Share Information about School or Classroom Policies Through Diverse Means (Monday)

Provide grandparents access to policies that affect their grandchildren. Publish policies on the Internet, send copies home for grandparents to read, and hold orientation/informational meetings throughout the year. Most importantly, be available when grandparents want to ask a policy question and answer their questions clearly and precisely. Grandparents are trying to acclimate themselves to an educational environment that is very different from when their own children attended school. Grandparents need policy information to understand expectations and consequences. Schoolyard brawls that once earned a reprimand from the principal now earn students long-term suspensions, and high-stakes tests must be passed for graduation, a stark contrast to graduation requirements from three decades ago.

Help Grandparents Develop Realistic Expectations About Today’s Schools (Tuesday)

Publish a classroom newsletter to help grandparents establish expectations. Just as it is important for grandparents to understand school and classroom policies, it is important for them to have realistic expectations about modern schools and classrooms. Technology, instructional methods, and content have changed to reflect the advances of our culture. Some grandparents are not aware of these changes. Hold orientation sessions for grandparents to share information about the school culture overall, and use weekly newsletters to inform grandparents about course content, homework expectations, and tests. While today’s schools are different from schools of the past, the common factor is that grandparents want their grandchildren to perform well; understanding these various factors will contribute to that goal.

Help Grandparents Improve Their Interactions with School Personnel (Wednesday)

Help grandparents build positive relationships with school personnel. All too often, caregivers only hear from school personnel when something is wrong. Classroom teachers who build a trusting relationship with grandparents through frequent and diverse types of communication often become the initial contact person if and when a problem or question does arise. Use this relationship to coach the grandparents to contact appropriate school personnel and to clarify the information or request they have for this person prior to making contact. For example, grandparents who are frustrated with their grandchild’s academic performance in math might first call the science teacher, with whom a trusting relationship has been established, to voice concerns about math. The science teacher, rather than speak to the math teacher on the grandparent’s behalf, should instead advise the grandparent of specific questions to ask the math teacher and encourage the grandparent to contact the teacher directly.

Help Grandparents Support Academic Achievement (Thursday)

Inform grandparents of graduation requirements, state-mandated testing requirements, and post-high school career/educational options. Classroom teachers need to establish regular contact with grandparents to share information about academic achievement and options gradually. Interjecting this information into conversations a little at a time will provide necessary information without overwhelming grandparents. While long-term academic achievement is important, short-term performance in courses leads to that long-term academic success. Encourage your colleagues who you know teach students of grandparents to communicate frequently and consistently with grandparents.

Help Grandparents Become Aware of Community Resources (Friday)

Pass information concerning support programs within the community along to grandparents. From tutoring programs to financial management classes created especially for grandparents raising grandchildren, grandparents need to be made aware of the programs available to them. Grandparents may be less aware of the resources that are available to students than they are programs for the elderly. Also, after school programs and extracurricular events will be of interest to grandparents.