Meet the Teacher Night at Shepard, Richards the best way to start the school year

With most students somewhere else – at jobs or doing homework – District 218 schools recently hosted what many educators would call the most important event of the year.

Meet the Teacher Night, which allowed parents to follow an abbreviated version of their student’s class schedule, invited moms and dads to join as educational partners.    

Among all the variables that affect student achievement, none exceeds parent involvement. MTN blended curriculum, academic expectations, and answers to every question.

“This event helps me set the tone for the year with the caring adults in my students’ lives,” said Julie Boone, a social studies teacher at Shepard High School.

Boone has developed a specific strategy for MTN.

“I always attempt to convey two messages.  That the school year will be challenging, but that students can succeed, and I am here to help.  I also convey that the greatest compliment I can pay them is to hold students to high expectations.  Understanding these messages is vital to student success,” she said.

Like Boone, Richards High School teacher Kelly McKimson-Rhodes identifies parent communication among her most important duties. 

“Parental involvement at the high school level can be tricky when families are increasingly busy, so I like using our web resources to communicate with parents,” said McKimson-Rhodes, who has added a class Twitter account for more immediate access. 

Denise Horton, whose daughter Sydney is a Shepard junior enrolled in one of Boone’s classes, could have done anything with her evening.  She chose to come to MTN.

“My daughter asked me to come.  I would have anyway because I believe that parent involvement makes a huge difference.  But she wanted me to meet her teachers. She likes them all,” Horton said.

Teachers view parents as partners.  Each possesses great influence on teenagers.

“As teachers, we are here to challenge our students and help them to grow. Supportive parents will advocate for a challenging curriculum and help students seek out resources or support when required. Further, caring adults who understand the expectations, routines, and average workloads of the class can gauge their student’s level of investment in the work,” Boone emphasized.

Teachers can pick out students – from the quality of their work and goal setting, class participation, and attitudes -- whose parents make education a priority.  

“If they share their work and ideas over dinner, they always come back with greater clarity in their own thoughts.  It is another layer of accountability for the student,” Boone said.

For many reasons, freshman year breaks students and parents from what they’ve known in education.  High school challenges students with an unfamiliar academic environment.  Parents start over as well when their children enter ninth grade.

“Parents need to ask questions about assignments, homework, and class conversations.  Monitoring grades should also be a part of that investment,” Boone said.

Key moments occur when students encounter difficulty.  When handled as a team, such challenges can become opportunities.

“When a student makes a misstep, I’d hope that communication begins with the student.  Freshmen in particular may need help realizing a mistake.  They also might need help on how to have a conversation with a teacher about making up work or clarifying a concept. When students have that layer of support at home, they become much better self-advocates, and that is really the goal,” Boone said.