Back
You guys! I just came across this article, and I have to share because it’s not very often I come across teachers who candidly admit the truth that teachers teach to a class of students, not YOUR child.
There’s a lot of other material on the balance of advocating for your kids and being “overly pushy”. However, acknowledging that schools are responsible for students (not YOUR child) is key for helping your kids do and feel their very BEST in school.
Yes, you can and should advocate for your kids. But show them how to advocate for themselves as well as the value of doing so. This is a vital skill.
BUT the simplest entry point to helping our kids step into their best selves?Not just as students but curious, engaged kids who connect with themselves as learners? – Is what we do at home WITH their school work.
Be their advocate to help them get the very most out of their school work. To help them go beyond the superficial homework and lackluster learning that characterizes most kids’ experiences as students. This is worsened with the current situation as students and teachers alike grapple with the misery that is online teaching.
You don’t have ownership over what or how they’re taught in school. You CAN take ownership over what and how they LEARN at home.
This can make a massive difference in how kids do and feel about school within a matter of WEEKS. I’m not even really talking about grades here but helping them feel engaged and stimulated and curious. Getting them clear on what these skills look like in practice. Overall, developing the skills they need to become thoughtful, productive humans who can navigate challenges, adapt and think for themselves.
Bottom line:
What happens in the classroom (whatever shape that takes for now) generally stays in or is forgotten in the classroom. How that classroom material is engaged with after class is making or breaking student success and well-being right now. This will affect students for the rest of high school, college and their careers.
Kelsey Komorowski is an educator and the founder of Komo, where she helps high school and university students close the skills debt and become confident, capable learners. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Toronto and began her career at Ontario’s Ministry of Education, in the Student Achievement Division. Over the past decade, she has worked with thousands of students and been featured in The Washington Post and The Globe and Mail.
