I have only fond memories of my students’ parents and guardians. They were engaged and involved, and a lot of them sent me requests of “How can we make your life easier? What can we do to help?” Nearly all of them were behind teachers 100%.
So when I saw this question on Reddit, it reminded me of the kind, thoughtful parents and families from my teaching experience.
What can parents do to make your jobs easier?
Is it helping with school events? Going to school board meetings? Let me hear it.
But even though this question was sweet, the responses snapped me back to the reality that positive experiences with parents just aren’t the norm for far too many teachers. Some teachers only work with parents who haven’t even considered teachers’ jobs being tough.
So whether you’re a parent in the “Kind and Helpful” category or the “May or May Not Realize How Challenging They Are” category, here are some simple ways to ensure that you’re not making a teacher’s difficult job more difficult than it needs to be.
1. Parents of teens: Keep tabs on the online gradebook, phone usage, and your child’s sleep.
This was the most popular comment on the post. Which do you all like better—being cognizant of online grades or making sure students are getting enough sleep?!
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by u/nardlz from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
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by u/amymari from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
2. K-6 parents: Read to your kids, teach them how to manage their feelings, and above all, be present.
While I’ve always thought elementary school teachers are the real MVPs, they can’t do everything! Here is a good list for more ideas on how parents of elementary-age children can make teachers’ jobs easier.
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by u/tessisamedd from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
3. Give teachers the benefit of the doubt.
I can’t tell you the amount of angst you save a teacher just by starting a conversation with this phrasing.
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by u/ZenoSalts from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
4. Talk to your child about their grades before coming to us.
It’s usually best to go to the source. They might know more about their grades than you think!
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by u/marissa1090806 from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
5. Ask questions about a behavior report instead of flat-out rejecting it.
We don’t have the time, desire, or energy to make up an incident that didn’t really happen. If we have contacted you, it is out of NECESSITY. We promise.
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by u/Bartleby2003 from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
6. Please don’t go over our heads to administration.
Administrators are rarely impressed (and often annoyed) by a parent who jumps the chain of command. Trust me—sometimes they tell us how they feel! And often, they’ll send you right back to us to start the conversation in the appropriate place.
And if you think we’re busy, our administration are too! They don’t have time to work with a problem that a parent, a teacher, and a student could have worked out together on their own.
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by u/Beginning-Gear-744 from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
7. Please keep your sick children at home. 😊
We acknowledge the structural issues at play here that cause school to be many parents’ only form of childcare. But if you have the ability to keep a sick child at home, please do so!
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by u/TeachOfTheYear from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
8. Don’t just say you value education—model it.
Children learn from their parents. If you value their schooling and learning, they will value it too!
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by u/viola1356 from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
9. Trust us.
Believe your experience, not your anxiety.
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by u/ceerrusca from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
10. The success of children takes a village.
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by u/islandbeef from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
11. Ask us this exact question!
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by u/there_is_no_spoon1 from discussion Teachers, what can parents do to make your job easier?
in Teachers
We wish all parents would read this advice about how to make teachers’ jobs easier! Teachers appreciate parental and guardian support and involvement in their child’s education. If we team up together, we can help create a positive learning environment for children and contribute to their academic success. That is what we all really want, isn’t it?
What else do you wish parents knew about how to help make teachers’ jobs easier? Let us know in the comments.
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