Five Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

They look after your little darlings, teach them to write and be polite and cuddle them when they get upset. Teachers truly are amazing, but what do they secretly wish parents knew?

We asked some to put down their chalk and let us know.

1. You can talk to teachers

“Sometimes the only time I get to talk to parents is on parents’ evening,” says Gemma, a primary school teacher from Newcastle. “Some drop their children off and don’t even make eye contact with me. I know it’s hectic in the mornings, but saying hello, telling me something your child has enjoyed over the weekend and telling me, quickly, if you have any concerns is absolutely fine.” Don’t forget that most teachers are contactable by email, which means if you’re hurrying off to work you can still stay in contact should you need to.

2. That helping your child learn at home is really important

Just because school finishes at half three doesn’t mean your child has finished learning for the day. “Helping your children with their homework is really important and can really benefit the teacher if you identify things your child needs help with most,” says Beth, a primary school teacher from Leeds. “But there are other ways to learn at home: let your child watch you cook and explain about the ingredients or walk home from school through the park and name the trees you can see. Children are like sponges: always taking in more information and storing it for when they need it.”

3. That making mistakes is OK

Some parents can get easily caught up in pushing their children to be perfect. “Children learn through mistakes,” says Sam, a prep school teacher from Cambridge. “It’s really important for me to see which mistakes children make so we can go over that bit again. The same goes for projects which have obviously been done by the parents; I much prefer seeing pictures that are glued on wonky than a five-year-old with a Powerpoint presentation.”

4. That teachers work hard too

It’s not all about longer holidays and finishing at half three, which teachers rarely do. “Sometimes I wish parents knew how much work is done behind the scenes to prepare for a lesson. I always wish they knew how hard my classroom assistants work and how much heart and soul they put into their jobs,” says Emily, a primary school teacher from Bristol. “So very often [we go] above and beyond the call of duty.”

5. That keeping your child organised helps us

“I spend so much time tracking down lost school jumpers, lunch boxes or homework that has gone astray,” says Julie, a primary school teacher from Belfast. “Label everything, even shoes, and every morning make sure your child’s backpack is neat and organised and he or she has everything they need! No more homework being given in covered in yesterday’s leftover lunch!”