The Ultimate Parent Involvement Planner: Building Winning Habits, Creating Strong Foundations

by C Smalls Hillesheim

Overview

You are powerful. You as a parent want to be instrumental in your children's academic success, but we live in a society that makes this a challenge for us. You have little time to devote to helping your child with school-related things. External messages make you doubt your ability to help your child be successful. What's worse is, you are never given a clear game plan on how to put and keep your child on the path to success. This all ends here. The Ultimate Parent Involvement Planner is your support system for all parenting-focused roles of a child's education. This is a 10 month system filled with daily, weekly and monthly tools and trackers to keep you powerfully involved in your child's education. This book is designed as a planner, reference, and support system for you when dealing with anything school related.

This planner includes the following:
--Monthly attendance and communication worksheets
--Weekly preparedness checklists
--Daily homework trackers

Use it in conversation with teachers and school staff to recall specific dates and events. Get strategic in your involvement with your child's education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781546226536
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	02/02/2018
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.83(d)

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

THIS YEAR'S TEACHER CONTACT LIST

* * *

Communication with your child's teachers is key to building a successful foundation for your child's school year. Start the year right by gathering the necessary contact information for communication.

Subject:

Teacher Name:

Email:

Telephone:

Best Time to Contact:

Once you receive a teacher's email address, send them a hello email to start your team's relationship on a high note.

CHAPTER 2

BENEFITS OF THE TEAM MINDSET

FLOW OF COMMUNICATION REMAINS OPEN

When you know what everyone is responsible for, you know when to reach out without coming off as a micros-manager or bossy.

PREVENTS OVER EXTENSION AND DOING TOO MUCH

When you see the boundaries in your role, you can easily recognize when it is okay for you to take a step back because you have done all you ar responsible for.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

GOOD TIMES

Being able to shoot your child's teacher a quick thanks for making sure your child understood last night's homework or for their prompt response to an earlier email promotes camaraderie and makes people more inclined to keep communication open.

BAD TIMES

You and your team members will feel more comfortable discussing any issues because you know each person has the team's best interest at heart. It is easier to find solutions when you rust no one is going to play the blame game. Everyone is used to communicating.

INVOLVEMENT TIP:

THE TEAM OF THRESS

KNOW YOUR ROLE!

When you know what your child is responsible for as a student, what you are responsible for as the parent of a school-aged child, and what your child's teacher is responsible for, you will be able to create a spirit of teamwork and support between the three of you. It is this mindset that will help your child thrive in their 12 years of primary schooling.

CHAPTER 3

THE TEAM OF THREE FOUNDATION

Before we start working together, I want to introduce you to the foundation of everything I do here at Parent Focus. "The Team of Three". No matter what you purchase, hear, or read from me, "The Team of Three" will be at the core of the message. What is "The Team of Three"? Let me explain.

A Parent, a student, and a teacher. These are the three members of the team. They all carry extremely weighty responsibility in the success or lack-thereof in a child's school year. Of course there are those stories of students who succeeded with terrible teachers or with uninvolved parents, but why should those stories have to become your child's? It's unnecessary. Lets take a look at each team member and the role they play in a successful 12 years of schooling.

The Student:

Ultimately, at the end of the day, the other two members of the team can push, and encourage, and cheer, and instruct, and guide, and urge, and yell, and scream, and punish, and bribe their heads off. Unless this member of the team is in it to fully win it, success will be a variable more than a certainty. The student is the center of the team and they have a weighty responsibility in how things go.

• Taking notes in class to make sure they have a reference point for review or help.

• Completing homework and doing their best to ensure all answers are correct and follow the given directions.

• Asking the teacher or their parent for help as soon as they see the need.

• Studying for tests, quizzes, and exams to be prepared to knock them out of the park.

• Keeping a system of organization and time management that allows them the flexibility to both get their school work done, and enjoy being their age.

The Teacher:

This is the knowledge well. Each teacher is able to offer students a different perspective on lessons. Different teachers also offer different teaching styles. While some styles are great for the student, others may not be.

• The teacher is the one who has to decide how to best instruct the student in a way that fits their learning style.

• They have to plan lessons that engage the student, motivate the student, and educate the student.

• The teacher, according to state regulations, is responsible for keeping the parent up to date with the student's progress or lack-thereof.

• The teacher should have a system or process for a student to use when they need to ask for help. Is there a time to show up for tutoring? Are the first five minutes before class available for a student to chat?

• Teachers are responsible for creating an unbiased system of grading their students work. While there is always room for perception in grading certain types of work, a student and their parent should be able to see how the work was assessed and why it received the grade they got.

• A teacher has the responsibility of keeping the learning environment open and motivating. Should a child receive a low grade, they must be in a classroom environment that creates the impression that help is there!

V.I.S.N. (Very Important Sidenote) Teachers do not control the standards, curriculum, or state regulations for what your child is learning in school. So complaining to them about it may only be causing a rift that you do not want there.

The Parent:

Similar to the teacher, the parent is a member of the team of three that holds the responsibility of motivating the student.

• The parent has to maintain a home schedule that allows the student time, space, and accountability to the work and lessons assigned by the teacher.

• The parent should also be able to ensure that the child learns other skills that are not school based. Those of organization, time management, self-control, and grit.

• The parent, especially in the younger years, has the responsibility of selecting schools and programs that best fit their child's abilities and personality.

• The parent is responsible for keeping an eye out for opportunities of enrichment. Examples: SAT prep courses, personal tutors, State school tests for advanced placement.

• A parent should be aware of their child's schooling schedule. What time a child should be in school and what time they get out. This is especially important for older grades that have early dismissals or late arrivals where a student could potentially cut a class and miss out on lessons.

This is your role!

What are your thoughts on what you have read about your responsibilities? Be honest with yourself here. This is your space to gain clarity.

All Three:

Like any other team, communication is key. All three are responsible for speaking honestly and respectfully about the successes and failures that occur throughout the school year. All three should be aware of where the student's grade stands at any given time in some way. No one member of the team should feel left out or uninvolved in decisions that affect the team. When all three hold up their individual ends of the bargain, success becomes more of a certainty than a variable. When every team member accepts the fact that when the student wins the teams wins, a lot of the unnecessary head-butting of school- home interaction melts away because every member is rooting for each other to win at their individual responsibilities.

Balance is key in communication. Too much of it, especially negative based communication, hurts your team and hurts your ability to work well towards a successful 12 years of education for your child. It creates the impression that you do not think your other team members are competent enough to play their roles without you stepping in. No one wants to feel like they aren't trusted.

There is also the issue of overstepping our roles. Roles are boundaries. When we as humans overstep our boundaries, in the words of Sir Toppum Hat, "confusion and delay" arise. Of all three team members, I have to be honest here, this happens most often with parents.

Parents who are so bent on their children's success that they take over other roles are hurting their team more than helping their team. Solving problems for your child when they are stuck on a homework assignment? Overstepping. It is not your role to answer homework.

I know this is a lot to take in and an ideal concept. My goal is to spread this concept and make it a reality starting with you. As you read this, think about discussing this with your child, shooting an email to their teachers. Team players encourage each other. They show appreciation for the wins that other members of the team assist in creating. Communication in good times is just as important as it is in times of struggle and frustration.

Communication, when motivated by respect, positivity, and teamwork is the gear that keeps your team running. Building a sense of camaraderie when things go well, makes everyone much more comfortable and willing to work together when things aren't going well. This is the core of any conversation you will have with your child and your child's teachers.

Thanks for stopping by and, stay focused parents.

Your personal education consultant, C. Hillesheim

CHAPTER 4

How TO USE THIS PLANNER:

Congratulations on deciding to build strategical foundations for success in your child's future. This year is going to be the best year yet for your child's education. You will implement routines and strategies found in this book which will lead to independence and success for your child.

This planner is designed to gear you toward maximizing your involvement in your child's education. It is filled with questions, strategies, checklists, and infographics that allow you to build solid routines and foundations for your child's future. From helping with homework to writing emails that foster open communication between you and your child's teacher, you will receive step by step guidance that will make each action highly effective.

This planner is a reference, a how-to guide, and a support space for you because you are ready to clarify your role and it's responsibilities when it comes to the education of your child. It is designed to simplify your involvement and make it more enjoyable. Using this book will make the time you spend helping your child effective and efficient. You will have the ability to watch your child work independently and master the skills of organization and time-management.

Use this planner both alone and with your child. When you are alone, plan out your questions and topics for discussion with your child and their teacher. With your child, daily use of the homework pages will help your child learn time management and study skills. The checklists are geared toward use with your child to help them learn the importance of organization and communication.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Ultimate Parent Involvement Planner"
by .
Copyright © 2018 C. Smalls Hillesheim.
Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

School Contact List, Page 4,
Benefits of Team of Three Mindset, Page 5,
Team of Three Foundation, Pages 6-11,
How To Use This Planner, Pages 12-15,
Monthly/Weekly/Daily Planning Sections, Pages 16-336,
Write the months on their corresponding lines below. The month your child STARTS school is month one.,
(1) _____________________, Pages 16-48,
(2) _____________________, Pages 49-81,
(3) _____________________, Pages 82-113,
(4) _____________________, Pages 114-146,
(5) _____________________, Pages 147-179,
(6) _____________________, Pages 180-212,
(7) _____________________, Pages 213-245,
(8) _____________________, Pages 246-278,
(9) _____________________, Pages 279-311,
(10) _____________________, Pages 313-345,
Resource Section:, Page 346,
Sample Emails,
Parent Teacher Conference Booster,
Does My Child Need A Tutor,
The Focused Parent Homework Checklist,
The Take Note Strategy,
The Take Note Strategy Worksheets,