Teo-Education.Com

The parent – teacher conference will always be one of the most meaningful encounters of every teacher’s start to a successful year. In order to enable teachers to experience a positive outcome, here is a list of the top ten suggestions. Always keep in mind not all of these may suit your particular style, however these ideas will keep you on the task at hand.

1. Send out a pre-conference agenda… list two or three items you have in mind and provide the opportunity for parents to list their issues.
2. Engage in casual conversation to get a feeling of where a parent is coming from … be an active listener.
3. Always be prepared, have samples of the student’s work ready, and focus on specific objectives.
4. Set two or three short term goals that will be easily attainable.
5. Emphasize positive attributes and compliment parents on the job they are doing.
6. Encourage parents to focus on rewards first, and then meaningful consequences for their children.
7. Never contradict or undermine a parent’s position; however, be ready to offer suggestions, for example, such as ideas to make homework more manageable.
8. Avoid any judgmental statements. If you stay with your plan, this will be avoided.
9. Recap at the end of the conference to go over important topics covered.
10. Follow up with a short note highlighting positive aspects of conference.

Remember that the conference provides an opportunity to develop a rapport between parent and teacher that will work for the good of the student. It is essential that parents are not only kept informed of their child’s progress, but that the teacher communicates his or her commitment to doing whatever is necessary for that child to succeed. Teaching offers the opportunity change lives, not only students’ lives, but parents’ as well.

by David Connery,

Woodstock Elementary, University of Rhode Island.

Read more @ http://www.jmu.edu/madison/teacher/advice/TopTen%20PTconference.pdf

KUCHING: Family and school institutions are vital to ensure national unity, peace and harmony, said Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datin Fatimah Abdullah.

NICE DRESS: Fatimah (second right) admires a doll dressed in a traditional Chinese costume at SMK DPHA Gapor’s Student Integration for Unity Programme (RIMUP) yesterday. Looking on is school principal Hasanah Junaidi (far right).

She was speaking at the Student Integration for Unity Programme or ‘Rancangan Integrasi Murid Untuk Perpaduan’ (RIMUP) at SMK DPHA Gapor Stampin yesterday.

“Parents are the first teachers to a child. If the parents are fighting all the time, what will become of the peace and harmony of the family? Parents need to set a good example to their children.” she said during her speech at the launch of the school’s Chinese-themed RIMUP event this year.

She added that schools are equally important as it is there that children learn and practise loyalty and respect and get to know one another’s cultures and traditions.

“In executing this project, our children learn to work as a team. They learn how to become good leaders and followers. They also get to know the customs and practices of other races,” she said.

Fatimah pointed out that studying one another’s culture would help them become more tolerant and respectful to each other despite differences in race and religion.

“The highest stage of sustainable unity among our people is acceptance, when they accept each other in the abundant diversity found in our country,” she said.

by Georgette Tan.

Read more @ http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=52054

KUALA LUMPUR: The percentage of teenage girls who smoke is higher than of teenage boys and there are instances of girls starting to smoke age 10.

Describing this as worrying, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said the 2nd National Health Morbidity and Mortality Survey (NHMS11) conducted in 2003 found that 28.8% of teenage girls smoked, more than double the figure for boys, which was 14.1%.

“This trend is very worrying as it clearly showed that there was a serious increase in the number of female smokers who start at a very young age.

“If the trend persists, it is anticipated that life-long tobacco use will cause the death of a total of 250 million teenagers,” she told a press conference after opening the Institute of Respiratory Medicine’s World No Tobacco Day 2010 programme, here, Friday.

Rosnah said the teenage girls were influenced by advertisements that associated smoking with physical beauty and weight loss.

“There is no beauty or sophistication in smoking. There is only ugliness and threat to health,” she said.

Rosnah said smoking also increased the risk of miscarriage and premature delivery of babies.

Hence, she hoped parents, parent-teacher associations and non-governmental organisations would worked closely to organise awareness and educational campaigns on the dangers of smoking.

She said it took more than parents’ attention to tackle the smoking habit among teenagers as most of their time was spent at other places and with their peers.

She said punishing the teenagers would only cause them to be rebellious.

“There is no good in punishing or even suspending them from school. The best way to tackle the problem is by using educational materials and specific advertisements,” she added.

Source: BERNAMA

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/11/nation/20100611172252&sec=nation

Numerous factors contribute to a child’s success in school, but research groups such as the Harvard Family Research Project agree that parental involvement and influence weigh heavily among them. Knowing how to wield your influence is very important, because you don’t want to put too much pressure on your child or overemphasize the importance of grades. The key is to make learning an enjoyable activity rather than a chore.

Develop educational habits outside of school

It’s important to remember that learning is not something that happens exclusively within the walls of schools. Educational experiences can arise anywhere, and can be fun and informal. Remember that children learn everywhere. Heather Weiss, director of the Harvard Family Research Project, says, “Parents provide a strong influence and help children make choices on how to spend out-of-school time.” Think about productive and beneficial ways your child can spend his time, and develop habits within your household that provide intellectual stimulation.

Integrate some of these healthy habits into your regular routine:

1. Make reading an integral part of your home life. Read aloud to your children or set aside quiet time each day in which your family can sit together and read silently. Instead of flipping on the television, turn to books during downtime.
2. Use your daily time with your children wisely. When you are in the car or walking to the school bus, talk to your kids about what they are learning in school, or prompt a conversation about a topic that they find interesting and intriguing.
3. Know what interests your children, and encourage them to explore those subjects. According to Weiss, “You should know what your child likes, and orient him toward the activities he enjoys, so that as he progresses his interests will build.”
4. Provide a quiet and comfortable learning environment for your children. The discord of raising kids, preparing meals, tending to scrapes, and cleaning spills can make any home environment pretty chaotic. Try to find some space where your children can do homework, read, study, or think in comfort and without distraction. If this is impossible, then become a regular at your local library or community center, and teach your children to use community spaces to be productive.
5. Keep a positive attitude about school. Never refer to school as a drag, or make it seem like attending class is a chore. Keep your kids excited about learning, and eager to share their daily discoveries.
6. Encourage your children to register for educational extracurricular programs. “Parental encouragement makes a huge difference in whether children go to [educational] out-of-school-time programs,” says Weiss. Find out if your school or community offers an after-school activity that would interest your child.

by Maya Cohen.

http://school.familyeducation.com/parents-and-teacher/education-and-parents/51325.html?detoured=1

Get involved with your children’s school

Overwhelming evidence suggests that students’ success stems in part from their parents’ involvement in their school. Weiss stresses, “There is a responsibility on the part of the parents to be proactive and to look for opportunities to connect with the teachers and school.” Research shows that when parents and teachers are in touch, children are more likely to do well in school. And when parents are heavily involved with schools, children’s academic performance vastly improves. Find ways to become comfortable in your children’s school and build lines of communication with teachers and administrators. Think about how you can involve yourself in the academic community.

Here are some ways to get involved with your child’s school:

1. Join the PTA or a parent advisory board. Participate in shaping program policy so that you have a say in how your children are affected, and you can help guide academic programs in a beneficial way.
2. Volunteer. Contact your children’s teachers and ask if you can help out during class time by passing out snacks or assisting with experiments and presentations. Get in touch with the school’s administrative office to sign up as a chaperone for field trips, dances, and other events. Find out if the school needs volunteers for assemblies or lunchtime.
3. Chat with the teachers. When you drop your children off or pick them up, say hello to the teachers and talk for a few minutes. Developing a casual rapport with your children’s instructors may seem like a minor way to help your kids, but it’s actually very important. Doing so opens the lines of communications and makes a teacher more likely to contact you about your child’s performance. If you can’t visit the school, write notes to send along with your children, or phone teachers to check up on your kids.
4. Help at home. When your child has a project or needs assistance with homework, make yourself available to help. Don’t take over or do the work for your children, but act as your child’s assistant and let him take the reins. Stay aware of your children’s assignments and knowledgeable about what they are learning.
5. Support the school or academic program. Get involved in fund-raisers and bake sales. Offer to help sell items, or to find advertisers for school yearbooks and newspapers. Make the goals of the school your own goals.
6. Stay in touch with the parents of your child’s classmates. Create a network of parents, so that you all are kept apprised of what is happening in the classroom. Other parents can be a very useful resource, so share information and advice.

Source:

http://school.familyeducation.com/parents-and-teacher/education-and-parents/51325.html?page=2&detoured=1

PTAs are about getting parents and teachers to cooperate in the best interset of the schools and their students.

FOR many Malaysians, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) also known by its Malay acronym PIBG (Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru), is a school-based organisation responsible for jogathons, walkathons and various other activities to raise funds.

However, these associations do much more than just generate additional income for schools.

The scope and functions of PTAs are set out in the Education (Parent-Teacher Associations) Regulations 1998, derived from the Education Act 1996.

Some parents see the association as an important forum to voice their opinions about education-related matters. — File photo

According to the regulations, one of the main objectives of a PTA is to act as a forum for parents and teachers to share their views on advancing the welfare of students.

The principal of every school is obliged to set up the association and all parents, guardians and teachers are considered members.

At the AGM, between five and 15 committee members are voted in. This is done in accordance with the constitution of the respective PTA. Meanwhile, the principal acts as an ex-officio and adviser to the association.

For practical reasons, the positions of treasurer and secretary are usually held by teachers.

As one former headmistress shares, “A teacher from the school is not likely to run off with the funds, and generally it is easier for them to keep records and file the minutes.”

Each PTA is tasked with keeping adequate financial records and preparing a yearly financial report; the account must be annually audited by two non-committee members who are elected by the committee.

Through an AGM consensus, the records may even be audited by a professional auditor.

The regulations also allow for the appointment of not more than two non-PTA members onto the committee by the relevant district education office.

Although PTAs are permitted to introduce curricular and co-curricular activities in schools, there are clauses indicating that they cannot interfere with a school’s administration or use the association as a means to air their dissent over the school’s principal, staff members or even the Education Ministry itself.

The rules also stipulate that a PTA is not allowed to form alliances with political parties, unions, societies or associations, including PTAs from other schools.

Productive partnership

PTAs can help foster a sense of community through organising inter-cultural events at schools.

Having attended his first PTA meet in April, Muhammad Ashraf Rahman reckons that the effort was well worth his time.

“It was also good to network with other parents who are enthusiastic about supporting the school’s activities.”

He adds that parents should not be quick to blame teachers, and sees the PTA as an ideal avenue for him to share his ideas.

“We all need to play our part in combating social ills among youth, such as school gangsterism; it is not enough to simply sit back and say that teachers should do more.

“By showing up and discussing problems, we may find novel solutions to help our children do better in schools,” he says.

Puvaneswari Lingam agrees with this sentiment, although she admits that she usually only shows up for meetings once a year.

“I don’t have the time to attend meetings other than the AGM, but I stay updated with the other parents via email.

“That way, I can still volunteer my time at school events or functions that we hold for the children,” says the mother of two.

Parent Ling Su Lin says that apart from raising funds and responding to problems, PTAs can also serve to foster a sense of community within schools.

“By organising fun events during festivals or throughout the year, students and parents will start to identify themselves with the school.

“As many schools lack funds to pull off such activities, this is where PTAs can step in,” she says.

PTAs are useful to help schools raise funds for additional facilties such as this badminton court in SJKT Batu Caves, Selangor.

Meanwhile, teacher Ros Adibah says that the parental support at her primary school in Kelantan has made her job easier.

“It was hard work at first, convincing parents to take an interest in their children’s education,” she explains.

“Now that the school has managed to build a good rapport with them, it’s easier to talk to them about school issues such as discipline and helping motivate students to do better in their studies.”

Ros stresses that schools should take the time to develop bonds with parents and encourage them to be proactive.

“If you approach them only when you need funds, they will be turned off.

“It’s far more productive to continously engage them by asking for their ideas and opinions,” she says.

Poor attendance

Even so, it is no secret that many PTAs are riddled with poor attendance; most of the teachers interviewed for this article say that turnout is usually less than 30%.

“We cannot force the parents to take an interest, but when problems arise out of PTA decisions, it is these ‘non-attendees’ who are the first to complain,” he says.

Lee adds that when the numbers are too low, the PTA is obliged to postpone its AGM because the quorum is not met.

“If we have to keep delaying the meeting, it’s hard for us to make decisions and plan out the activities for the year,” he says.

In a bid to attract parents to show up, some schools have even resorted to having lucky draws and holding student prize-giving ceremonies during the scheduled annual general meeting (AGM).

Even so, the allure of winning a toaster or watching their children receive trophies may not be enough.

“It’s not that I don’t care, but every meeting so far coincided with my daughters’ dance or tuition classes,” quips one parent.

A few parents have claimed that if they voiced their views, teachers will then victimise their children.

Secondary school teacher Khairul Ariffin says there is no real basis for these fears.

“As long as disagreements are expressed with civility, I highly doubt teachers will take their anger out on students,” he says.

“Unfortunately, although these claims are not true, the growing mistrust and disdain for teachers means that parents rather not take their chances.”

While many parents refuse to leave their children alone on the first day of school, the enthusiasm for staying involved does not seem to last.

Legal adviser Eric Leong says that he has stopped attending meetings for more sedate reasons.

“They drag on for too long! With unnecessary speeches by the principal and the PTA chairman, there is barely enough time for actual discussion.

“I would rather meet-up with my son’s form teacher during report card days to find out what’s going on,” he says.

Similarly, Mawar* says that despite being a PTA committee member in a primary school in Kuala Lumpur, she does not find the association relevant to student needs.

“We are still organising jogathons and motivation camps even when students are not receptive to these events,” she says.

“When some of us try to make a suggestion to mend school problems, the headmistress shoots us down by saying that we cannot meddle with the school’s administrative affairs.

“What makes me really annoyed is that most of the committee members are more interested in ‘beautifying’ the school, rather than equipping classrooms with better learning materials.”

Hisham*, who is also a PTA committee member at a secondary school in Kedah, says that schools need to be more receptive to ideas from parents.

“The principal at my son’s school takes all of our suggestions as personal attacks, when we just want the best for our children.

“The mentality of school administration is to reject all ideas that are not in sync with its own.”

Going by secondary school teacher Ainon’s* experience, such frustrations can lead to some ugly situations.

“At the last PTA meeting, there was plenty of swearing and table-thumping — even my students do not behave that way!” she exclaims.

“There has been some friction between parents and the principal, but we should work on trying to solve problems, not create new ones.”

Ainon adds that while she and her colleagues are open to feedback, parents should avoid trying to micro-manage schools.

“The issue is when parents want to exert control over the way we do our jobs – will they like it if we told them how to raise their children?” she says.

Going the extra mile

Despite the various reasons for apathy and frustration, parent Wati* believes that more parents need to make themselves heard.

“A dynamic PTA can make a world of difference to a school’s environment.

“It is the best way for us to ensure that welfare of the students are looked after,” she says.

Relating the tussle between the school administration and its PTA, Wati claims that there is no proper record of how the school manages its donations.

“An example is when we held a fund-raiser for the less advantaged students,” she explains.

“A total of RM12,000 was collected, and the headmistress had informed the PTA committee that about 70 students each received RM20, a packet of rice and other food items. “To this day, we don’t have a detailed report on where the money went.”

Retired headmaster Mohan* thinks that while instances of fraud are rare, mismanagement and skewed priorities are serious problems within PTAs.

“While a donation of RM25 per student may not seem like much, it can accumulate to a substantial sum in a large school.

“Under the previous principal at my former school in Pahang, the PTA had used donations for lavish school dinners and buying door-gifts for parents at their meetings.

“As the school was in dire need of basic classroom facilities, these indulgences were a waste of resources,” he says.

For parent Teoh*, any misgivings between parents and teachers are set aside for the well-being of the school.

“The school’s allocation barely covers its utility bills,” says the PTA committee member of a school in Perak.

“With no budget this year for replacement teachers, to take over those who are on maternity leave, the PTA has to work together to raise funds and remedy the situation.

“At the end of the day, that’s what PTAs are for — to ensure that students receive the education they deserve.”

by Priya Kulasagaran.

http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2010/6/6/education/6396999&sec=education

KUCHING: Money management or personal finance topics may already be covered in schools through subjects such as accountancy, commerce and math but to some people, students should still be given in-depth formal knowledge on basic finance.

In our quest to delve in this matter, The Borneo Post met with some people for their comments on this matter yesterday.

Lucille Awen Jon, 26 said that although schools taught some ‘basic finance’ such as math and accounting, it did not explain important concepts such as loans, interest, mortgage, mutual funds and stock markets.

“Financial management should be one of the major subjects 10 years ago. Many young adults nowadays are living in debt due to financial illiteracy,” she said.

She added that youths today were under constant pressure to spend living in a heavily commercialized society, which could easily lead to unnecessary spending and mounting debts.

According to her, instead of bringing convenience, credit cards were slowly becoming a ‘poison’ to a young adult’s financial health.

“Due to lack of knowledge, youngsters will end up with numerous financial problems very quickly from being overwhelmed with credit card debts, debts with ‘alongs’ (illegal money lenders) and ‘skim cepat kaya’ scams.

Therefore, exposure to personal finance and even the dangers of financial fraud should be done at a young age,” said the human resource executive from Kuching.

According to her, debt had always been one of the ills of society and the idea of having personal financial management as a separate school subject should be considered by the government.

“Of course it will not be eradicated completely but it is better to prevent than to cure. The more you know, the wiser you’d be in managing your finances. This is a shared responsibility between parents and schools.

“With more financially literate individuals in the country, it will help to reduce inflation (during a financial crisis) and crime rate. It’s all related,” she explained.

Also echoing the same sentiment, mother of five Veronica Derna said parent’s effort in teaching their children on money matters should be complemented by adequate and up-to-date personal finance subject in school.

“At home, knowledge is given informally, young children have the tendency to rebel against parents’ views,” said the 36-year-old administrative assistant from Bau.

Therefore, she said, schools would provide the best environment in giving formal education regarding the importance of smart financial planning. In addition to that, Sarawak Dayak Graduate Association (SDGA) president Dr Dusit Jaul said the idea of having personal financial management taught in schools is sensible.

“In today’s world, it is not a matter of how much you earn but it’s how much you save at the end of the day. People earning RM1,000 monthly could be richer than those earning RM10,000 a month if they manage their finances well through adequate education on personal financing,” he said.

Dusit said the main cause of young adults falling into debt was that they were not exposed to smart financial planning at a very young age.

“It starts from the first piggy-bank they receive as a child.  What schools can do is help inculcate the habit in classes, but parents must also play their part in teaching their kids,” he added.

According to him, youths should be taught financial tools so that they could make money work for them through smart investments, which will also curb the growing problem of people leading a payslip-to-payslip lifestyle.

On the other hand, Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) president William Ghani Bina disagreed that it should be introduced as a separate subject in school because parents should be the ones responsible in educating their children on the matter.

“Thing such as personal financial management should not be left to schools to handle. Basic life-lessons should not be left to the hands of teachers, they cannot do so with the amount of workload they already have,” he said.

Assistant Minister for Human Resource and Training Datin Fatimah Abdullah agreed with William Ghani.

“Parents are the best teachers and the habit should start young by teaching the value of money and the importance of spending within their means.

“Parents should inculcate the value of money by not spoiling their children, giving in to something that is beyond their ability to provide.

“Financial management needs to be acquired based on the values that we inculcate in our children. Be thrifty, spend within your means and prioritise your needs especially in savings that will assure your children’s future,” she said.

Source:

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=29743

School safety is everyone’s business. The best safety effort will involve all aspects of your child’s school, including classroom instruction, school services, and the school climate.

If you’re like many parents, the very idea of “school safety” is overwhelming and frightening. Do your kids feel safe at school? What’s the school doing to keep its students safe? Use this list of questions to find out if you school could be doing more.

Getting Started

KUALA LUMPUR: An imam here has expressed concern over the impact of computer games on children, saying the portrayal of gods as well as heaven and earth in these games could potentially confuse them about the concept of the hereafter.

Chief Imam of the Usamah bin Zahid Mosque in Wangsa Maju, Ustaz Murshidi Abdul Hamid, said although these were merely games, if left unchecked, they could negatively impact the minds of the young people.

Parents should also keep an eye on the type of games played by their children, he said.

“Parents should prohibit their children from playing certain games if they contain elements which are against or derogatory to Islam,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Communications and Media Studies Faculty, Ishak Abdul Hamid, said exposure to negative elements in computer games could also affect the children’s psychological development.

“They become obsessed with playing computer games to the point of neglecting their studies,” he said.

He urged parents to get themselves acquainted with the development in computer games software so that they would be able to tell which software were suitable for their children. – Bernama

Source:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/12/nation/20100512172732&sec=nation

KUCHING: Schools are not the solution to all societal problems because schools are actually meant to complement what parents have taught their kids at home, said Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president William Ghani.

He argued that societal problems should be solved using societal methods and not forced upon the school system.

“Schools should not be looked upon as a problem solver because, for me, the case of, say, baby dumping is a society problem. It is not a problem of children and I believe that every member of the society should be involved in tackling the issue,” Ghani said when met at the STU Education Incentive Award 2009 presentation and 7th Annual General Meeting here yesterday.

“Parents play an important role in this because the children only go to school on their seventh year. So, for the first six years, parents are the ones who shape them in terms of religion, family life, and moral values. We should not over do it by introducing sex education as a subject,” he said.

“Take smoking as an example. Sometimes the fathers smoke in front of the children and even ask them to buy cigarettes for them. So, how can we advise them not to take up smoking? The same goes for drinking. So, if this has been set for the first six years of the children’s life, it is not easy for us to change them,” he said.

Similarly, Ghani said that parents must be interested in their children’s schooling because schools were meant to complement what had been done at home by parents. He lamented that some parents even could not make it to school once a year to collect their children’s report cards.

Source:

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=28980