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2. Instill a sense of pride.
“A doctor is no more important than a teacher, a firefighter, or anyone else who helps make the world go around. If there weren't teachers educating children, there wouldn't be anyone who could handle the rigors of medical school. Everyone has a role; the problem is that you haven't accepted yours.” —Dr. Phil, in O, the Oprah Magazine
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4. Have eyes in the back of your head.
“Once a teacher tried to force me to do something I didn't want to do and then walked away. I got angry, and the teacher turned around just as I was doing a movement that showed I was angry. You never think they're gonna turn around just at that moment.” --Hunter Clemons, Fifth Grader, 11, Apex, NC, in Esquire
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1. Fire bad teachers.
“I had such great teachers in high school who made me feel like I could do anything. Then to go to Yale, where these drama teachers made me feel like shit—if I have any advice for young people, it would be, "Don't listen to teachers who say, 'You're really not good enough.' " Just teach me. Don't tell me if you think I'm good enough or not. I didn't ask you. Teachers who do that should be fired.” --Sigourney Weaver, in Esquire
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5. Know the difference between nice teachers and creepy teachers.
"When it comes to your relationships with your teachers, it can be difficult to know the difference between a teacher who's simply being nice-and one who is being nice in a creepy way. […] Remember, you do need to respect teachers and other authority figures. But that doesn't mean you have to do things you know are wrong just because they tell you to."—CosmoGirl
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3. Compensate teachers fairly.
Want to show appreciation for your kids' teachers—without taking out a second mortgage to cover them all? These low-cost ideas have a personal touch. "This year, my boys (ages 5 and 6) and I are making bracelets. I picked up some charms with each teacher's first name on them, and I've had my kids help select the beads and colors. They've done a great job!" —Carol Reimann, 37, in Redbook
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6. Assign homework.
How engaged should you be? First and foremost, be sure that your child makes homework a daily priority-over sports and clubs. "Teachers see the completion of homework as the number one factor in making a child's academic life easier from kindergarten through college," says Marcia Maloni, Ph.D., a psychologist in Pittsburgh who specializes in parent/teacher relations. —Redbook
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7. But not too much.
You think your 10-year-old son's teacher is giving him too much homework. What do you do? (a) Voice your concern at the next parent-teacher conference. (b) Call the principal and ask her to weigh in on how much homework is appropriate for your son's grade level. (c) Say nothing. The teacher knows how much work is appropriate. CORRECT ANSWER: (a) Teachers want to know when students are having trouble; your child's instructor will surely work with you to find solutions. […]—Good Housekeeping
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8. Always look your best.
“Nothing conveys quiet authority like a simple, commanding sense of style. We think so, anyway, and to test our theory we asked every public-school principal in New York City to nominate the rising stars on their faculties. Here they are, some of the brightest hopes of the five boroughs, and when dressed up in the season’s best shirts and ties, they’re ready to begin class.”—Esquire
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9. Let boys be boys.
“Boys predominantly choose books that are funny and vulgar. They think The Adventures of Captain Underpants is the funniest thing on earth. They don't want to read Little House on the Prairie! But if they bring Captain Underpants or Captain Marvel to school, many teachers will tell them those aren't classroom books. So they learn that what they like to read isn't acceptable at school. That's a negative message that sets a lot of boys back.”—Peg Tyre, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Trouble With Boys
