Coupons!

I clip coupons, save them and sometimes I even organize the coupons by type.  Even with my attempts to organize my coupons, they only defray the expense of the item if I take them with me to the store.  Once I get to the store, I have to make sure I select and purchase the exact item specified on the coupon and it doesn’t help if the coupon is expired. If the coupons are for a specific store, I have to make sure that I bring the correct coupon to the particular store.  It definitely takes a lot of concentration and organization if you want to make it worthwhile.

The other day I was speaking with a friend of mine and he began to talk about all of the money he was saving with coupons.  He said that he had a lot of items in his garage and basement and to let him know if I needed anything.  Seeing the quizzical look on my face he told me that he was an extreme coupon clipper.  As we talked about his hobby further I found it amazing to hear about all of the great deals he was able to obtain by using coupons, often in combination with store sales. 

Almost immediately I began drawing correlations between couponing and students and their homework.  As parents we remind our children to do their homework, watch them work on it, see them put their completed assignment in their folder, and then wonder why they didn’t get credit for it.  Of course, our children are just like we are when we forget to take our coupons to the store, they forget to take their assignments to class and turn them in to their teacher. 

As a parent, we may improve our children’s educational performance by working with their teachers.  In the same way I find it necessary to use concentration and organization to help me in my attempt at couponing, it is important to instill these same traits in to our children to help them become better students.

In a recent conversation with a parent she told me that she had met with her child’s teacher.  During the meeting she was able to describe some concerns she had about how her child learns.  In exchange, just like my friend gave me some insight on how to improve my use of coupons, the teacher was able to give the parent some tips about how she could provide educational support at home. 

Our teachers have worked long and hard to come up with good solutions to help our students gain proficiency in their school work.  They spend time in professional development sessions to help them build the strategies they use with students.  Similarly to the way I learned tips about how to improve my use of coupons, teachers who attend seminars gain new insight and learn alternate approaches regarding their work with students.

If you have questions about how your child is progressing as a student or how you may support them at home, check with your child’s teacher.  You may see them in person or you find their email at www.myeagles.org click on the link to their specific school and then click on “Faculty” in the border on the right.   If you would like to partner with the Columbia School District or to register your child for school, please email me at Pamela.Campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 517.592.6641.