Let’s get the whole family involved! 🙂
Hugo wrote in to ask if it’s OK if parents want to watch their kids’ lessons.
There’s a great thread with everyone’s answers over on the VIP forum (some great ideas there) , and my answer was …
Hi Hugo,
The answer is a definite, Yes, Yes, Yes!
Be totally transparent and let the parents come whenever they they like.
Show them you have nothing to hide and everything to show.
But …. and there is always a catch …… when the parents come they *HAVE* to join in the class!
No sitting at the back watching the kids.
(This just creates a bad role model for the kids!)
The parents join in *everything*. The games, the songs, the talking and the gestures.
Doing this stops all the “do this, do that” pointing that parents tend to do, it gives the kids another excellent adult role model to follow – even if they make a mess of things they were trying! – and, best of all, the parent gets to feel what it is like in your class herself.
Once you force her to join in she will but stunned by how good (and different!) the lessons are, and that first person testimonial is all you need to get her telling *all* her friends about your school!
Remember though, zero tolerance, *everyone* joins in! 🙂
I hope that helps you in your classroom too, and do check out the other replies over on the forum! 🙂
Be genki,
Richard
P.S. As one other bribe to get you on the forum – I know you all read but don’t post 😉 – I just put up a demo of the new future tense “What will you do?” song – do check it out! 🙂
P.P.S. Thanks for all the great feedback on yesterday’s song too – it really does help.
Earn More From Your Passion For Teaching English!
I think a lot of parents want to know what goes on in class – to feel satisfied they’re getting their money’s worth! 🙂 A lot of private nurseries have a web cam and parents can watch their kids online, when they enter their password (I don’t think it’s usually free for just anyone to see). I think that’s great, as working parents often wonder how their kids are doing during the day and whether they’re happy.
Yes I agree that if parents will join in it stops all the demotivating old-school style of telling their children what to do, when this isn’t necessary anyway. They’ll also have fun, I’m sure! A good alternative to the aerobics class!! 🙂
Is there is a magic number of parents that should be allowed to join the class at once? If all 8 parents wants to join on the same day wouldn’t be too distracting?
Hi David, in general the more the better. If you have all the parents there (and all participating of course!) then you have much less classroom control/discipline to do, plus of course much more word of mouth marketing as they get to experience your lessons themselves, so if you can get them all that’s perfect!
Thank you Richard, I hegitated to let them in, but considering~. if the parents love to join the class regulary with little ones, should I charge them, too?
Hi Anna,
Good question! Usually if were doing that you’d have it set up as a “parent and child” lesson and charge accordingly. But certainly if they are learning too then you could consider it!