Want some good news? Parents can make a big difference in how well their children learn, a reality that more and more educators recognize.

But there's some bad news as well. One survey reported that many of the nation's best teachers--nearly 75 percent of the 2,700 teachers listed in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers"--said that the gravest threat to education is student apathy caused by parents who are uninvolved in their children's lives. The teachers reported this lack of interest results in behavior that is less respectful, less ethical, less responsible, less studious and more self-centered.

But what exactly does being involved mean?

Certainly it includes supporting and encouraging your child at home. You show your child that education is important by asking what your child did and learned each day, showing interest in school papers and student homework, and ensuring that such supplies as pencils and notebooks are available.

But if you really want to make a positive difference in your child's school year, you have to be there. You have to be physically present at your child's school.

This does not mean that you shadow your child and request your own desk in the classroom. (Though I did notice a remarkable improvement in a seventh-grader's performance when his mother did exactly that for one full day.)

You can show you care about success in school by spending a few minutes during the first week of school introducing yourself to your child's teacher. Return a couple of weeks later to see if any problems are developing. Then plan to spend a half-hour or so at your school's open house, and as much time as allowed at all scheduled parent-teacher conferences.

But don't stop there. Whenever you're invited--and your schedule allows it--show up at school. Teachers need chaperones for field trips. Many teachers also want parents to assist in the classroom. My daughter's first-grade teacher regularly asked parents to come in to read stories or share a career interest or hobby. She made excellent use of our time and talents, enabling us to work with students in everything from computer usage to baking bread for a Thanksgiving feast. I know because I was there every Thursday morning. The kids always seemed glad to see me, but you should have seen their eyes sparkle when they told me their mom or dad would be visiting also.

But what if the teacher doesn't request your assistance? Step right up and volunteer anyway. Be bold, be daring, just be helpful. One parent, bless her heart, volunteered to help me the day my eighth-grade math students were constructing altimeters, devices used to measure altitude. It was my first experience with this activity and I didn't realize how much help I would need cutting string, distributing materials, and persuading students to glue only the appropriate parts and not each other.

Your involvement may help a teacher retain her sanity. More important, it will ensure that your child is known. Sometimes the sheer number of students, and their widely varied abilities, can overwhelm even the best of teachers. Parents who persist in their efforts to help their children will see the most results.

Be sure to tell the teacher of any special needs, from help with the basics for struggling students, to more challenges for an already high-performing one. Don't leave these needs to chance, especially if you are new in the school district. As a parent, twice I failed to speak up--and twice my children missed out on opportunities because they were newcomers and had slipped through the cracks in the system. However, when parents do express themselves--politely but firmly--most teachers and administrators will listen.

Teachers need help and children need advocates. So this year, be there for them.

 

Nancy Elwell is a freelance writer of more than 200 published articles. A former computer programmer/analyst for ten years, she now teaches mathematics. Elwell lives with her husband and their two teen-aged daughters in Muskegon, Michigan.