored macaroni necklaces that teach color sequences, the well stocked classroom library, the toys and games, the cute wall decorations and posters and labels. Who do you think pays for them? If you think it's your PTA or your school or your taxes...guess again! I'm not saying it is like this in every school, but it is in my daughter's school and I'd opt to guess it is true for many schools. Do not assume the money is not coming out of your child's teachers pocket. Most likely it is. I've been to the teacher store in Green Bay, WI with my daughter on numerous occasions and she's spent well over $200 each time, not to mention me helping her out by pitching in and spending another $75 or so.
My daughters social life includes lunches with her colleagues, other teachers, and together they plan events and field trips and talk about ways to improve learning, how to make it more interesting, how to make sure the classroom is safer, brighter, more learning friendly. As she watches her favorite television program for the week, I can guarantee you her thoughts are jumping around to one of her students and how she can help him to learn something he's having problems with or thinking about a book order that needs to go out, planning in her head all the things she needs to do.
Parents. Do you ever stop to really think about all your child's teacher does? Are you quick to criticize or are you quick to thank? Are you one who feels your child's education is in the hands of the school and teacher alone or do you realize that your child's education is also in your hands, as a parent. Are you doing your part to help your own child at home, or are you too busy with life's events. Learning is a process that you can help along by doing little activities at home or on the road or wherever you are. Do you bring out scissors and crayons and paper and draw and create and stimulate the imagination with your child? Please, do not expect your child to learn "only" while in school. If you really want to have a child that flourishes, read to them, have them read to you, bring them to the library to story hours and find fun, creative ways to help him learn. If you use the internet there are hundreds upon thousands of sites that will give you creative ideas. Don't expect your child to learn only while in school. You are your child's parent, and if you want your child to be well educated, do your part as well to make that happen.
If your child has a good teacher, a teacher who cares, a teacher who you see has a well organized, bright, colorful, creative, and interesting classroom....be thankful. Be thankful for a good teacher who is such a huge influence in your child's life. And thank them from the bottom of your heart. Show your appreciation.
Here's a few teacher, reading, and school related items that we sell in our stores at Peacock Cards.