The following tips are provided by retired elementary teacher and current abcteach staff member, Nancy Elton. A teacher of 30+ years, she used these opportunities to engage parents and other classroom helpers and to provide students (and herself) needed support throughout the year.
Sign Them Up
Anytime there is a classroom or school function with parents present, have a sign-up sheet with areas where parents or other adults can assist.
- • Meet & Greets
- • Parent/Teacher Conferences
- • PTA/PTO nights
Activity Options
- • Class – Creating bulletin boards (inside the classroom and out), cutting out letters, putting up borders, preparing student work to be displayed, etc.
- • Individual Students – Providing editing and revision help, assisting with computer work and tutorial needs
- • Small Groups – Assisting with learning centers, tutorials, games, and field trips
- • Teachers – Sorting & collating, photocopying work, organizing classroom books/games, creating portfolios, cutting materials needed for classroom activities, etc.
Anywhere parents can be of assistance, embrace the help. Many of the activities can be done from home, as our parents are frequently not available during the school hours. Every child benefits from added support, both in schoolwork and emotionally.
As a teacher, I could not have provided the degree of positive educational experiences for my students without the ongoing participation of parents.
Posted by Nancy Elton, abcteach staff