Whether we can't say it because we'll get in to trouble or its something we just wish parents knew, these are 10 things teachers want to say to parents.
Open Letter to Parents:
1: Do NOT buy the cheap pencils!
This is a pet peeve of teachers all over the world. You might think you are saving a bit of money purchasing the ridiculously cheap pencils at Target but what you have actually done is doom your child to sharpening those pencils as they keeps breaking. In the end most teachers end up giving those students a pencil. Please buy the better pencils, usually red, NEVER buy the yellow pencils. While we are on the subject of pencils stay away from the bendy ones too.
2: Get your child to school on time!
Even just a few minutes can be highly disruptive, annoying and deprive your child of learning. They need time to settle before school and catch up with their friends. Important information is usually relayed in the first 10 minutes after the bell. We understand sometimes things happen but it should never be on a regular basis.
3: Leave your child at school till the bell!
You expect it on the Friday before a long weekend but where are they going all the other days? I can guarantee a child picked up early will forget the point of the lesson they were in and not bring home any notes for that day.
4. Do NOT ask for homework for your holidays!
It's a common scenario, parent informs teacher of upcoming holiday then asks for work for their child to do (probably because you think it makes you look like a better parent). The teacher slaves away preparing work (you can't send the regular class work because if students could do that by themselves we wouldn't need a teacher- a lot of teachers don't even use worksheets anymore). The worksheets go home and stay home, they don't get taken on the holiday. They either don't ever get completed or get done by the child the night before they return to school. Most of the answers are wrong and you still need to catch the students up on work. Save us the trouble and don't ask!
5. No, Your pet can't come for show and tell!
Thank you for the avalanche of students wanting to bring their pets in that you have started. A photo will do fine.
6. Don't bring in take away for lunch
While there are obvious (health) reasons to not bringing in junk food for your child's lunch it's also very annoying for anyone else who has to sit there and watch. It's very hard to eat a plain sandwich when someone near you is eating take away.
7. Check how your child smells
There are many different reasons a child smells, rotten shoes, BO, cigarette smoke, unwashed clothes or poor hygiene just to name a few. In a tiny classroom bad smells can be nauseating. It segregates your child from others who identify them as the bad smell.
8. We can tell if you read to your child or listen to them read
The difference between kids who read at home and who don't is monumental. It is the single best thing you can do at home with your child.
9. Your child never tells you the whole story.
Every child does it, its a protection thing. So when they come home and tell you a story from school take it with a large scoop of salt. If its a story about something another child did to them its highly likely they did something first or back to that child. Or maybe you ask what the teacher did about it and they say "nothing". Why did the teacher do nothing? Because they never told us about it, which brings me to number 10....
10. We're not perfect.
We try to be, we want to be, but we're human. We make mistakes, we forget things and we don't know everything. Most of all we are not mind readers!
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