How to Be Involved In Your Child's School

Whether your child is starting school for the first time or simply starting a new school year, it's important for you as a parent to be involved in their school and education. Here are some ways that you can get involved in your child's school activities and stay knowledgeable about what is going on in their lives.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. At the start of the school year, introduce yourself to all the new teachers, sports coaches and parents. Never miss an opportunity to get to know the people in your child's life. You will meet people at orientation, the bus stop, or picking up your child after school. Make sure you meet the school crossing guards too.

2. Stay positive with all of these people. Try not to let other parents "warn" you about certain teachers or coaches. You can make that determination on your own and those teachers may turn out to be the best your child has ever had.

3. Understand the teachers goals and schedule for your child. If the teacher puts a schedule or grades online, make sure you login regularly to view them. Some teachers even have blogs about their classrooms. Bookmark them and read them everyday.

4. Attend every parent teacher conference. These are critically important so don't miss them. They give you valuable one on one time with the teacher that you may not get very often.

5. Join the PTA/PTO and other parent clubs at your child's school. This will increase your visibility as well as keep you informed about things going on in the school system.

6. Go to school events like football games, school carnivals, book fairs, science fairs etc. Not only will you stay in the loop with your child's school, but your child is less likely to misbehave if they know that mom and dad are there.