In case you weren’t sure, teachers really do want your help, and most want to see more of you. The University of Phoenix College of Education just released a survey of 1,000 teachers nationwide that asked about challenges in the teaching profession as well as classroom concerns. Nearly all (97%!) said they want parents involved in their classrooms, and added that they wished they were more connected with parents.
Nearly half (47%) said lack of parent involvement is a source of frustration. Of the 1,000 teachers surveyed, a big majority (76%) said that fewer than half of their students have parents who are involved in the classroom.
Here’s how teachers would like to see parents involved:
Regularly communicate with teachers (71%)
Raise concerns to teachers when they arise (67%)
Ask about areas of improvement for their child (66%)
Donate supplies (47%)
Visit the classroom (38%)
Help in the classroom (35%)
The survey also found teachers are frustrated by large classroom size, standardized testing, and the gap between student achievement levels, among other things.
On the plus side, most respondents (73%) said they became teachers to make a difference in children’s lives and slightly more than one-third said they wanted to “inspire change in education.”
The survey was conducted by Harris Poll in late 2013 on behalf of the University of Phoenix.
Originally posted in 2013.