School Presence

Both of my parents were schoolteachers. In fact, their parents were schoolteachers and administrators as well. This profession runs in my blood. I am pretty sure that my teachers knew my parents and my parents knew my teachers. In fact, my high school AP English teacher lived down the street from me. Really…she lived down the street. I could sprint from my house and be at her house in less than ten seconds. So, my parents, as part of school culture were there. They came to soccer games and watched me play the alto saxophone and trombone in band. And yes, times were different then. The main source of communication was done in person or maybe over the phone. Which is why dads have limited excuses for having a lack of communication their child’s teachers, administration, and the culture of the school as a whole. A valid reason is that many dads are potentially the bread winners for the home. Maybe some like to leave the day-to-day items for mom to handle. But what could it look like if the dads were consistently present in the culture of their teen’s school? It would be a force to reckon with.

Dads, I challenge you to consider ways to become more involved in your teen’s school. Start with one action step and implement. You can also listen to episodes 61 & 62 on the podcast to gain some further ideas. Whatever you do, your child will appreciate your presence. They may not act like it, but they will.