Are you a teacher mom or dad? A parent that works at the same school that your child attends?
This will be my third year being a teacher mom - and I thought I'd pass along a few tips that have worked for us. I'm sure there are many other tips or suggestions out there; so please comment if you have any great ideas to share!
1. Give me 5!
There is a lot to do at the end of the day. You are tired and ready to go home! We tried "Give me 5" and this has helped. When my daughter gets to my classroom - before I start any "end of the day chores" - we have a conversation about her day. This generally is five (or more, of course) things that happened, went well, didn't go so well, etc. It's a great time to connect - and if your kids are anything like mine, once you get home they suddenly can't remember even one thing they did that day! It's one of my favorite parts of a busy and tiring day.
2. Special Workspace
I have a set workplace for my daughter. This gives her a place to start homework, but also gives her a place to relax, work on projects, etc. I set out supplies like markers, pencils, crayons, and paper. This way she has everything she needs and won't need to ask where to find it. This has also helped my daughter make a mess in one area of the room, versus all over the place! (You might be able to relate at your house!)
3. SNACK!
I think I've been hungry (or sometimes "hangry") at the last bell every.single.day that I've attended or taught school! I learned very quickly - the hard way - to make sure to pack extra snacks in my daughter's lunchbox to eat after school in my classroom. I make sure they are snacks that aren't messy or snacks that take a long time to eat.
4. Helper Jobs
As teachers, we have so many jobs - big ones, little ones, and those in between. It's so nice to have someone help you get these jobs done! I learned early on that my daughter loved having responsibility in my classroom while we waited to go home. I give her simple jobs each day that she can do without my help. This includes sharpening pencils, changing the calendar, erasing the whiteboards, turning off the computers, and setting out morning work.
5. Plan Ahead for Meetings
This was definitely the biggest learning curve for me; what to do when I wouldn't be in the room. When I have meetings after school, I make sure to have things ready that will keep my daughter busy while I'm out of the room. This is when I have my daughter pull out classroom games or she plays games on the iPad (which of course she loves since screen time is limited at home).
If this is your first year being a teacher parent, good luck! It's a great experience, I promise!
If you have been a teacher parent for awhile now, what are your tricks?
If you have been a teacher parent for awhile now, what are your tricks?
