21/01/2022
As we move closer to the start of another school year many of our teachers are in the midst of planning, meetings and resource development. Another group are busy sorting out transport arrangements, packing and living arrangements while trying to contact new schools and leadership teams. Many of these teachers will not receive their personal goods until several weeks into the school year.
Most teachers and school leaders will have been working throughout the break, not consistently but a few hours here and there. This preparation is essential for a teacher to ensure they have an engaging and growth focussed learning program in place. Teachers will spend many hours on site moving desks, meeting with colleagues, labelling resources and student items and generally setting up rooms to be welcoming and rich learning environments. School leaders need to ensure all classes have a teacher, class lists are current, resources and enrolments are coming along smoothly and regular Covid updates are being implemented and shared with staff. Schools don’t just open on day one, many hours have already been invested during what many call, ‘holidays’.
Many parents have worries and questions about a new school year, especially if their child is starting school for the first time or moving schools. So do teachers …….. With this in mind it is important parents liaise with their child’s teacher if they have concerns. Parents must make the first contact, introduce themselves and raise any questions or concerns directly with the teacher. Do not assume information is passed on or the teacher will know any of the little nuisances necessary for your child to achieve successfully. At the same time parents need to take a breath and give both their child and the teacher time to settle into the year. This can be a tension for parents as they worry about their child’s learning. Most teachers are aware of this awkward time and are implementing strategies from day one to make things easier for all concerned.
Parents have a right to ask questions and to express their concerns around their child’s education. Parents must also realise teachers rarely set out to make a child uncomfortable or sad at school, they rarely have time to single out children for special negative treatment and almost never ignore parental concerns or requests. Another critical point is the tendency for parents to believe every literal word which comes out of their child’s mouth, in relation to schools and teachers - news flash, children can be flexible with the truth or at least tell a story to make them look as innocent as possible - it’s called human nature. Remember teachers are trained, have usually completed at least 4 years at university, have taught for a number of years and have your child’s best interests at heart. They really don’t want to create any more concerns than is absolutely necessary. Why would you want the extra work, angry parents or leadership focus any of these situations generally bring?
Not all teachers are wonderful positive people, some have passed their used by date, have personal issues intruding on their work life or have simply become lazy and ineffective. These people need to be kept to account, questions should be asked and pressure should be brought to bare to ensure your child receives the education they deserve. As a parent you should politely ask the questions of the teacher, wait for some response or uptake from the teacher and if necessary move to school leadership for some action. Remember this is a process, requires time to occur and may not actually make any real difference at the end of the day. Try to focus on the positives, hopefully your child is happy going to school and enjoys some learning throughout the day. Like all situations schools are big systems and instant results are rare and difficult to sustain. Do not talk negatively about school or the teacher, this is where your child spends multiple hours every day and it needs to be as positive an experience for them as possible.
As a parent you have the right to ask questions but please, take a breath, consider how you approach each situation, consider honestly how you would respond if someone approached you with this type of concern and remember rarely does a teacher set out to do harm.
New school years are exciting, scary and positive opportunities for you and your child to take the next step in learning, enjoy the ride as much as possible.
