In my opinion, there is no greater influence on a child than that of his or her parents. Sure, teachers can make an impact on child’s life. Friends certainly hold some sway as well. Other people in a child’s life are certainly important. But, the parents are what ultimately make the biggest and most important influence in a child’s life.
Parents are their children’s first teachers, whether informally or not. We learn to sit up, crawl, speak, count our numbers, say the alphabet, etc. under the watchful eyes of our parents. This fundamental foundation is absolutely necessary for future education of the child, wether the parents continue with homeschooling at home or put their child in a private, public, or charter school.
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that we as teachers embrace our students’ parents. We have to form a partnership with them in order to best educate their children. We need to reach out to them for tips to use with their child or to touch base about their child’s emotional or behavioral state of mind. All of these factors are essential in providing for the best educational environment for the child.
It is time that we invite and welcome parents into our classrooms as partners in education.
TEACHERSCOUNT BLOG
Educators from across the country share their thoughts on monthly education topics. In April, bloggers discussed the topic: Cheating. The topic for May is: School Choice and Vouchers.
