INDIANAPOLIS — It's a new school year and a fresh start for thousands of Indiana students heading back into the classroom. One education expert said there are three main things that can help make for a successful year.
The first thing Jennifer Brinker, with Greenwood Middle School, said is for parents to be active and informed with what your child is doing – not just with grades, but emotionally as well.
Brinker said the next thing is all about being positive toward your child and their teachers as much as you can.
The third piece of advice is giving kids the independence they need at school.
"School is their job, so while you monitor their grades, they're the ones ultimately responsible for talking to a teacher if they have a missing assignment," Brinker said. "Obviously [with] little kids, you're going to have to be more involved, but as your kid grows up, you need to pull back a little bit and let them handle some of the responsibility."
Brinker said getting your kids into a routine of heading back to school next week is also important, such as going to bed early and getting up early. On top of that, she added to make sure you know which apps your child can and cannot use because it can impact the way they learn.
"Parents need to be very involved and that does bleed over into school," Brinker said. "You need to be looking at their social media. Knowing what all of the apps are on their phones, and that will all make them more successful at school, too, if they're not dealing with outside drama online and bringing that into the school building."
The Indiana Department of Education said there are more than 2,300 open teaching positions in the state. The range of open positions varies depending on the district, as IPS has over 300, but Beech Grove around a half-dozen.
To see open teaching positions around the state, click here.
Other central Indiana school openings this coming week include:
- Perry Township Schools: Thursday, July 27
- Clark Pleasant Community Schools: Thursday, July 27
- Wayne Township Schools: Thursday, July 27
- Warren Township Schools: Friday, July 28
- Avon Community Schools: Friday, July 28
- Brownsburg Community Schools: Friday, July 28
- Kokomo School Corporation: Friday, July 28
- Mt. Vernon Community Schools: Friday, July 28