What I tell parents at every conference
After twenty-eight years, parents rarely have questions for me. Mostly I share the three things that make the biggest difference at home.
Read to your child every night.
If you can't, a brother or sister can read to them. If your child can read, have them read to stuffed animals, pets, or younger siblings. It all counts.
Have high expectations.
Your child should pack their own backpack, get dressed in the morning, and be responsible for something. When they fail or make a mistake, there should be consequences, and that is OK. A mistake is when you learn the most.
Limit screen time.
Phones, iPads, video games. Kids should be working on coordination, crafts, being creative, spending time outside, and talking with other people. Let them order at the restaurant, check out their own library books and speak to the librarian, and pay at the register.
Read to your child every night.The first thing Mrs. George says, every year
Hi, friends!
This is your page. Come back on Sundays.
Sunday Night Storytime
Grown-ups get busy. On Sunday nights I read you a story, and you get to see your teacher.
Pick a story. Ask a grown-up to press play.
Letter Bucket of the Week
Every week we pull one letter out of the bucket. Your job is to look around your house and find things that start with that letter and fit inside a bucket.
- Find out this week's letter.
- Hunt around your house.
- Put what you find in your bucket.
- Write down or draw what you found.
The thing new teachers get wrong, and the five-minute fix
Communicating with parents. It starts the first week of school, not the first problem.
Set the tone the first week
Be friendly, but be firm. That is how the tone of your classroom gets set.
State your expectations clearly
Say what you expect in your classroom, and keep those expectations high.
Form the relationship with parents
Let them know what you expect, and let them know you are a team. That is a great start to the year.
Be friendly, but be firm.Mrs. George, on the first week of school
Resources you can use tomorrow
Each one says who it is for and how long it runs, so you can decide in ten seconds.
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Astronomy Star Explorers
Sun, Moon, stars, the inner planets, a debate, a field trip, a clay model. Built in a Beijing hotel room the summer she taught there.
See the lesson -
My Letter Bucket
One letter a week. Kids hunt the house for things that start with it and fit in a bucket, then write or draw what they found.
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