Working with parents & caregivers is inevitable in the field of education. Parents give educators insights into their child's personality, their thinking, creativeness, needs, wants, strengths, weaknesses, and their overall potential. Throughout this chapter you will learn:
1) Methods for keeping parents and caregivers informed about their student's work & behavior at school
2) How to structure a successful parent/ caregiver conference
3) How to deal effectively with criticism & confrontation from adults who are responsible for your students
4) Methods for working with parents of second language learners
Educators need to remember a child's attitude about school is influenced by their parents. Because of this, we need to create an atmosphere where students and their parents feel comfortable and make sure they have a positive school year experience with you.
What involvement did your parents have in your academic career? Discuss their involvement at the elementary level, the secondary level, and the post-secondary level. What type of impact did their involvement have on you?
My parents were very involved in my academic career. In elementary school, I recall my mother doing math facts flashcards with me and helping me practice my spelling lists. Both my parents would help me with homework if I needed it, and I had to have my homework done before I was allowed to do "fun" activities. My parents attended school functions and parent-teacher conferences. In high school my parents pushed me to take classes that would challenge me and prepare me for college. Having completed veterinary school, my dad was especially helpful when I needed assistance with the sciences like biology and chemistry. My parents had good relationships with my teachers and attended the parent/student high school orientation, parent-teacher conferences, and academic awards. The expectation for me was that I would attend college after high school, and I would need an academic scholarship to do that. In college I shared my grades with my parents, but their involvement was not as great. By this time, I did not need their guidance as much with my academic career. My parents’ involvement in school instilled in me that academics are important and education is valuable. Because they cared about my education, it made me want to do well. In general, my parents have tried to demonstrate to me that I should take pride in everything I do whether it is sports, school, or work. I think their involvement in my education has given me the perspective that education should not be taken for granted, and it has opened my eyes on the valuable gift we have in the United States where all kids have the opportunity to attend school.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be wonderful if MOST parents would take an interest in their children's education! I truly believe that if this would take place alot of student's would not be so stressed and frustrated about what they have to accomplish in school.
DeleteMy parents instilled the same belief in me as well. Education is important and that it is my foundation for success. I wish other parents put the same value on education. I think any more it is seen as a requirement rather than a privilege.
DeleteYour parents seem similar to mine. My parents showed me the importance of education by being involved in my academic and extra curricular activities. My parents also constantly remeinded me how fortunate I was to have parents who could provide a good educatin for me and to not take that fro granted.
DeleteIn elementary my mom was very involved in my academics. She would always encourage me to read and write at levels higher than what I was already at. She came to all my outside activities and was always buying items that would help me such as brain teasers and other puzzles. At the secondary level my mom was less involved, as long as I was getting good grades she was happy. My dad was never involved at really any level. He was more interested in sports and encouraged those but more or less assumed that all the educational needs that I had would be taken care of at school. At the post secondary level my parents helped me very little in getting in to college. They never encouraged me into scholarships or anything like that and never helped me financially. The idea was that I was 18 and needed to figure things out for myself. That helped me take self ownership of my life and I would have loved the extra help but was glad that I earned everything on my own. I can tell for sure that everything my parents did shaped me to the way I am today because my moms emphasis on academics and my dads emphasis on sports helped guide me to having a great respect and love for both aspects and it reflects in my career choices.
ReplyDeleteMy parents did not encourage scholarships either, which now really surprised me. I of course did nto look into them either! My parents also had seperate roles in my education. Helps you build self awareness to the real world a little bit. I dont think a lot of students know what the real world is until they are almost 30!
DeleteMy dad seemed to have a similar reaction to academics as your dad. He was more interested in sports and just expected my grades to be satisfactory. My mom, like yours, took on the bulk of help with school. I think it's good that your parents allowed you to figure things out after high school. Some parents can be to overbearing and insist their child do something in particular, your parents allowed you to make your own decisions. I think this probably forced you to be more resonsible in school versus students whose parents simply told them what to do.
DeleteIt's hard when you expect your parents to be there for you and they make you do it on your own, but then you look back and realize they did it for a reason! You turn out a better person because of it. I think academics and sports are important and kids need to be involved in both. I understand that not all children are going to be athletes, but staying active is very important for health and the teamwork and camaraderie learned in sports is rewarding!
DeleteI have been very lucky and have had supportive parents from elementary school till now. In elementary my parents were very involved. My mom was a teacher at the time, so I spent a lot of time in her classroom helping her. My dad worked third shift while I was in elementary, so it left nights that were just me and my mom. There was a lot of time for me and her to do school work and play games that worked on different learning techniques. The support of my parents carried on to my middle school
ReplyDeleteyears. Middle school were tough years and my parents were very involved and supportive in my school. After meetings and seeing my struggle in school my parents decided it was time to get some tests done. It later was decided that I would spend my study halls in the resource room. My parents then were involved in my IEP meetings and had biweekly grade reports mailed to them. They showed a lot of interest in me doing my very best.When I got to high school they were still very involved. They were still at my IEP meetings and curious on how my days were and how I was doing in school. They also never missed any sort of sport activities from the time I started sports, to all the way through my college years. Them being supportive and caring how hard I worked, and encouraging me to work hard, has a lot to do with how hard of a worker I am today. They were always supportive of my schooling as long as they knew I was giving everything I had. No matter if it’s in school or my jobs I still always give 110%.
My mom was a teacher and I helped her also! For me as a student it was very beneficial to see the organization and work that teachers put into school.
DeleteThat is awesome that your parents were so involved and cared. I understand that should be obvious but some parent now are the exact opposite. I can especially see how having a parent as a teacher would be beneficial.
DeleteMy parents always stressed how important academics were. I always had to go to bed early so that I could get my sleep and be prepared for school the next day. I almost always had perfect attendance all through school. I don't remember ever really needing help, so I don't think my parents really helped me with schoolwork. I remember my mom saying a few years ago to someone that she never had to remind us girls (my sister and I) to do our homework. We just always had it done. I didn't have to take much work home because I normally got it done in school. Conferences always went well. My dad was pretty strict so I think I would have been scared to do anything wrong! I grew up on a farm from when I was in second grade. My sister and I would help on the farm, in the house, and still get good grades. We were just taught to be hard workers because our parents were. They were honest and hard working people. We did not have a lot of money, so my resources to do other things were limited. My sister is older than me and we were both good students. I also have a younger brother who was not pushed as hard as my sister and I were and he did not do as good in school. He got into trouble a lot. My dad let him do more things, so he hung out with the wrong people and academics were not his priority when he got to high school. I am 5 years older than him, so by the time he was in high school I was already long gone. I think this might have had something to do with it too because had my sister or I still been living in the house maybe he would have followed more in our footsteps. Sorry if that was TMI. Basically I think with my parents simply being good role models is what impacted me to be a good student and continue my education.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you. Sometimes it helps to have an older sibling in the same school when you are there. Especially one who does well in school already. That way you have someone to kind of look up to in school.
DeleteMy parents never had to remind me to do my homework because it was always something that I just did. It was always odd to me how many kids in my classes just never did it. I think me always going to school and always having my homework done has something to do with my good work ethic now. In my jobs today I always have done what needs to be done, and most of the time go beyond what's expected. I think I just learned good work habits in school when it came to attendance and homework.
DeleteMy mother and father divorced when I was in fifth grade. I always remember that my mother was very involved in elementary school but my biological father was not. My mom remarried when I was in 8th grade. My step-father (who I consider my "dad") was a high school English teacher. My mom and him were and are very involved in my education when I was in Jr. High, high school, and in college (the first and the second time.) Both my sister and I have been very fortunate to have two supportive parents! They always made us aware that getting a good education is very important along with continuing education. My dad still says that one is never to old to learn. Whether it is refreshing something that you already know or learning something new. Because of my upbinging and the value of getting a good education that they instilled in me, I instill into my own children along with the students that I work with to do your best academically!
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you were able to have a mother who always stood by you and cared. It sounded like you made a great transition when your step-father came into the picture. It is great to have values and to appreciate education. It seems like you were blessed as well.
DeleteI think its great that even after dealing with a divorce situation that you were able to still make that connection to establish education as a priority. Sometimes it is hard in dealing with a situation like that at such a young age. It must have helped having the good relationship with your stepfather and the fact that he was a teacher.
DeleteHow wonderful Jill that you had such a supportive step parent.Some children do not have the opportunity to have such supportive step parents or the children aren't willing to accept their help.
DeleteElementary: My parents had minimal involvement at the elementary level. My mom attended conferences without my dad. He worked long hours at John Deere so he was not able to attend all school events. There were limited chances for parents to be involved as well. My son is in preschool and I try to be as involved as possible since my parents were so distant form participating in school activities. I attend every family night, go visit the classroom, send goodie bags for every holiday/special occasion, and donate supplies sporadically.
ReplyDeleteSecondary: I was involved in many extra-curricular activities in high school. My mom attended all of these events without my dad. My aunt did come to most events with her to support me. Other than attending conferences, extra-curricular activities, and helping with prom my junior year my parents had minimal involvement with the school. My homework was always turned in and I got good grades so my parents did not get involved in academics.
Post-Secondary: My parent’s involvement at Kirkwood and UNI was visiting, paying my rent, and paying for my education. Once again I always got good grades so they did not ask to see them etc. Now that I am going back to school at Upper Iowa University there involvement in non-existent but they do watch my son for me when needed to go to class and accomplish homework.
Impact: I do not feel that my parents’ low involvement impacted me academically. I always did everything on my own and succeeded. It is hurtful as a child when everyone else’s parents are in attendance and involved and yours are not. I do not believe it impacted me negatively or positively though in the long run.
I can see in class that you really try hard and strive to do well. From whom or Where do you think you acquired these traits? It's great to see that you have such involvement in your son's education and school. He is probably one very happy little boy:)
DeleteShandy, I would have to say that you are one of those kids that would succeed not matter what. Most kids in today's world, I beleive don't have the same outlook as you. What I mean is that your education was important to you. The student's today that don't have their parents support usually do not do well academically. What I have heard is "my parent's don't care, why should I." Even though these student's have the support of the school, it still doesn't matter to them. Pretty sad...
DeleteThanks. I think alot of triats that we aquire are not from how we were raised and I dislike when people use these reasons as an excuse for their failures. Some students do have a harder path to climb due to contextual factors but all students can reach the same top. I do believe that all parents can do is guide their child is the right direction. You can't change a child's dispositions or personality even as a parent: you have to work with these traits to find a way right for the individual child. I dislike when teachers try to drive the personality out of a child and try to make them robots in class (I have seen this): if they are the class clown give them opportunity to do so and gain attention etc. I am not extremely intelligent by any means but am organized, punctual etc. and this is what contributes to my grades.
DeleteWith having 3 sisters when my parents divorced my mom wasn't able to make it to everything, I think as a parent this is something I try really hard to do. Its nice to know I'm not the only one. You have great ambition keep at it!
DeleteThis kind of reminds me of myself. My parents taught me that academics were important, but as far as being involved in the school, they were not. They did not come to many of my sporting events, which was usually fine. I was ok with them not being involved. I guess I just did my own thing. They were still proud and showed they were proud. As far as grades, they were the same as yours as far as not asking me about them because they knew I always had good grades. They never had to deal with teachers because I was always good. My conferences, which I remember my mom only going to, were always good too. They also taught me to work hard physically, which helped me as a person too.
DeleteMy parents really tried to be involved in my education when I was growing up but it was difficult for them to be there all the time. When I was seven, my dad was diagnosed with Lupus. Since there wasn’t a lot of information about it, they had to go to Rochester MN to be treated. By the time my dad was 48 he was on permanent disability and my mom was the only one bringing in an income of any significant. I remember my parents having to be gone for weeks at a time for testing and different treatment options. One time he was in the hospital almost a month because he had such a severe allergic reaction to the medication. Yes, they went to all of my conferences, tried to help with homework, and we always had rules about getting our work done before we did anything else. Even with all of this I didn’t do well in school as a child. I struggled with every subject. When I graduated I had NO plans on continuing to go onto college. When I finally decided to go back to school and get my Associate Degree in Early Childhood education, I don’t think that my parents ever thought that I would do as well as I did or even finish. Since then they have been a great support to me, encouraging me every step of the way. In fact when I first started college my mom would make and bring in supper for my family so I didn’t feel bad about leaving them to fend for themselves. They are very proud of me and my accomplishments so far and continue to encourage me to keep up the grades and to keep going. I feel that I have won the parent lottery when it comes to my parents. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. Because of them I try harder to be a better person, student, and teacher. I also understand that some parents do what they can to be involved in their child’s education. Sometimes they want to be more involved but their circumstances are out of their control. I don’t know of a parent that wants to be the worst parent for their child that they can. They can only deal with what they have and try to be better.
ReplyDeleteLouAnn - I really like your line "Because of them I try harder to be a better person, student, and teacher." Every parent-child relationship has its own balance and own need for interaction in school. I think the line you wrote speaks to the heart of what is important in the long run.
DeleteLouAnn- Great post, I feel the same about alot of what you said. I agree 100% with what Erin said. I was alittle late realizing things but now that I do understand just how important education is and how much my eduaction means to me, I am right there with you when it comes to trying harder in everything I do because of them.
DeleteLouAnn- Awesome post! I had a friend that also had a sick parent during our school years, and she resented her parents a lot for missing activities when it was out of there hands. I also was someone who has struggled a lot in school. I think struggling in school has a lot to do with me not being sure what what I want to be when I "grow up." I have always struggled but have always gave a 100% even when I was struggling. I was really able to relate to you in that setting.
DeleteIt is amazing how much smarter my parents are becoming the older I get.
DeleteElementary Level: When I taught at St. Edward School in Waterloo, Parent involvement was high. At the beginning of each year, parents would sign up for a time to come into the classroom. Students really enjoyed this and looked forward to it. Parents would be involved with activities such as reading aloud, art projects ect.
ReplyDeletePersonal: My parents both worked fulltime jobs so they were not able to come to the school during the day to help. They came to my extra curricular activities and conference. They were very supportive. They always pushed me to do the best job possible.
Secondary Level: When I worked at East High School. Parent involvement was a completely different story. I only saw parents when their child was in trouble or at sporting events. In this situation I was not a teacher. I worked in the main office for administration. I found in this situation that parents listened more to their child than the school. I also work at EXPO. At EXPO parent involvement is low as well. The only time I heard from a parent was when I had a situation with their child. This coming year, I am going to try to call home each week just to touch base with parents if possible.
Personal: My parents continued to be involved in my schooling. They came to conferences, band concerts, and sporting events. I struggled academically in high school. My mother stayed in contact with teachers and my counselors. My counselor in high school had the never to tell my parents that I would not do any better than a two year community college and not to consider a four year college. Well look at me now.
Post-Secondary: I do believe that parent involvement is still present at this time. Just not as much and in different circumstances. I would hope at this time of a student life they are becoming more independent.
Personal: My parents where still involved with my schooling. At this time, I still lived with my parents. They were always available when I needed advice on a subject or matter. I can say that I am very grateful to my parents. I would not be the person I am today without their involvement. When I was ready to give up because it just got to hard, they would not let me. Even at this point in my life, they are still asking about school and how things are going.
Impact on their involvement: I think parent involvement has a great impact on how a child does. Everyone needs guidance, support and that extra little push. I have notice while teaching at EXPO, that many of our students don’t get that at home. I remind myself of this everyday. I am the one that needs to make that impact. Let me say, some days it can be a very difficult thing to do. Some of our students have walls built so high and that are so thick, that it is harder to make that impact. On the other side, too much parent involvement can be overwhelming. I have had parents try to dictate every move their child makes. This can cause them to be defiant.
It is interesting to see your own point of view and what you see on a regular occasion. It seems that just knowing their are people who care and push to support you is everything. I feel very sorry for the kids who have parents who just dont care.
DeleteI have been very blessed to have two amazing parents who always supported me growing up. They were there for me and watched me in music, sports, class activities, and everything else along the way. In elementary school, they helped me along. I was a little momma's boy and they helped me to grow up and be comfortable at school. My parents would bring me lunch to school on my birthday and help with field trips. My mom especially was always there to help out.
ReplyDeleteIn Junior High and High School, my parents continued to support me. They were always at every basketball game and even some golf meets. They also allowed me to start getting more individuality and responsibility. My parents were always there to help me on homework if I needed it, but also stayed out of my way and let me grow. They took off the training wheels at this age.
In college, I went off to UNI. I was from Waterloo so I spent my first two years living at home. My parents continued to ask about my school work and even helped me pay for it. They were never overbearing though, just supportive. When I was finally out on my own, they continued to call and help out.
I am the person I am today because of the love and support I received. I was so blessed to have parents who had high expectations of me. They expected good grades, extra-curricular activities, and a positive role model out of me. I am glad that they expected alot because it taught me to strive for greatness.
I always thought my parents were quite involved in my schooling, but reading other comments I may have changed my mind! I think the most important thing for me is that they were involved the right amount for me.
ReplyDeleteIn elementary I know they went to parent teacher conferences. My mom supported my love of reading by providing me with as many books as I needed. In 7th grade we moved and started in a new school. Even though this was a rough transition I don't remember too much support. The expectation was that my brother and I would continue to work hard in school, meet new friends, and be fine. In high school my parents upheld their high expectations for my grades and were proud. However they were not the parents that made it to every volleyball game (maybe because I wan't that great!) or who posted my academic newspaper clippings on the fridge.
As it turns out, they didn't have to be too involved. Their love and high expectations were all I needed to stay focused and succeed.
Great post! After reflecting on parental involvement, I agree with the statement "it was the right amount for me". I have seen children be upset with over parent involvement just as with no parent involvement. As an adult, I understand that some parents are not as social, work long hours, are exhuasted at night, and not into going to events, etc. I also realize after going to my son's preschool how moms can be "groupy" and not include all the parents ,like high school girls, and I can see why some parents would not want to attend.
DeleteThat is a great post. It made me reconsider some of the things I had reflected on from my own schooling. Perhaps I read there backing off wrong. My parents also attended conferences K-12.
DeleteGood Post! I think its important as a parent to find the good amount of involvment that is comfortable for them and their child. As Shandy said there can defiantly be to much involvement and to little involvement. Finding a good balance will be beneficial for the parent and child!
DeleteMy parents were very involved throughout my academic career. In elementary school both of my parents were invested in my academics. I remember my parents doing flash cards with me and encouraging me to read books above my academic level. My mom is a teacher so her schedule worked perfectly for being able to attend all of my activities and conferences. My father was always on call and traveled a lot for work so he rarely made my events, but always showed interest in my athletics and attended when he could. Starting in elementary school my mom always worked in the same district I attended school, because of this she was in constant contact with my teachers about my grades, behavior, and where I could improve.
ReplyDeleteAt the secondary level my parents set expectations very high and left it up to me to achieve these goals. What I mean by this is that my parents did not hold my hand through assignments, rather they were there for assistance when needed. My parents helped me in most subjects, they both struggled with math, but I would often call my Grandmother for help in math because she studied economics. My parents also set punishments when expectations were not met. For example, I was expected to get all A's and B's, if I recieved a C in any class I was grounded for the following term. At the time I hated this punishment, but I now realize that without this punishment I most likely would not have shown as much effort as I did. As far as activities go, my mother continued to show a lot of interest in all of my activities. In high school I began to drop some of my athletics in favor of music. My dad was not happy with this decision, he rarely attended concerts but continued to attend my baseball games.
College was always expected of me and my parents never allowed me to think about pursuing anything else after high school. I remember I attempted to convince my mom to let me take a year off between high school and college to better understand what I wanted to do, this effort was quickly strucken down. I was very fortunate to have financial support from my parents during college. I was told from a very early age that I would be expected to pay for half of my education and was encouraged to do so without taking out loans. From a very early age I worked and contributed to a college fund for myself in order to achieve this goal. My parents also let it be known that if I recieved a C in college they would end their financial support. I was also expected to continue to be involved in extra curricular activities in college. I participated in several jazz and classical ensembles in college, my mother often attened my recitals and concerts.
I think for the most part my parents involvement was helpful, but I do think they were a bit strict. I think it was perfect until college, I say this because I was so busy in college I rarely enjoyed the "college experience." In addition to working in college I put in a lot of time practicing and performing. This left little time for fun, but I do think their expectations established a strong work ethic within me.
I know how that feels when you say that "college was always expected of me." I felt it was the same for me and my brother on the other hand got significantly worse grades in school and he was never expected to get into college. At the time I was also very upset because I felt it was a double standard because I never had the kind of leeway that he did. It took some time to really contemplate how the different expectations worked for each other when we were only a year apart.
DeleteIn elementary school my parents were activity involved in my education, I went to a private catholic school so we were always doing school related things or they helped me with my homework. In middle school and the beginning of high school I played sports and my parents were able to attend most of my sporting events in middle school. Due to their divorce and my mom going back to school that involvement tapered off in high school, my mom still encouraged me to get good grades and go to school but I choose to work school. Now my mom is a huge support in my education, she watches my kids so I can attend class and keeps me motivated. She knows how hard it can be to go to school while being a single parent, if she did it twice I should be able to do it once. When my parents where involved more in my academics and sports I tried harder but as my sisters got older and life got crazier that changed some. But now, my family is a big motivator in my education.
ReplyDeleteMelissa - I attended a private, Lutheran school as a child, so I understand how big family involvement was at that level. It's unfortunate that you did not feel that support during your high school years. It is wonderful though that now that your mother's life has settled down a little she is able to be that support for you during your post-secondary education.
DeleteMelissa, the bottom line is it is very evident that your mother understands the importance of having a good education. Even though she may not have been at all of your activities when times became crazy, she utlimately has encouraged you to receive a degree. That is the mark of a good parent.
DeleteMy parents divorced when I was 9 years old. My dad worked construction and was gone before sunrise and home after sunset 6 days a week, so he wasnt around all that much. After the divorce my mom work 2 sometimes 3 jobs so her time was very limited as well. My mom was more involved than my dad but they have both been supportive and there if we ever needed anything. I struggled alot with school and I remember my mom helping me with flashcards and making me study in elementary school. My mom then remarried and moved us to a new town and school, which was when things kinda went down hill. I think my mom was more concerned about us transitioning and fitting in then really focusing on our academics. In highschool my mom was very involved with my schooling but not for the best reasons. With my struggles in school I didn't attend as often as I should have and when I was there I wasn't doing what I was suppose to be doing. My mom was incontact almost on a daily basis with the school just to make sure I was even there. So instead of my mom really focusing on my academics she was focusing on making sure I was at least in the building and getting me to graduation day. I did play a little bit of basketball and my father did attend all sports events but the academic side he just wasn't around much to be involved in.
ReplyDeleteAfter highschool I went to cosmetology school. I quickly found that wasn't my calling and started working in an elementary school.
It wasn't until then did I realize teaching is what I truly wanted to do. I see kids struggle and go through what I went trough on a daily basis and I understand what they are feeling, and to help a student do better than I did is a dream of mine. So I decided to go back to school. My mother is very supportive in the ways I need her now to be in helping with my children. My dad is supportive but because Iam a single mom hes more on the side of I should be working as much as I can instead of going to school right now.
No one in my family has graduated college. So when I graduate I will be the first and I know my parents will be extermely proud.
I often wonder if my parents were more involved in my education if that would have made me care more about my own education. The impact of my struggles and my parents not being that involved in the academic side has really opened my eyes now that I am a mom. I know I want to be the opposite of what my parents were for me when I was in school with academics for my children. I have amazing parents and they would do anything for me, but I think that education wasn't important in their raising that it carried over to raising us that way as well. I know now from my mistakes just how important education is and will be involved the ways my parents weren't for my kids education.
Katie - It is awesome that you have decided education is a priority and are going to be the first to graduate from college. I am not a parent, but I think that by going back to school and doing something you love, it will be better for your children in the long run. I am sure right now juggling school, homework, work, and children is overwhelming, and that the financial part of it is difficult. However, I think it is truly amazing that not long ago you dreaded going to school and were avoiding it, and now you have switched directions in your life to go back to school earning a degree to teach at school.
DeleteMy parents, well my mother, was VERY involved in elementary school. My father worked and traveled alot but was there when he could be. She was a part of the assemblies, she was on the PTO, she helped with the variety show. She was at my school a lot. I had three older siblings, so most teachers knew me from my siblings. My mom also volunteered a lot in my classroom. She was there to decorate for parties, and helped with reading groups. Even when she was not at school, I knew her presence was around. In middle school she was still involved. She went to all my sporting events, and was still involved with PTO. My mother was always fully aware of what was going on at school with homework and any activities. As high school approached my parents were not as involved. They still knew what was going on, and many of my teachers, and staff at the school but was not physically involved in things. THey still attended most of my sporting events, and kept my homework and grades very well know. As college came, they felt I think they had instilled in me how important school was. They had to some extent. Unfortunately I did not do so well the first year of my schooling. After disappointing them greatly that first year, I remembered how school was important. I always knew you had to work hard to accomplish what you wanted, it just left me for awhile. My parents have taught me a lot about the importance of working hard. My father worked hard for what we had, and my mom still continues to work long hours, more than me some days. I think with all hard work you will accomplish what you can!
ReplyDeleteSounds like your parents were hard-working people who took pride in making sure their children learned a hard work ethic. It was evident that they cared about your success while in school, and as time went by they began to trust your decisions. Your parents remind me of my father who was this tough hard working person who believed in an honst days work. Developing a great work ethic will take you a long ways in life. Sounds like you had great parents.
DeleteMy parents were always very involved while I was in school. My mother was a stay at home mom who always volunteered in school related activities. My parents wanted us to be involved in as many activities as possible, and getting good grades was very important. More importantly, having good character and respecting my teachers was probably the ,ost important aspect they taught us. My father always wanted me to obtain a college education and he was very proud when I received my first degree.
ReplyDeleteMy parent raised me the same way when it came to activities and respecting teachers. I credit my parents for raising me to be a person of respect and responsibility. Having good character as well was a big deal with my parents
DeleteMy parent were rather involved in the elementary level. By this time in my life it was my mother and step dad. They attended all meetings to see how well I was achieving and to find out any new issues or struggle that I was having. They really pushed me to do homework and study often.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got into middle school they did not go to all meetings but still were pretty involved. They made sure I stayed on top of my school work, and if not they would contact my teachers to see what else they could do to help.
In highschool my mom was pretty much the only one who stayed in contact with the teachers and it was usually just over the phone. They basically let me know that I was in control over my destiney. With me being in sports they knew I had to stay on top of my grades in order to stay eligible.