Paddy Eger
Educating America News on Schools A Newsletter Supporting k-8 Classroom Volunteerism
Volume 15:1
Summer, 2015
This quarter’s newsletter is focused on Home and School. Home is where a child’s education begins and continues until they become independent adults. It’s the place they learn about values, first take on responsibility and ‘test their wings’ on their way to becoming a well-rounded person.
Welcome
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11 Steps in Building a Home to School to Home Connection 1 About Me
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Quotes to Ponder
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Resources
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One Way to Look at It 4 Learning Activity
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Ideas for Educators & Parents
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Final Notes
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The better we connect with school work and activities, the stronger our home-school-home connection will be. It is my hope to inspire you to take action at home and build a stronger connection to your child’s school for the coming school year. It’s a win for everyone.
11 Steps in Building a Strong Home-to-School-to Home Connection It’s a continuous circle of home, school, and back to home when we look at school work and responsibility. The more thoughtful our actions, the stronger that connection. Consider these eleven ways to enhance that connectedness. 1. Keep the lines of communication open and active with the school. 2. Engage in active communication with your child. 3. Encourage your child to assume responsibility for their school work. 4. Provide a school place. 5. Create a home study area. 6. Experiment with a family homework hour. 7. Look over school work with your child. 8. Attend as many classroom and school functions as possible. 9. Volunteer to assist with academics in the classroom. 10. Provide stimulating activities to enhance your child’s learning. 11. View student tests and assessments as mileposts along their educational path.
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Educating America News on Schools
Volume 15:1 Summer, 2015
Let’s take a closer look.
1. Keep the lines of communication open and active with the school. Read all communications that are sent home (in a timely manner). Whether received via backpack and online, read and take appropriate action. Provide feedback when asked, sign and send back notes as needed, assist in ‘rounding up’ needed classroom materials and resources. Fifteen minutes of your time is usually all it will take over a week. 2. Engage in active communication with your child. Spend time each afternoon or early evening talking with your child about their day. Avoid questions where your child may answer with yes or no. Instead, ask specific questions: “What book are you free reading?” , “What happened today in ___________ (fill-in the blank: Art, Science, Math, Reading group, Library, PE, Music, Cooking, etc.)?”
My name is Paddy Eger. I’m a retired teacher, a volunteer trainer, a classroom volunteer, a blogger and a writer across several genre. When I’m not writing YA novels, my focus is on encouraging adults to volunteer in classrooms One of the greatest pleasures of my week is stepping into classrooms to support teachers and students. I’m one of those retired educators who can’t stay away. I enjoy helping students with reading and writing and watching the ah-ha’s light up their faces. As you read through this newsletter I hope you will share your ideas and comments with me through my email Paddy@PaddyEger.com
Expect your child to share; no shrugs or “I don’t remember” allowed. You may want to model communicating by sharing something from your day. It’s only fair and often is harder than it sounds, but it is worth the effort. 3. Encourage your child to assume responsibility for their school work. School is your child’s job. Work to make him/her responsible for all things associated with that job. Discuss the evening’s homework before beginning the work. Find out what is expected and help your child figure out how long it might take to complete the work and if help is needed. Since your child has unpacked the backpack, it is also time to check over papers brought home, notes to be signed and special notices to be handled (book orders, picture day fees due, field trip permission forms, special opportunities). Place them on your family calendar. Handle items and notices right then and there and place them back in the backpack before bedtime. 4. Provide a school place. If possible designate a place inside the house (near the door used for leaving for school and returning) where backpacks and other school materials can be stowed. A small crate or a carpet square might be used to mark the spot. It’s the drop zone for the backpack when the child comes home and after homework is completed.
Why? If your child has one, reserved location for backpacks, it’s easy to fill it the night before school with homework, library books and notes. In the morning all that is needed is lunch and an appropriate coat and swish...your child is handling their school responsibility without any hurry-flurry of looking for what is needed or packing up in the often harried activities of a weekday morning. 5. Create a home study area. Visit www.paddyeger.com for The kitchen table or counter, or a desk is needed for homework. Pencils, paper, good downloadable materials, an lighting, resource books and maybe a calculator, help define the study area and show educational blog & discussions about that you value education enough to create the home study space. You are invited to share this information with other interested persons. All I ask is that you credit me as your source and include my website address. —Thanks.
assisting k-8 classrooms
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Find me on:
Young students need to work near adults so they can be supervised and assisted. Older students may use bedrooms, but beware of allowing electronics to be used during study time. Stress the importance of focused concentration...Continued on page 3
Volume 15:1 Summer, 2015
Educating America News on Schools
on homework. Your child may say he/she is able to listen to music or watch TV while they work, but their attention will be divided which leads to a less complete outcome. 6. Experiment with a family homework hour. Take the plunge! Turn off all types of electronics and institute a family homework hour, a time when everyone works on quiet projects. For adults it might be paying bills, reading, sewing, finishing a project. For preschool-age kids it could be looking at books, coloring, or playing with quiet toys. The family homework hour provides quiet think time. You might go so far as to avoid answering the phone to maintain the quiet. An hour an evening is not a lot to give over to quiet if it helps kids get their work done. It definitely shows your family’s dedication to focused learning. 7. Look over school work with your child. Allow time after work is completed to have a “look-see”. Sit with your child...all ages. Scan the work. Ask questions. Make suggestions. Praise their strengths and suggest they relook at places in the work where improvements might be made. Always end with positive notes on sections where the quality of the work shows good thinking. 8. Attend as many classroom and school functions as possible. Try to be an active part of the school community. Attend open house, family math night, concerts, special assemblies, school spruce-up work parties, parent meetings, or training sessions for working in the classroom. Your support of the school campus, the teaching staff and your child’s classroom affects your child’s total educational experience. Make the time or send someone to represent your interests. 9. Volunteer to assist with academics in the classroom. The best way to know what’s happening in the school as well as the classroom, is to volunteer. Parents are often invited into classrooms to listen to young children read, help students of all ages with art or science projects or to assist librarians, the office or other adults in the school.
Quotes to Ponder Help one another; there’s no time like the present and no present like (your) time. James Dunst Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Anonymous The delights of self-discovery are always available. Gail Sheehy It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden
One hour a week equals 30 hours during the school year. If every student in a school of 400, had one adult who stepped in each week, that would equal 12,000 hours of support a year. For a high school quadruple that to 48,000 hours a year in ONE school. Think across one district, one county, one state, fifty states. That kind of support for education is astronomical and goes a long way toward improving our educational system. 10. Provide stimulating activities to enhance your child’s learning Use parts of your weekends, holidays and vacations to enhance your child’s education by visiting parks, celebrations, farmer markets, museums and new sights. Your excursions need not cost much if anything to be valuable. Whatever positive efforts we make to expand our child’s understanding of the world makes them (and us) better citizens. Follow up these activities with thoughtful discussions to increase their value. 11. View student tests and assessments as mileposts along their educational path. Exams and testing send shivers down our spines. We need to step back and view them as one day’s evaluation instead of a total view of the child’s growth and needs. Taken at different days and times, the results might change. Read the results received from testing. Use the information to help your child uncover strengths as well as work on their deficits. Seek support if problems persist over more than two grades. Most of all support your child, knowing they are working toward showing you their best thinking on any given day.
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Educating America News on Schools
Volume 15:1 Summer, 2015
Resources for Home to School to Home
Websites: • • •
www.teachersnotebook.com (provides materials to support parents, too) www.kidshealth.org www.momslikeme.com
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Yardsticks:Children in Classrooms - Ages 4-14 by Chip Wood Great information on ages and stages of children’s development
Books:
One Way to Look at It (Q&A)
I want to hear from you!
Homework is a constant battle in our house. Is there a best way to start? And, how can I give more responsibility to my child? Tell me about your Frustrated adult assistant Dear Frustrated
Look at several aspects of homework. First, try to establish a family homework hour so your home is quiet and calm. Turn off electronics for that hour and ask that everyone engage in quiet activities: reading, paying bills, doing hand work and so forth. Second, be certain your child has a dedicated workspace near the family so you can help as needed. If possible provide writing tools, paper, tape and resources. Be available to help, but let your child ask questions rather than your jumping in to read the directions and dictating the way to do the task. This will help you understand what your child already knows about the work to be done. Then you can focus your help as needed to complete the task. Begin with the most important and most challenging work to insure your child will have a better chance of completing it. Third, check over the work with your child. Encourage best quality for the type of project. Obviously a worksheet of math must be readable and correct, but a story or report requires the additional skill of clear ideas that answer the goals set for the task.
achievements, successes and challenges. I welcome your feedback, ideas for future newsletter content and contact information for anyone you would like to receive this free resource. I’m available for interviews, speaking, training seminars and guest blogging. Write me at Paddy@PaddyEger.com or call (425) 420-5161 for more information.
Give these ideas a try. For more suggestions visit Educating America, the education section of my website which is paddyeger.com Paddy
Get Your Copy Today! Educating America: 101 Strategies for Adult Assistants in K-8 Classrooms & it’s companion Educating America Desktop Flipbook. Available at your favorite bookseller; online at BN.com and Amazon;. Quanity orders amd reseller quantity discounts are available through the author at PaddyEger.com.
Call 425.420.5161
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Volume 15:1 Summer, 2015
Educating America News on Schools
Children benefit from consistent routines. Consider your child’s age and level of development as you kick-start your home routines. Each activity they handle builds up their level of school-related responsibilities. Here’s a view of the entire Home to School to Home Routines Chart. You are invited to go to my website download your copy of this valuable resource.
Home to School to Home: Routines Chart Home to School to Home: Routines Chart AM at Home get up on time/when called dress straighten bed and room healthy breakfast
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AM to School (backpack filled) lunch notes to school ready to leave for school on time brush teeth/comb hair coat/jacket, etc. out for school chores done without reminders
At school turn in papers, books, notes, etc. settle in to morning activity be attentive work smart eat a healthy lunch play fairly share
After School unload backpack wash up snack + clean up chores done without reminders PM Prep for Tomorrow’s School Day Work on homework Read 15-30 minutes Work on special projects Reload backpack for school Play, read, after school activities Work on homework Help with evening meal Eat a healthy evening meal Help with evening meal clean-up
PM Bedtime Wash up or bathe Brush teeth Ready for bed on time Bedtime ritual (read/listen to story) Lights out on time
Ideas for Educators & Parents
Educators To build a strong bond with students and parents at home, consider creating a routine forhomework: day of the week sent home and expected to be returned, length of time required for homework, standard turn-in policy. If possible, provide copies of the homework online to accommodate divided families and students who may misplace or lose papers along the way home. Parents As the school year begins and teachers invite you to classroom meetings, do your best to attend. It’s a great chance to ask questions about daily schedules as well as homework expectations. Create a school place by the door your child uses to go to school. Make it a landing spot for backpacks. Place everything for school there the night before school. Then it’s a matter of picking up the backpack and heading out.
Inspire others
Submit photos of your classroom and family successes to paddy@ PaddyEger.com.
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Educating America News on Schools
Volume 15:1 Summer, 2015
FINAL NOTES Starting the school year with routines and specific plans eases the rest of the academic year. When you involve students in setting up their areas and make the routines into family activities, you show that education is not important. If you practice the routines every day throughout the year, you establish the idea that organization and follow-through aren’t notions used from September to June. They are goals across a lifetime. Be watching for quarterly newsletters from Educating America. Sign-up for future free copies on the website www.PaddyEger.com and read back copies there as well. Paddy
Educating America materials provide quick and easy ideas! I’ve written three materials in support of classrooms and volunteers. They include the award-winning Educating America: 101 Strategies for Adults in K-8 Classrooms, a desktop flipbook and a workbook. Take a look inside each when you visit www.paddyeger.com and select the Educating America portion of the website.
Educating America 101 Strategies
for Adult Assistants in k-8 Classrooms
ISBN: 978-0-9831587-5-2
Educating America
Desktop Flipbook ISBN: 978-0-9858933-1-6
Educating America
Getting Started ISBN: 978-0-9858933-6-1
The book and flip book are available from your favorite bookstores, Tendril Press, and online sources for ebooks. At this time, the workbook is only available through my website www.paddyeger.com or by contacting me directly at 425-420-5161. My goal is to promote classroom involvement. If you are connected with a school that is interested in training or presentations, please contact me. I’d love to share my ideas and materials with you as we build strong homeschool-home connections. Looking for additional ideas and projects? Check out my materials online as seen on www.TeachersPayTeachers.com and on www.TeachersNotebook.com Both resources also provide parent ideas as well as information for educators.
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