What to do when your Child doesn’t like their Teacher

picture from Joanne Johnson

It’s inevitable that during the course of your child’s academic career, they will encounter educators that they don’t get along with. Whether the conflict arises from a misunderstanding or a personality clash, it’s important that the situation be dealt with in a constructive and positive way. Teachers are professionals who are trained to treat students with dignity and respect and students must learn to do the same.

Talk about It

Students will often make sweeping statements like: “The teacher hates me.” You need to understand exactly what this means. Ask your child to explain why they think this and give examples of situations in which the teacher has behaved in a way that would make them feel that way. Ensure that they are not misunderstanding the situation or that they aren’t reacting negatively to being disciplined.

Role Play

One of the best ways to work through a difficult situation is to allow your student to deal with it themselves. Over the course of their lives, they will encounter managers, neighbors and people that they don’t get along with. Learning to navigate these difficult relationships is a fundamental tenant of happiness.

Start by discussing ways in which the student can deal with situations that make them uncomfortable. Role play situations that may occur in the classroom and discuss different ways of dealing with these events so that they feel prepared and confident. Allowing them to deal with the situation can be a constructive learning experience.

Be Diplomatic

If the problem persists and you feel like you need to take action, don’t be aggressive or angry. Remember that your child will have to deal with the teacher and try to smooth over the situation rather than inflaming it.

Start by explaining the way your child feels and then ask the teacher if they have any idea why your child feels that way. Really listen to their side of the story. You should say things like: “Jane is upset and I need to understand why she feels this way.” Assume that it is a misunderstanding and don’t make teachers feel like they are under attack. The ideal situation here is to promote understanding and cooperation.

Last Resort

If you feel that the teacher is not responding well to your child or if the situation deteriorates and your child’s academic performance suffers, it may be time to take a trip to the principal’s office. Remember to do so when you are cool, calm and collected. Explain the situation clearly and provide constructive suggestions which can lead to resolution. Perhaps moving the student to a different class may be an option. Be patient and persistent. Having a positive experience at school is essential in maintaining your child’s constructive attitude to education and academic performance. Be an agent for resolution and positive change to turn a negative experience for your child into a positive learning opportunity on how to navigate relationships with authority figures.

Study Suggests Later Start for High Schools Will Help Sleep Deprivation

Photo from Betty Wetherington

A recent study by the American Academy of Paediatrics found that teenagers really do need more sleep. The AAP has even gone so far as to recommend that schools adopt later starting times for classes to allow students to get the rest they need. The study found that the natural sleep cycles of adolescents make it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11pm and has therefor recommended that schools move their start times to 8.30am to allow teens to get the 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep they need.

Sleep cycles or circadian rhythms are the biological schedules and are triggered by chemical, behavioral and psychological changes that happen in our bodies throughout the course of the day. A disruption in these patterns will lead to difficulties falling sleep or staying asleep.

When students don’t get enough sleep, they experience a loss of memory, delayed responses and an inability to concentrate that can affect their academic performance. A lack of concentration also leads to a higher accident rate among teen drivers.

Sleep deprived students get sick more often which means they miss school. It has also been linked to obesity and a higher risk of diabetes.

A survey by the National Sleep Foundation saw some disturbing statistics with 60% of high school students reporting extreme daytime fatigue with 25% falling asleep in class at least once a week. The main reason for this was that the average high school student got 6.5 hours of sleep per night; way below the r “Chronic sleep loss in children and adolescents is one of the most common – and easily fixable – public health issues in the U.S. today,” said pediatrician Judith Owens, MD.

“The research is clear that adolescents who get enough sleep have a reduced risk of being overweight or suffering depression, are less likely to be involved in automobile accidents, and have better grades, higher standardized test scores and an overall better quality of life,” Dr. Owens said. “Studies have shown that delaying early school start times is one key factor that can help adolescents get the sleep they need to grow and learn.”

Dr. Owens has proposed that start times be changed in accordance with these findings: “The AAP is making a definitive and powerful statement about the importance of sleep to the health, safety, performance and well-being of our nation's youth,” Owens said. “By advocating for later school start times for middle and high school students, the AAP is both promoting the compelling scientific evidence that supports school start time delay as an important public health measure, and providing support and encouragement to those school districts around the country contemplating that change.”

Save on Back to School Supplies

 Liz Latham

It’s almost time to send your children back to school and this can pose a financial burden on most families as you pay school fees, buy new clothing and tick off the back to school supply list. If you start early, you can avail yourself of a number of apps and sites that have specials and coupons that can really help ease the financial strain.

Only get what you need

Start with the list that your school has issued and tick off any items you already have. Check drawers and cupboards and see what items you can reuse from last year. 

Don’t buy items that aren’t on the list.

Shop online

You can buy most of the items you need online and you can compare prices that way too. Be sure that the shipping costs are lower than traveling costs to go to the store yourself. When you compare items online, you can find the stores which sell them at the lowest price. Of course you don’t want to make a special trip to each store or the gas money will negate any savings, but keep the list handy so that if you happen to be in the area, you can pop in and get a few things. Combining your back to school shopping with other errands will also save you gas money.

Swap Meets

You can organize to swap all your school supplies with neighbors and friends. This way you can maximize on bulk buys and you can swap out items which you don’t need. You can also work with other families to take advantage of ‘Buy one get one free’ offers or bulk purchase discounts.

Coupons

Coupons are a wonderful way to save and you can really reduce your costs by visiting the following sites to find coupons that you can utilize:

Coupon Divas

The Crazy Coupon Lady

Target

Bargain Briana

Common Sense with Money

Coupon Cravings

Deal Catcher

Retail Me Not

Money-saving apps

If you want to save money on the go, there are smartphone apps that help you to find bargains on your back to school supplies. You can also use these apps in stores that offer price matches. Simply find items cheaper elsewhere and show the cashier the ad on your phone so that they can match the price. This will really save on time and travel expenses as you don’t have to go to more than one shop.

Here are some of the apps you can use:

Rodger’s alerts

Checkout 51 (iOS or Android)

Red Flag Deals (iOS or Android)

CartSmart

The Coupons App (Android, iOS)

RetailMeNot (Android, iOS)

Cartwheel by Target (Android, iOS)

ShopSavvy (Android, iOS) / RedLaser (Android, iOS)

Foursquare (Android, iOS)

Swarm (Android, iOS)

Help your Child to Adjust to a New School

courtesy of Avalore

If you are relocating this semester, you can help your children to settle into a new home and school. Moving is a traumatic experience as children have to get accustomed to a different home, a strange town and new friends. They may also be missing old friends and familiar places. There are some ways you can make the transition to a new school seamless. The most important approach is to understand and acknowledge their fears and anxieties and address as many as you can.

Get orientated

Contact your new school and ask for a tour. If you can get a copy of your child’s schedule, you can trace their daily route from home to school and then around school to all their classes. Knowing where they need to go will help to reduce anxiety. If there are summer holiday activities where your child could meet prospective new school mates, then get details from the school office.

Ask your new school about the buddy system. Many schools assign ‘buddies’ to new students who help them to settle in and find their way around.

Know your new school

Look online and ask the school for brochures or information on activities and clubs. Knowing all the fun things they can do may help kids to foster a positive image of their new school. Getting involved in activities, sports and clubs from day one is a great way for your kids to make new friends.

The website can also provide information about dress codes, teachers, school rules and supplies needed so your child can be prepared.

Talk it out

Ask your child what they are most afraid of or what they worry about when they think about their new school. For example, if they are concerned about getting lost on their bike ride or walk to school, offer to drop them off for the first week or take the route together a couple of times before school starts so that they feel confident. Getting them to talk about possible problems and helping to address their concerns will alleviate anxiety.

Get organized

No one knows your child like you and so you are able to pre-empt any possible issues. For example, shop for and plan clothing choices for the first week. Make sure that they have their back-to-school supplies, get them back into a routine so that they aren’t late on their first day and make sure that they have all your contact details at the new school.

It’s a celebration!

Give them something to look forward to for their first week at school. Celebrate their first day with a cupcake party or take them somewhere special on the weekend after their first week. Having something positive to focus on will help to motivate them.