Quote from Eclispse.."What I find interesting about your comments though is that you say the time you spend overseeing homework annd building good character trains should show appreciation for the teacher. Seems to me that while the teachers benefit from that, it is for your children, not the teachers! What if your employer said the time I spend reviewing your work and making sure we have heat and air conditioning should show you that I appreciate the work you do here! LOL [/B][/QUOTE]
Yes, it does benefit my children, and as a parent I feel the responsibility to do that. I know a number of parents who don't do anything with their children regarding school or behavior. My children can be rather messy writers so I encourage them to spend time writing in journals to improve handwriting and writing skills. We usually have a quiet half hour to an hour to encourage reading, with helps again with reading skills and comprehension. I listen to my children read almost daily, and this allows me to educate them about words they may not understand and make sure they have a good understanding of what is happening in the story. We play games, work puzzles and use the computer to reinforce math skills. When a teacher tells me that my child has had difficulty staying on task that week, then I discuss that with my child. If there is a problem going on with peers, I help them come up with ways to work it out. If a teacher makes a note on the daily sheet that needs to be addressed with my child, I address it. So, yes, this is all part of being a responsible parent. At the same time, it is something that shows respect and appreciation for the job that teachers do, and reinforcing at home what they are trying to teach them in the classroom, and taking care of any problems immediately. I don't care how perfect your child is, there are going to be issues and problems that arise in the classroom that must be dealt with at home. I believe in what teachers do, and feel that a parent-teacher relationship should be collaborative and both should be working in the best interest of each child to make the most of that child's individual abilities. Some parents are perfectly fine to let the teachers do the parenting at school. Some parents are perfectly fine to let the teachers do all the parenting, all the education and all the characteristic traits. I am not one of those parents. I guess I could just turn on the tv and let it entertain and educate them for the rest of the time they are out of school.
And yeah, if my employer provides heating and air for me, I'll appreciate that too!
