(ThySistas.com) School is starting all over the country and it is an exciting time for new beginnings and learning. Students are often excited about returning to a new classroom with new teachers and getting back to their friends they haven’t seen over the summer. For parents is can be a time of relief if you’ve had them all summer long. Some parents pray that their grocery bill returns to a reasonable state. Students are usually excited about new school clothes, fresh hair styles, and the fresh pair of new kicks. There is also some happiness about fresh school supplies as some aspects of this can be personalized. This is also a time by which parents should consider sitting down with their children to discuss the upcoming school year.
Its great for teachers to have expectations of their students, but the first set of expectations a child should receive is those given by the parent. Everything the parent does plays a part in the expectation being set. If the discussion is what new kicks you want…but we barter the school supplies a clear message has been sent. When there is excitement about certain extracurricular activities, but that same energy isn’t kept in an academic discussion a message has been sent.
Children are most likely more motivated to do well in school when their support team stems from home. When they know you will come to school, and you expect them to do their best in all they do. They know what care looks like. They will only be, for the most part, as engaged with the progress of school as you are. It is important that your child know you and their teacher have good communication and you’re working together to help them succeed. This is all apart of the before we go back to school discussion. Take the time to help them set academic goals for themselves with your assistance. This shows them that you are supporting their goals and dreams verses forcing such upon them.
Academic expectation is also a way that life consequences can be installed. If you, as a parent, don’t perform on your job you are fired. You are not allowed to continue receiving pay nor bonuses for subpar work. Your child needs to understand school is their job and you don’t reward half effort, and no effort. Quality can be purchased without being name brand everything. Why should the kid get the new Jordan’s with horrible grades? Why should they continue on a sports team, or anything extracurricular when maintaining good grades is not a priority? Teachers can not enforce this it must come from parents. You aren’t levying consequences because you want to make their life hard…you are doing it because you love them. You do it because it is your responsibility to teach them about doing their best in everything they touch. It is the job of the parent to instill the fact that the quality of their work is a reflection of character.
When your child sees that you give them the best tools you can to meet the goal of making the best grade possible you are establishing expectations. When you have given them the best you can require that they run you those wonderful grades. There is a confidence that come with being the best in one’s class that builds the drive from excellence in every task one sets out to achieve. We need our children to experience being the best. They will face enough in this world that will try to make them feel less than; they must excel in every area by which they have control. This drive for greatness begins at home with the expectation of the parents.
Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James
May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.