Parents can help teachers by backing them

In last weeks column I began a discussion of how stress affects one the most important group of professionals in our society – school teachers. Last weeks column noted some of the reasons for stress including work overload, low pay, lack of control over results, and lack of positive feedback. In today’s column I would like to discuss things that can be done to help these educators.

• We should all begin by examining our attitude about the importance of educating our children. Without a good education the child is often doomed to a life of poverty, crime, poor health, and even shortened life span. Teachers have spent their time and money obtaining specialty training in order to help children obtain the tools necessary to exist in today’s complex society. Minimizing the importance of their impact on our children’s lives and future is a disastrous oversight.

• Parents need to encourage their children to put the highest priority on the child’s education by following the rules set by the teachers and school and by also taking advantage of the opportunities that the school offers in both classroom studies and extracurricular activities.

• Parents need to show support for teachers by becoming involved in parent volunteer activities such as P.T.A., home room volunteers, field trip chaperones, etc. Many employers are quite willing to extend leave time to employees who explain the need to be involved in their child’s education. Employers can also examine their own attitude about giving their employees leave time to assist in school related volunteer work. By attending school functions, parents can also become acquainted with the parents of their child’s classmates and thus increase the likelihood of a strong network of assistance for teachers.

• Parents can increase their efforts at home by teaching such virtues as self-discipline, delaying gratification, striving for personal responsibility and willingness to be compassionate and empathetic with those less fortunate than themselves. Additionally, respect for authority, respect for other peoples property and non violent means of conflict resolution need to be emphasized by parents at home.

• Every student needs the proper environment for home study by having a place that is free from distraction, with proper light, space, and comfort necessary to complete after school assignments. Also, by assisting the child, when appropriate, with homework and special assignments, the parent can place the child’s education in a healthy perspective.

• Last but certainly not least, our society needs to dramatically increase the recognition given teachers. Higher salaries and increased benefits, public support for schools and teachers, opportunities for continuing education, personal development, family involvement and career advancement all need to be increased.

Our society must not waste this once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in our children’s future. Education, now perhaps more than at any other time in history, is essential for the welfare and happiness of our children.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2000