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Lutheran Education Association ...
... a professional organization that links, equips, and affirms educators in Lutheran ministries.
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| May God bless your new year in a Lutheran school!
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Happy New Year!
How to Have a
Happy New Year in Your Lutheran School:
Six Tips for Parents
1. Get to know the teacher.
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Make a personal visit before classes begin or welcome the teacher into your own home for a visit. However you can manage it, make the meeting face-to-face.
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Find out the best time to call the teacher if you have questions. (Supper time and late nights are not good times.)
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Ask what the teacher expects of students and how you can help.
2. Help the teacher get to know you.
Describe your family situation, and don’t skip the "hard parts" about difficulties that may affect your child’s performance or well-being.
Let the teacher know the best time and way to contact you with questions or concerns.
Tell the teacher about others in your family, your work, interests, and so forth. Volunteer to help in areas of experience.
3. Get to know the Lutheran school.
Ask the principal and the teacher how the Lutheran school differs from the public school. (This is especially important if you’re new to a Lutheran school.)
Expect prayer and worship. Lutheran schools normally build devotional practices and chapel services into their school day.
Ask to meet the pastor, if you don’t already know him. (He may be just the right person to know, especially in times of personal crisis.)
Know that church and school normally work together. The school is a ministry of the church. If you are not Lutheran, be assured that most Lutheran congregations will welcome your visit.
Understand that attending a Lutheran school means more than just having a period to study religion. Faith issues and Scripture are normally integrated into the entire curriculum.
Plan to attend worship events in which your child will participate as a student in a Lutheran school: These may be special singing events for worship services, Christmas worship presentations, and so forth.
Expect that your child will be taught that Jesus Christ is his or her personal Savior. This is a mission of Lutheran schools across the nation and around the world.
4. ’Twas the Night Before School …
Don’t wait until the night before school opens to talk with your child about what to expect at school. Let them do some talking too.
Old and new friends
Classroom rules
Getting to school and getting picked up after school
Expectations for success—and your belief in your child’s ability to learn
Goals. Fears. (Avoid threats. Don’t accept "I don’t know" as an answer. Sharing something about your own school days may help to initiate discussion.)
5. Provide an effective learning environment.
Create a routine. Invite your child’s interaction to agree upon a regular time for study and other activities.
Set aside a study space—a regular, comfortable, non-distractive place for homework and study.
Read to your child, with your child, or at the same time your child is studying. Show your child that learning is important to you too.
Allot specific times for television, video games, and so forth. Know what your child is watching or playing.
Check your child’s work and offer help (without doing homework or projects for your child). Be sure your child has all the necessary supplies for working both at home and at school.
6. Support the teaching/learning effort.
Get both sides of the story—your child’s and the teacher’s—before you jump to conclusions. Listen between the lines. Children’s complaints about one thing in school may really reflect a problem other than what the child makes obvious.
Go to the teacher first when you perceive a problem. Never make the principal’s office or a school board meeting your first step in problem resolution.
Treat the teacher with respect, both in person and when not in the presence of the teacher. And watch your language. Verbally abusing a teacher is no more acceptable than verbally abusing anyone else—including children.
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