MIDLAND, Texas — Halston McCalla is a middle school math teacher at the Young Women's Leadership Academy and she is ready to have her classroom seats filled with her students again.
“We are really excited to get our girls back in the building," says McCalla, "through COVID, we worried about our kids a lot so waiting for the first day where they walk through the door. I know that’s what we’re all looking forward to the most."
Once school is back in session, McCalla explains how students aren't the only ones that have to get back to work.
“We are begging of parents is to team with us and work with us on reading every night with your child and working on math facts or small math things like; counting money, working on numbers and memorizing facts," says McCalla.
Also, if the assignments you're helping your child with seem a little too hard; teachers have ways to help both parent and student.
"By reaching out to your kids' teacher more than likely they will record a snippet for you or send you a video of how to do the math so you can help your kids," she says.
Ms. McCalla has an 8th grader and 2nd grader, she knows the importance of parent involvement with your children and their teachers.
"I go home and make sure that I’m looking at homework. I stay involved in what my kids are learning at school," says McCalla.
She tells me for parents with kids in different grade levels, you should check-in and ask question that'll benefit each child.
"Let’s ask do you have homework tonight? Let me see what you’ve done? Do you need help with your homework, let’s go over what you need done," says McCalla, "with the littles it’s more about sitting down and having those routine of let's read. 'You don’t have reading homework well, let’s read a little bit out of a book tonight or let’s read a picture book. I read a page and you read a page'."
With just simple communication with your child and their teacher, it can keep everyone on the same page during the school year.
"It’s really important that parents reach out to their kids teachers to see how things are going in the classroom what can we do as parents to bridge the learning of what’s going on in school," says McCalla.