Teachers have had to be more adaptable, resourceful, and—above all—understanding this past school year than any other year. They’re stressed out about everything, from remote learning to the eventual return to school. They deserve some extra support from their students’ parents. If your child’s teacher has gone above and beyond throughout these turbulent times, let them know with these ways parents can better support teachers.
Send a Kind Letter or Email
Even though parents may recognize the lengths teachers go for their students, they may not always vocalize their gratitude. If you appreciate your child’s teachers, send them a quick email or letter to let them know. Something small can put a smile on their face and give them a reason to keep moving forward in their day. A short letter lets them know that someone—more than just their students—appreciates what they do.
Get Teachers a Special Present
Students often give their teachers a gift at the end of the year to demonstrate their gratitude. It’s less common for a teacher to get a present out of the blue for seemingly no reason. Plot with your child to get their favorite teacher something special as a surprise. There’s no shortage of gifts you can give to show your gratitude, and your child may know some of the teacher’s hobbies to make the gift feel more personal.
Do Your Part in Your Child’s Remote Classes
During class, teachers have far too much to worry about and may struggle keeping children in a learning mindset. Try to distance yourself from your child’s remote learning for the most part, but make sure that they pay attention to the teacher.
Teach your child to respect their teacher as though they were in the classroom and reward them for good behavior. In a normal classroom environment, especially in elementary school, teachers would reward students on their own for behaving—but since that isn’t possible right now, it falls on your shoulders to do it for them.
The more subtle, out-of-class ways parents can better support teachers are the most effective—interrupting their lessons to scold your child or chime in with a correction to their lesson will only bother the teacher.
