What Middle School Teachers Want Parents to Know For School

1 Emulate organization and establish a routine.

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When parents are organized, their kids tend to be also. Have your middle schooler pack his backpack the night before, make sure homework is finished before it’s too late to go back and make corrections or complete it, and leave enough time in the morning for everyone to get ready and eat breakfast, so that they don’t get to school disheveled.

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2 Be involved.

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While it is important to give your child autonomy, part of teaching a tween responsibility is making sure that they know you’re on top of it all as well. To make sure everyone assumes some responsibility, you can:

Talk with them about school.
Check their homework assignment book and their finished work (though, don't do it for them or correct their wrong answers. It's OK to help out, but it's their responsibility to "get it," not yours).
Form a good teacher-parent relationship during open house nights and conferences so your child knows you and his teacher are on the same side.
Check in on your child’s grades before the end of the semester.
Know the school handbook and the rules the school employs.
Read papers and assignments that require a signature — they require one for a reason!

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3 Don’t go over the teacher’s head if you have an issue.

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Most issues can be resolved with a simple phone call between teacher and parent, whether it be about homework, a grade, or a behavioral issue. Rather than going straight to an administrator, first respect your child’s teacher and their ability to problem solve when it comes to your child, and attempt to figure out a solution together.

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4 Let your child make mistakes.

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Your middle schooler is going to make mistakes — both academically and socially — throughout these three years. Rather than protect them from the consequences, which might prevent them from making mistakes or even make them fear doing so, embrace the mistakes and teach them that lessons can be learned from every single one.

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5 Embrace new ways of teaching.

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A lot has changed since you went to school, regardless of how long ago it was. Your child’s teachers have gotten an education, passed numerous tests for their licenses, and trained intensely — trust them. Differentiated education helps all children learn in various ways, so get comfortable with an ever-changing learning environment rather than putting it down and making things harder for your child and her teachers.

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6 Test scores are not the only factor in your child's education.

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Though it seems like all education is about these days is standardized tests and scores, trust that your child's middle school teachers are doing the best they can for your child, which goes beyond teaching to the test. Teachers care about your children and want to prepare them for the real world as much as you do.

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7 Your child is never too old to read with you.

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Whether they’re into the idea of actually reading together or would prefer to read separately and discuss the book later, that's up to you guys — but reading shouldn’t stop just because they’re in school full time and no longer require a bedtime story every night. There are a lot of books you can read together — like Harry Potter, perhaps — which will not only give you guys something to do together, but will also give your child all the benefits that reading has for life and education.

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8 The middle school years are awkward — don’t make them worse.

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Through the middle school years bodies are changing, feelings are happening, and phones are wanted. If you avoid talking about things like puberty or having a phone, you might make things more difficult for your child in school during these awkward years. Lay it all out on the table and try to help them to realize that one day they’ll look back and say, “It was only middle school” — after all, can’t you look back through your seventh grade yearbook and say the same with a sigh of relief?

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