relationships

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Parent Conference Time…

It’s the annual time of year to huddle up and talk about progress so far this school year…hard to believe it’s time again actually!  keepcalmkindnessWe all know our learners thrive best when they feel all the adults in their lives see them in a consistent way.  Personal conferences are a great way to interact, share, and problem solve together when discussing strengths and challenges while being one of the best ways to support each other in the home-school connection.  Here are some tips on how to build a working relationship to benefit everyone:

Be there:  Research shows children do better academically when both parents attend conferences and meetings together.  If you need to reschedule the appointment, no worries; just let the teacher know.

Remember this word…Focus:  The aim of a parent-teacher conference is for the adults in a the child’s life to build a mutually respectful alliance supporting the child’s journey through school.

Share insider information:  Tell the teacher what you know about your child as a learner.  YOU know what your child likes and dislikes about school, what motivates the child, and what has worked well in the past.  Share your hopes and fears for your child so instruction can be fine-tuned for maximum effectiveness.  You build a stronger relationship with the teacher when you take a moment to share your feelings about your child’s future.

Use the report card as a jumping-off point, but not as the center point of the conversation:  Turn any review of grades into an learning opportunity to get the teacher’s more detailed observations about what’s working and what’s not for your child.  Do not dwell on the grade itself and do not pressure a teacher to change a grade (if you believe a real issue exists, please bring this to Mrs. Bass or myself).  Grades are not always the final reflection of a child’s overall abilities.

Inquire about progress in areas beyond academics:  It’s important we raise loving, respectful, productive citizens in our learning community everyday!  They will, in fact, be the decision-makers of the future.  Ask about friends, socialization at recess, group work times, specials, lunch, and other times throughout the day.  How each child functions with others, in teams, and in small group settings is going to make a huge difference later in life!

Ask what you can do:  Be receptive to advice on how best to support your child without micromanaging or rescuing him/her from mistakes and valuable lessons learned.  This HARD to do as a parent; I know!  🙂

Trust your child’s development:  Relax a little and have faith in your child and your child’s journey through school.

Leave your own school baggage at home, please:  We all have memories and experiences of teachers and classes where we were not happy.  Please set those aside and approach your child’s teacher as a peer and learning partner.  Always assume the teacher WANTS your child to succeed in school and in life—just as you do!

I say it over and over, but it’s so true:  The days of raising a child are long, but the years are far too short.  The work you do today with your child’s teacher (especially during a conference) will finds its way back to your child in the long run.  EnJOY your conference time!  🙂

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R Time is here!

It is indeed a blessing to have everyone back at school!  There’s a certain excitement in the air as we begin 2013 together.  Of course, children’s smiles, hugs, and “happy new year” sentiments ring clearly.  We are excited about this semester, new goals, and the educational opportunities before us.  As always, we will continue to do our best to ensure a safe, logo2caring learning environment with good communication and collaboration everyday.

There’s also another reason for excitement:  R Time is finally here!  R Time is a district and campus social education program we are implementing that is producing outstanding results in schools across the country.  R Time places the emphasis on effective, respectful, meaningful personal relationships achieved through random pairings.  R Time creates an educational environment supporting and enhancing positive relationships, good behavior, reduction of bullying, and strong citizenship.

Using common courtesy and good manners with each other becomes the norm (rather than the exception) once R Time is implemented.  Shy children find a voice and dominant children learn to negotiate and agree.  Bullies in particular discover a new way of reacting to classmates.  R Time makes a significant contribution in improving behavior, reducing bullying, building relationships, resolving conflict, building citizenship, nurturing emotional well-being, building trust, developing confidence, promoting decision-making, and improving communications skills for everyone.

There are six steps involved in each R Time lesson:  rule and instruction, random pairing of students, meeting and greeting, activity with pairing partner, processing and feedback, and conclusion with thanks.  These six steps are used in each lesson and become the foundation for all pairing interactions in R Time.

Greg Sampson, creator of R Time, uses his vast experience in working with children to focus on “old fashioned values and greater humanity” in the world today.  He states:  “Good behavior has its roots firmly established in healthy relationships; it is no surprise that a program designed to enable children to get along well with one another will reduce poor behavior dramatically.” Pete Harvey, promoter of the program, comments: “R Time enables children’s dormant relationships to blossom and flourish with greater confidence across gender divisions, religious and racial boundaries, and dominant or passive natures.”

LaRue Miller Elementary is proud to bring R Time and its transformative impact on relationships to our students, staff, and families.  Please check out www.rtime.info for more specific information or feel free to call our office at 972-775-4497 to speak with our counselor, Mrs. Stanley, our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Bass, or myself.  In the meantime, be listening for your child and classroom teacher to share some R Time experiences with you soon…and welcome back!  🙂

Note:  Speaking of goals, we are talking about college tomorrow, so let’s see that team spirit in college gear!