Back to School; Back to What?

So they're back to school for the 2018 year. And what's ahead? Some will excel, others will do well, some will scrape by and too many will not achieve their potential.

It is possible to predict the future. Students who struggled last year, students who remained unmotivated, students who barely passed and students who hated school are unlikely to do any better this year and perhaps sadly do even worse.

The first parent-teacher interviews (PTI), held in the weeks after school resumes, is where parents have the best possibility of hearing the 'bald truth'. Hopefully the new teachers will have done some diagnostic testing. Armed with these results and no teaching baggage from last year, they should give an honest assessment of where the student is in relation to year level expectations.

But not always. Parents should challenge cliches like; 'She is behind but will catch up', 'Results show he's not the worst in the class' and 'Don't worry we'll take care of it'! These are unhelpful and can be misleading.

Even back when I taught in schools, teachers found themselves hamstrung in what they could actually say to parents. In many cases it was political correctness that stopped the honest truth being spoken. I recall a Principal calling me to his office to demand I rewrite several reports because they were 'too truthful'! To my external shame I went back to my classroom and did it!

Parents should use the first PTI to find out exactly how their son or daughter is performing. Unless the teacher sitting in front of you has taught your child before, they have little to lose by being candid and honest.

If you are not fully satisfied Gloucester House Tutoring offers obligation free assessments and professional tutoring if needed.