Foundational to your children’s school experience (life experience) is the practice and persistence of intercessory prayer on their behalf.  “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you” Jeremiah 29:12.  Intercessory prayer for your children’s needs, for their teachers to be sensitive and responsive to their needs, for friends and classmates who will share their values and be a positive influence on them, for the administration and school personnel to be committed to excellence and integrity, for wisdom and discernment for you to help them navigate the challenges and difficulties they encounter, for joy in discovering and sharing their successes both large and small.  Praying with your children is a key component.

Taking an active interest in your children’s education sends an important message to them about the value and importance of taking full advantage of their God-given abilities.  Talk with them about their school experiences.  More importantly, listen to them.  “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” James 1:19.  Take time daily for a “peaks and valleys” discussion, “what was the best thing that happened today, what was the worst and what did I learn from both”.  Look for and take advantage of teachable moments.  Be careful not to be a “helicopter” parent, overly protective and overly involved.  Allow your children to suffer the natural consequences of poor decisions.  Help them to learn the lessons that will enable them to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

I recently read of a newspaper that followed several students from their entry into 9th grade until their scheduled graduation four years later.  What they discovered after four years was that all but one of the students dropped out.  The student who graduated did so with honors and the conclusion of the newspaper was that the most significant factor contributing to her success was that she had parents that were actively involved in her education.  In my 39 years of experience as a public school teacher and administrator, I observed a clear correlation between the involvement and interest of parents and the positive and successful educational experience of their children.  Educational research supports that same conclusion.  Cultivate a relationship with the school; your children’s teachers, coaches, the administration, counselors, and anyone else who will play a role in your children’s educational experience.  Based on my experience, I believe the vast majority of educators are there because they genuinely enjoy working with young people, care about them, and want to do their best by them.  Stay connected at every level of school.  Volunteer if possible.  You will be providing a valuable service and it will give you insight into your school’s “culture”.  Offer to serve on school or district committees if possible.  It will broaden your perspective on the school and/or school district.  Approach the school as an ally/partner in a united and cooperative effort with you and your student.  When one of our sons had a rather inauspicious beginning to his middle school career, we had a “family meeting” and “agreed” that I would contact the lead teacher on his team every Friday to receive a report on his behavior for the week.  Good behavior meant weekend privileges.  The school was pleased to work with us and with their help and by the grace of God our son got back on track and had a successful school year.