I usually read once a week with the children in my son's grade one classroom. Yesterday I arrived early, so the teacher asked if I'd help her by snipping buttons off their cardboard backing.
I sat at the back of the class and snipped while watching the children learn. It was truly fascinating to observe the intricacies of the classroom, the answers the students gave and the way they responded to one another and to their teacher. I'm now able to ask more probing questions to find out about my son's day. I also have a better sense of what he's learning and how, and of what's expected in the classroom.
I'm telling you this because sometimes I think parents don't quite know whether they're welcome in their children's classroom, or what they would do if they were to spend the morning there. So when you're having your parent-teacher interviews this week, ask the teacher if it would be ok for you to visit sometime, and help in some way. I'm sure the response will vary from grade to grade and from teacher to teacher, but if you are interested in being there, it doesn't hurt to ask. Have a conversation with the teacher to find a convenient time.
By the way, I'm pretty sure the buttons are for math. These days math is taught using grouping, patterning and logic, and sorting buttons is one way for visually-oriented kids to learn. And it happens to be way more fun than memorizing times-tables, like in my day. (I'm still not very good at the 7 times table; I must have been sick that day.)
I sat at the back of the class and snipped while watching the children learn. It was truly fascinating to observe the intricacies of the classroom, the answers the students gave and the way they responded to one another and to their teacher. I'm now able to ask more probing questions to find out about my son's day. I also have a better sense of what he's learning and how, and of what's expected in the classroom.
I'm telling you this because sometimes I think parents don't quite know whether they're welcome in their children's classroom, or what they would do if they were to spend the morning there. So when you're having your parent-teacher interviews this week, ask the teacher if it would be ok for you to visit sometime, and help in some way. I'm sure the response will vary from grade to grade and from teacher to teacher, but if you are interested in being there, it doesn't hurt to ask. Have a conversation with the teacher to find a convenient time.
If you're working full time, you might not have time to volunteer on a regular basis...but even if you go just once, there might be some little task to keep you busy while you observe the classroom in action. Becoming more engaged in your child's education is more than worth the effort. (Classroom volunteers will require a police check.)
By the way, I'm pretty sure the buttons are for math. These days math is taught using grouping, patterning and logic, and sorting buttons is one way for visually-oriented kids to learn. And it happens to be way more fun than memorizing times-tables, like in my day. (I'm still not very good at the 7 times table; I must have been sick that day.)
