The Teaching Trauma

Have you ever considered the number of people who will teach your child during their schooling career? Primary school starts with one or two teachers per year over the three years means your child will be taught by six different teachers. The three years at junior school adds a further nine, but the real shock perhaps arrives at secondary school.

Subject speciality involves a dedicated teacher per subject per year. Allowing for seven subjects over the five years racks up a further 35 teachers. But this assumes that nobody leaves. In reality 50 % of newly qualified teachers quit the profession within three years. Add other changes due to staff movements, retirements, promotions etc. adds a further five changes.

In total the average child will be taught by an army of 65 different teachers during their schooling programme. The law of averages states some of the teachers will be brilliant, others average and unfortunately some will be poor. Add in changes to the curriculum, government policy, lifestyle, technology, social attitudes, and the pot-pourri becomes staggeringly complex.

Yet there is one constant in the equation. As a parent you are present throughout the entire process. And yes – you are a teacher. Who else taught then to walk, talk, ride a bike, understand hygiene health and safety, social etiquette and to stand up for themselves. So why do we let go when they go to school.?

A combination of external issues arises. To some parents it is a relief to get some free time back; work commitments re-emerge and many feel unwilling or possibly inadequate supporting the schooling process; not wishing to interfere. The reality is the opposite. Ask any teacher and they will say one of their biggest frustrations is the absence of parents’ effective involvement in the schooling process. This is not just the end of term report or attending parent’s night, this is the hands on approach throughout the term.

Learning is achieved in stages. The “see and hear” process at school achieves a 30% score in learning retention, whereas the “do” practice activity achieves 75%. Ironically it is this practice function that is the most difficult to achieve at school – timetable, equipment availability, differing learning speeds all conspire to disrupt the activity. Yet this is the one function that is ideal for parents to help at home.

Teachers use a host of educational games to practice the lesson content whenever they can. The further use of these games at home can have a huge befit. This is not the conventional text and exercise homework where parents can perhaps feel isolated. This is spending some fun time at home at the pace of the child enjoying games that significantly help their performance back in class. Like all games there are rules, challenges and the opportunity to become the winner! The key is the opportunity o repeat the exercise at the speed of the child. In effect it is “learning in disguise”

The educational games extend across the whole curriculum, and ideal where a child is perhaps struggling to keep up or wants that extra challenge ahead of the class. More importantly it keeps parents in touch with just how their child is performing and where a little help can have a dramatic effect. And you become the learning mentor, the one constant in a world of academic change!