Getting an A+ in Teacher Communication

We all want A's...I don't care how old you are. In everything we do in life, we want to succeed, get pats on the back, high fives, "atta boys"... basically, life's "A+'s". So, when it comes to meeting with your child's teacher for parent/teacher conferences, aim for the the best possible outcome! Ace that meeting this year.

We tell our kids daily to do their homework. Now it's our turn... We have 10 minutes (give or take) with the person our children spends the majority of their time with during the week, learning and molding their minds for the future. Let me tell you.. you DON'T want to blow those 10 minutes on how organized the classroom is or what a great haircut the teacher has. Get in there and get down to business. This isn't coffee or happy hour, it's your CHILD'S FUTURE.

Here's a checklist to help you prepare (and yes - you can take notes with you to rattle off and questions to go over with the teacher - this helps keep you on track!):

• Talk to your child PRIOR to the conference to see if he/she has concerns you can address


• Discuss any at home issues that may be affecting the work at school


• Ask for specifics about your child's work. Don't be intimated by jargon you may not understand or really care about when in comes to "the majority" or "the class." This is YOUR CHILD'S time.


• Stay focused on your child - not on your past (as a child), your work, or your view on the curriculum. Stay in the present.


• Discuss common goals and your role in those.


• ASK for follow up emails or conversations if you feel they are necessary.

This is a partnership. Don't become antagonistic...the time with your child's teacher should be open and honest and a fair playing field or nothing will or can be accomplished.

If your child is having conflicts with the teacher that you are aware of, these should definitely be addressed. Make sure before having this discussion, that your child has given you solid, concrete examples of what has happened (as well as he/she can from a child's viewpoint). Ask your teacher for her insights, you may find that there are reasons why her decisions have been made, or you may find you need additional help in being heard. Either way, the dialogue needs to be open. Allow the teacher to first have the chance to work things out with your child before going to next level. Many times she may not known the extent of what was going on or being felt, and now is able to address the feelings and situation with your child.

Bottom line is that we all want what's best for the kids... to grow, to learn and become responsible, smart adults ready to help change the world!

If you find out your child needs addtional help or needs to be challenged more...contact us. We know where you can get some great in home tutoring.

The square root of FUN!

I read a quote about math recently:

“Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.”

I started thinking how true this is - and how true I could make it with creative activities over the summer that would teach/reinforce math in my family's daily routine. Basically, we would simply give "math" a different name. Oh yeah...and make it fun!

1. Spending in the Summer: We use this time to show and teach the value of money. It's easy to want to go and do everything when the kids are out of school, but helping them understand how much trips, activities, and other items cost helps them begin to understand the value of a dollar.

2. Create Budgets: You can do this with both young and older kids. Set goals for what they are saving for, but also give them options along the way to help them understand if they want to do other things, how long it takes to get back to goal amount.

3. Saving Incentives: Start a matching program! For every $.50 they save, you donate $.50 to their savings too. This helps motivate all ages!

4. Create "junior investors": Give your child a pretend dollar amount, $10,000 for example, and let them "invest" for a hypothetical portfolio for the family. Help them look at stocks and decide where they would like to invest the money, how much and find out why. Help them track it every day - up and down. At the end of their investment period, they can use their math skills to figure out how much money your hypothetical portfolio is now worth.

5. Shopping Time: Set a budget for the store, make a list of what is needed and have the kids find a way - with math - to stay at or under budget. All you do is accompany them, they do the shopping. If they stay under budget, set a reward for the family to enjoy! Ice cream trips are a GREAT reward for everyone.

It's amazing the ways and places you can find to make math part of your daily routine - and your kids don't even realize how much they're learning!

Tutor Doctor Quiz:

The two biggest questions we get at Tutor Doctor:
Take our 2 question quiz... Then, watch the video and see how well you did :).
1. Where do we tutor? At our location or in your home?
2. Do we work with our own pre-designed curriculum, or do we build a tailored curriculum around your student's learning needs and styles?

We're here for you, your students and their success. Contact us for more info on how we can help you.