Teachers aren’t too hard to please. We are excited about the beginning of the school year. We’ll miss our family and our time relaxing, but we’re feeling all the emotions your kids are. We’re anxious, feeling charged, and bursting with ideas. We’ve made a million things off Pinterest, we’ve convinced our significant others to let us finally redecorate our classrooms, after staring at the same chevron bulletin board for five years. We even think about what we’re going to wear on the first day of school. It’s our life and we LOVE it! We want to make a good first impression on both you and your child.
With school about to start, you might be wondering how can you, as a parent, make a good first impression. Like I said, we’re not hard to please and I hesitate to use the phrase “good impression.” We just want to know that you’re here to collaborate with us. We are about to spend the next nine months with your child and we want everything to go smoothly. Here are some ways to let us know that we are on the same team:
1. Please buy the requested school supplies. We’ll use it all, I promise. Don’t fuss about having to buy tissue or hand-sanitizer. If you don’t buy it, then we have to and we’re lacking in the financial department.
2. When you meet your child’s teacher, don’t rush in with a ton of anecdotes about the previous year or “things to know” about your child. There is plenty of time for that. If you meet your child’s teacher and start listing things off (He can’t sit by so-and-so. He’s being tested for allergies so he might get a runny nose on the playground. He struggled with math last year so can you make sure he sits near the front? I bought him this special pencil, make sure no one touches it! Can you call me every day and let me know how he’s doing?) Ahhhh! Don’t do it, moms! You are more than welcome to write it all down for us to look over. We do want to know all of these things, but Meet the Teacher night is not the time for that. A lot of teachers send home a list of questions about your child, and that’s where you can go crazy! If you don’t receive something like that from the teacher, please feel free to send in your own.
3. Send back any paperwork that goes home during the first week of school. We have to know all the details: Who can pick the child up? How will they get home every day? How can we reach you? Double-check that your email and phone number are written down correctly.
4. Please email or call us back if we try to get in touch with you. If we ask to schedule a conference, don’t keep putting it off. We’re here to help your child be as successful as they can be.
5. I know the first day of school is tough for moms (at least Kindergarten moms!). Give your babies a kiss and a hug and tell them they’re going to have a blast. Try not to cry in front of them! We will take such good care of them and they will come home exploding with excitement and stories.
6. Help them maintain a good schedule: have them go to bed at a reasonable time, wake up at a reasonable time, eat breakfast, and complete homework the night before. Please don’t send them to school tired, hungry, or unprepared. They won’t be able to work and it will break our hearts.
7. Please don’t talk badly about other teachers or families in front of us. We’re sorry if you had a terrible year last year, but the other teachers are our colleagues and friends, and we love the other families as much as we love your family. We want to start the year off on a positive note.
8. Finally, if you need anything, we’re here for you. We can’t want to meet your children!
Love this!!! Helpful and timely as our daughter starts first grade next week! Well done!