Middle School is where parents begin to lose touch with what is going in in their child's education. The child is old enough to manage his or her own assignments, and also mature enough to suffer the consequences should they not follow through. There really is no need for the parent to continue to manage the students education, right? Wrong.
Middle school is also where students become more interested in having a social life and less interested in getting an education. Without the watchful eye of the parents, the student can begin a downhill spiral that the parents won't be able to control.
Here are some things parents must do to take charge of a middle school child's education:
Make your presence known in the school. Speak to teachers and administrators to find where they can use your talents within the school. Whether you have a job or not, make it a point to spend at least one day a month at the school, or perhaps a couple of long lunch breaks a month.
Keep close contact with teachers. Of course there will be alot more teachers to keep in contact with, but when teachers are familiar with parents, they tend to form a better relationship with the students. Collect the teachers emails, and ask questions regularly, especially if your child is struggling in the class.
Ask to see your students schoolwork and exams. There is no reason you should have to wait for the report card to know your child is failing. With the first unsatisfactory exam results you need to be able to find a way to help your child in difficult subjects.
Keep a close relationship with your child. Don't let preteen behavior alienate you from your child. Insert yourself into their lives and their education. Make rules that require homework come before everything else, and demand to see it from time to time. Always react calmly, when you are not happy with results so the child won't avoid you in the future.
Comments
Great article, Andrea.
Being a former K-6 teacher I agree wholeheartedly. Parental participation is even more critical at the middle school level because unfornuately the following year, 9th grade, is when the highest amount of students drop out.
Kimberly Coulter, President
Coolin and Schoolin
Thank you for your informative article. I also advise parents in my workshops to remain informed and involved during the middle school years (and the high school years). I agree with all of your suggestions, and would like to also point out that parents often expect to receive a phone call from their child’s teacher if the child fails to hand in a homework assignment or receives a poor test grade. But middle school teachers have far more students than elementary school teachers. The best way for parents to stay on top of their child’s progress is to communicate with their child. If the teacher maintains a website, they should visit it regularly to find out about homework assignments and exam schedules.
I also agree that parents should establish and maintain relationships with their child’s teachers by volunteering at the school if possible and getting in touch via e-mail or phone when necessary. At the same time, parents should not intervene on their child’s behalf every tim
Andrea, this is right on point. As a matter of fact my child experienced some of this in 5th grade. We start middle school in the fall and I'm working now to free up my schedule for closer interaction with my child and his teachers. I appreciate your candor and passion for parental involvement. Keep it up. :) I'm adding you to my list of favorite Examiners.
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