MSI Press Blog

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly. #54 Making the Grade   Have your child take responsibility for his grades. Don’t let him say, “The teacher gave me this grade.” Instead, have him say, “I earned this grade.”   Has your child ever come home very upset because of a poor grade on a project or assignment? He might not understand why the grade was so poor and may even think the teacher was unfair in his grading. Before you react, take a few minutes to sit down with your child and go over the assignment or project together. Can you see where he made his mistakes? Can he explain to you the goal of the assignment or project and then decide whether or not he achieved the goal? Together, you should be able to determine where he went wrong. If neither of you can find the errors that brought down his grade, make a list of questions for your child to ask his teacher...

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly. #36 Communicate with the Teacher, Too!   Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you .~Ralph Waldo Emerson               Keeping up good communication with your child is essential, but chances are you will find that it may not be all that you need. Situations will surely arise that require talking to the teacher. Don’t ever let this intimidate you! Your child’s teacher wants what is best for her students and therefore wants and needs to know your questions and concerns. If you have a few quick questions, perhaps jotting them down in a note or email would be the best approach. Chances are, conferences or a curriculum night are just around the corner and in-depth questions can be brought up and answered then. Teachers appreciate written communication beca...

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.  #34 Meet the Teacher   Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. ~Chinese Proverb               Have you met your child’s new teacher yet? If not, call or email him. Schedule a time when you both have a few minutes to chat. If he has sent home a lot of information, you may already have a pretty good feel for his philosophy, the schedule of the class, and his expectations for the year. You may just want to stop in to introduce yourself before or after school. If you are full of questions, it is usually best to call or write to schedule a time that is convenient for the both of you to meet. Keep in mind that before school teachers are usually busy preparing the classroom and materials for the day’s lessons. A lengthy discussion may be inconvenient the...

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly. #57 Learning Differences   The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind  ~William James   If your child continually struggles with school, you may have wondered if perhaps she has a learning disability. You may have heard one of the many acronyms for the various differences or disabilities, such as ADD (attention deficit disorder), EI (emotionally impaired), or LD (learning disabled). Before you assume the worst, step back and consider not only how much your child is struggling but also what you have done to help her. Would a tutor after school help her? How about an older sibling, aunt, or uncle working with her on difficult assignments? Can the teacher find any assistance for her after school or during recess? If you feel you’ve exhausted a...