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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Back to School Tip #8: Assess the Classroom Environment*

Become familiar with the physical setup of the classroom. Ask for permission to spend some time in the classroom with your child. Pay attention to noises, lights, hallway distractions, and peer interactions. The business of the classroom is important to assess. This means looking at how much information is displayed on the walls, objects hanging from the ceiling, and the manner in which the walls are decorated. Assess how the teacher greets each child as they enter the classroom as well as their demeanor during teaching times. You can usually tell how personable a teacher is by observing how children respond. Tone of voice, facial expression, and eye contact can either be soothing or over simulating. *Adapted from 10 Important Back-to-School Tips for Parents and Teachers - Heather T. Forbes, LCSW If you find yourself needing additional support and encouragement to advocate for your child, contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consult when you subscribe to my weekly Christian Parent Wisdom http://bit.ly/nmOEXw and mention that you heard about this FREE offer though this blog on your subscription order. I offer more school strategies and resources in my July 2012 Love in Action Newsletter - Back to School Resources at http://bit.ly/nNyPn6

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Back to School Tip #7: Help Your Child Find Resources and Empower Your Child*

Start with teaching your child internal resources. Teach him to breathe in and self regulate. Help your child identify his body symptoms of stress so he can do his own early intervention. Next of all identify external resources. Find out who your child feels emotionally safe with at school and encourage development of those relationships. That person may be one of the support staff who work in the cafeteria, maintenance, or housekeeping. Develop strategies that the school and your child can use in times of stress. This could be something as simple as a safe room or safe space within the school. Connection with a safe person is the best. You could prearrange times for telephone calls to help your child connect with you when he is at school. *Adapted from 10 Important Back-to-School Tips for Parents and Teachers - Heather T. Forbes, LCSW If you find yourself needing additional support and encouragement to advocate for your child, contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consult when you subscribe to my weekly Christian Parent Wisdom http://bit.ly/nmOEXw and mention that you heard about this FREE offer though this blog on your subscription order. I offer more school strategies and resources in my July 2012 Love in Action Newsletter - Back to School Resources at http://bit.ly/nNyPn6