Practical ways to support your child’s teacher and classroom — even with a busy schedule.
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve volunteered only once in my eldest daughter’s class, when I came in to teach a section on Japanese Children’s Day to her TK classmates. I stayed up way too late preparing traditional koi-shaped kites for the kids to paint, queuing up Japanese children’s music and making 30 onigiri (rice balls) before presenting the next day. My daughter was so proud, her teacher was grateful, and, exhausted, I vowed to never volunteer again. But supporting your child’s class doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We asked local veteran educators and parents to share their tips on how to support your children’s teachers and classrooms — no matter your bandwidth. (Lesson learned!) Good thing I have about 12 more years of classroom volunteer opportunities to redeem myself!
7 Tips for Supporting Your Child’s Classroom
Start at home. Fundamentals like good sleep and a hearty breakfast go a long way. “Setting up your child for an enjoyable and balanced school day helps teachers tremendously,” says Jenny, a mom of two and former teacher from Burbank. “Consider your parenting (and home life) to be in partnership with your child’s teacher and classroom.” Ms. L, a 27-year veteran teacher with Compton Unified School District adds, “Support learning at home by reading to your child, help with homework and simply ask how their day was.”
Model good behavior. In her decades-long teaching career, Ms. L has noticed that “students are more likely to respect authority and want to learn when they see and hear their parents and teacher communicating in a respectful manner.” Stepping into your child’s class has the potential to be disruptive, but if you make efforts to direct your own attention to the teacher, students will follow your example. Sam, a 15-year first grade teacher from the San Fernando Valley agrees. “While in the classroom, always encourage your kids to stay engaged in the lesson,” she says.
Stock the classroom. “Teachers highly value a refresh of high utility supplies,” says Mindy, a former teacher from East L.A. and active classroom volunteer for her own 2nd grader. “Things like black whiteboard markers, tissues, anti-bacterial wipes, pre-sharpened pencils, pencil boxes, silent fidget toys or $1 prize bin type items.”
Read the fine print. Yes, you really do need to read all those info sheets, school bulletins and handbooks. “This may seem obvious,” says Jenny, “but it’s a big help to teachers when parents stay informed and can operate without sending multiple reminders.” If you’re chaperoning a school trip for example, “read all those many rules carefully and follow them to a T,” says Mindy. The more proactive and informed parents can be in staying up to date on school policies, the more helpful it is to your child’s classroom.
Communication is key. Know when and how to communicate with your child’s teacher as each teacher is different. For some teachers, it’s emails and texts, and for others it could be weekly calls or quick in-person check-ins at the end of the day. “I never ask a teacher questions before school — this was always the most frenetic time for me as a teacher,” recalls Mindy.
Understand your availability and special skills. Take stock of the time you realistically have to contribute and make note of what specific skillset you have that could support your child’s class. “The year goes by so quickly — especially the fall,” says Teresa, a parent from Studio City and volunteer for her daughter’s TK class. She suggests planning ahead as much as possible. “If you can get organized right off the bat, it will save you stress when asking for contributions from your fellow parents for things like teacher birthday or holiday gifts.” Knowing what skills and talent you can bring to the classroom is also helpful. “Are you an avid biker? Offer to lead a group of neighborhood kids to school on National Walk to School Day. Are you an exec at UPS? Offer to host a factory tour!” suggests Mindy. “Personally, I’m a math coach, so I design a biweekly Problem of the Week for my daughter’s school. The program has been highly successful precisely because we ask almost nothing of teachers.”
When you don’t have time, cash and cards never fail! All teachers can appreciate a gift card or cash. “No matter what your kid’s teacher spends that money on, it’s well-deserved and well-spent,” says Mindy. There are seasons when we can’t be as involved in our child’s classroom as much as we want to, and that’s OK! “You’ve got a kid to raise, there’s no time to learn how to cross-stitch an apple onto a pillow,” Teresa reminds us. “On that note, don’t let Pinterest shame you into thinking you have to DIY any teacher presents at all. Everyone loves gift cards.”
Nina Harada is L.A. Parent’s Digital Editor. When she’s not spending quality time with her husband and daughters, she’s working on her art and writing. You can find her on Instagram at ninaharada, ninaharadaart and notesfromthemotherside.
