This is the last day of a ten-day series – Back-to-School in Peace! Today we are discussing why a child’s education is the parents’ responsibility! Be sure to read the other posts in this series below, and don’t forget to enter the Bonus Giveaway for three fabulous Back-To-School items! The giveaway will last until August 29th!
If there is one mistake that I saw parents make when I was teaching it is them not taking responsibility for their child’s education.
There is no doubt that this is hard. Parents are busy with work and home and stress and marriage. Doesn’t it seem like there should be just one thing you could trust to someone else?
It would be nice if that were the case, but God has entrusted these children to us – the parents – and only the parents, and He did not just entrust parts of our children to us. No, He entrusted all of our children to us. This includes how they are educated.
This is the difference between teachers and parents. Teachers are stewards of the gift of teaching that God gave them, but they are not stewards of the child. God did not give them the gift of the child, just the teaching. Parents are responsible for how their children respond to the teaching, and they are expected to meet their needs.
A Few Thoughts about a Child’s Education Being the Parents’ Responsibility:
1. All learning cannot take place within a six-hour period each day.
This is impossible. I like to use the example of memorizing multiplication facts. Learning multiplication facts takes a lot of repetitive practice. Within a school day, children do no have the time necessary to memorize facts. They have snippets of time, but not enough to become proficient. And the amount of time is even less when there are a lot of children in the classroom.
2. Schools do not teach everything a child needs to know.
Unfortunately what is taught (in regards to elementary schools) is generally based on what is going to be on the standardized tests at the end of the year. In the school district where I taught, only math and reading were tested. Therefore, writing, science, and social studies were only taught during a typical school day when we could fit them in. Science and social studies, in fact, was on a rotating schedule, so the students never had both of these subjects in one day. And writing? I think that is obviously as important as reading! But it was barely even in the curriculum.
3. A teacher cannot meet all of your child’s individual needs.
I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it is worth mentioning again here. Please don’t misunderstand. It’s not because she doesn’t want to meet each child’s needs. It is simply impossible with the typical number of students in a public school classroom. (This is why class size is so important!)
So how do you fit in educating your child on top of all the other after-school activities, home responsibilities, and family demands?
You have to be very intentional and strategic!
- Incorporate learning into regular, every day activities and chores. For instance, while cooking or grocery shopping incorporate math. When you take a weekend trip, have your child write about it. And your child must, must, must read every. single. day. Yes, the reading teacher says – every day! So incorporate that in family time where each person takes turns reading out loud.
- Have a schedule for “extra practice” after school where each day there is a different focus. For instance, maybe on Monday you do extra writing practice. Tuesdays you learn something new in social studies. Wednesdays are science days, and Thursdays are math or handwriting or something else.
Enter to win a:
Personalized correspondence set from Paper Chick Boutique! Great to use for notes to the teacher and to send in lunch money, etc.!
and
Personalized chore chart from The Barber Shoppe! A fun way to get back into the routine of school!
and
A fabulous eBook for those busy nights – 20 Minute Meals: Giving Weary Chefs Grace While Keeping Families Healthy by Leigh Ann Dutton!
Be sure to read the other posts in this 10-day series!
Day 1: The Night Before Party
Day 2: Creating a Relationship of Teamwork with Your Child’s Teacher
Day 3: When You Don’t Like Your Child’s Teacher
Day 4: How to Help Your Child’s Teacher
Day 5: How to Communicate with Your Child’s Teacher
Day 6: How to Have a Parent-Teacher Conference
Day 7: What Your Child Doesn’t Tell You about School
Day 8: What Your Child’s Teacher Doesn’t Tell You
Day 9: Being Christian in Today’s Public Schools
Day 10: Your Child’s Education is Your Responsibility
What are your ideas for incorporating learning at home into your child’s day?
