MS.QUEENIE, M.A.

CELEBRITY EDUCATION CONSULTANT 

I GOT 10 TEACHERS
TO EACH TELL ME
THEIR BEST TIP TO
HELP CHILDREN HAVE
A SUCCESSFUL
SCHOOL YEAR!
Dear Parent,

Over the next eight weeks, students will be getting more acquainted with their new
teachers. I wanted to share with you some tips from teachers who want to see your child
succeed in the 2018-2019 school year. It is said that the number-one predictor of
student success (in schools with resources) are parents and teachers.

Because of that, if you want to awaken the brilliance within your child, YOU must partner
with your child’s teacher.  

“You must partner with

your child’s teacher.”

Partnership in developing their innate genius is the key to your child’s success. 

  
Partnership means that you’re not simply dropping your high schooler, but that you are
in constant communication with their teachers. It means you volunteer in your son’s
first-grade classroom or even volunteer to shadow your daughter’s middle school retreat.

Partnership derives from Latin, partitionem:  “a sharing, partition, division, distribution”
from the stem of partire “to part, divide”.

Think about that.

Your partnership is about sharing the work. School was never meant to do all the work.
The relationship between home and school life is the most important aspect of your
child’s developmental ecology.

It doesn’t matter if your child is entering high school or the first grade. Your job is to
work in tandem with your child’s teacher. 

Yours Sincerely,
Ms.Queenie, M.A.
Education Consultant 
I asked 10 teachers from around the country one simple
question. I asked, “What is your best tip for helping
students have a successful school year?”

Here is what they said:

1.) I want parents to understand that even though all parties want to believe that high
schoolers going into college are independent adults, they still very much need
accountability, support, and communication from their parents. The transition from high
school to college should not be an abrupt cutoff where children are expected to take
total responsibility for their educational success. Instead, it should be a much more
gradual process where parents allow their child some space but also keep informed and
involved.

Tai Aracen, College

Alabama State University & Auburn University, 6 years experience 

2) Expose your children to things outside YOUR norm, as a child cannot be what they
don’t see. Expose them to new cultures, languages or sites.

LaTracey Copeland Hughes,

Special Needs Teacher, Grades 4-6
Ocean Springs, Mississippi | 13 years teaching experience

3) First, realize that your [child] must become good at two things, listening and critical
thinking, regardless of the subject. Secondly, The difference between [your child] now
and five years from now are the people [you introduce them to] and the books that
[they] read.

Helena J. Conley, M.A.T.

Retired High School Teacher &  Adjunct Professor
Los Angeles, California | 13 years teaching experience
 Ten Back to School Tips
4-6
4) Check their homework, make sure it gets done, prioritize their education, and don't
think students need less attention and help as they get older. Ask your student to teach
you what they have learned...to explain a concept, draw a diagram, solve a problem, and
show you how to do it too!

Veronica Woodard, M.Ed

Middle School/High School Sciences
Memphis, Tennessee | 7 Years teaching Experience

5) My tip for parents is to always ask questions, even if you think they sound redundant,
stupid, repetitive, complacent, or like you haven't done your "homework": you didn't
read your parent emails, newsletters, blogs, Twitter messages, etc... When you are on
technology all day, the messages, humanity, and sense of community can be easily lost
and people tend to stop reading information. So, if the many digital versions of
communication don't seem to be helping, are not productive, or don’t support your
reality (for the goodness of all), ask questions, and if you can’t, find someone who can.

Ramiza Saheed
Middle School Teacher 
Seattle, Washington | 10 years teaching experience  

6) Read to your children nightly (elementary). You'd be surprised how many students

lack exposure to print. Exposure accelerates/closes the gap in literacy development. 

Shannon Dexter, M.Ed

Retired Elementary Teacher | Currently Offering Private Tutoring  
Calabasas, California | 10 years teaching experience
 Ten Back to School Tips
7

7) Academics: Read to your child nightly and talk with them about what you have read.
Do not let them enter fifth grade without memorizing their multiplication facts. Have
them practice explaining their answers by using evidence from the text.  

Social Emotional: Communicate with your child every day about school.  Ask your child
better questions when they come home.  Instead of, “How was your day?” try, “What
made you laugh today? What made you think today? What was hard? What challenges
came up today and how did you handle them?  Were you successful today? Why?”

And lastly, be a responsible parent: Check their backpack every day. Communicate with
the teacher at least once a week if not more. Know who your child is hanging out with
outside of class. Ask how you can support the school/classroom/teacher this school year.
 
Oh, and I am not a fan of mindless homework, but YES, there IS homework tonight. If not
then give them some.  If you take time to practice with them the skills they need to
succeed, they will see them as important.

Eddie Gorton, M.A.

Assistant Principal
Los Angeles, California  | 16 years teaching experience

8) Connect with the teacher early and often. Teachers often spend more time thinking
about the students with parents who have a presence at the school.  

Melissa Spiegelman, M.Ed.

Elementary Teacher
Los Angeles, California | 16 years teaching experience   
 Ten Back to School Tips
8-9

8) Connect with the teacher early and often. Teachers often spend more time thinking
about the students with parents who have a presence at the school.  

Melissa Spiegelman, M.Ed.

Elementary Teacher
Los Angeles, California | 16 years teaching experience  

 9)  Encourage your child to develop organizational, time management, and study skills.
Also, don’t overload them with after-school activities. Finally, teach them self-
responsibility.

Oklahoma- Christina Gensman. M.Ed

Middle School Social Studies Teacher
Lawton, Oklahoma | 7 years teaching experience  
 Ten Back to School Tips
10
10)  Elementary students need consistency: consistency for creating learning/study plans
and habits at home. My greatest recommendation is for parents to be consistent with
their expectations for academics, behavior, social/emotional health, and spirituality.

My advice is often two-fold in that I recommend setting SMART goals and offering all
kinds of support and techniques for both parents and students to reach them. However,
they understand it is based upon their consistency in reaching that goal. That is what
determines their level of success. I like to use the saying: One-Two-PUNCH because you
are working out or fighting, in a sense, through challenges, minor setbacks, and even
small successes to reach a goal.

1: Plan- set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals --- what do
you want to accomplish this year in math, art, community service, etc.?

2. Consistency – Do what you say you are going to do! Be it reward, consequence, or
support; this is follow-through; your child is watching for you to be true to your word
and will expect you to do it. In addition, have routines to follow and to uphold. That
takes the guesswork out of what to do, how, and when. Routines help your child
effectively meet goals because they have what they need already in place to be
successful and, for the most part, do it independently.

3. Punch – Keep your emotional response in check even when life gets busy,
overwhelming, and tiresome. Keeping calm and firm will boost #2 - consistency. This is
the most challenging but oh so important factor, for your child to see you act and
respond in the same way as you always do and not take your child’s limit testing or
failures to mean all is lost and too incredibly difficult to continue pushing towards the
goal.  With that said, be predictable and stand firm to your expectations, goals, and
limits. Don’t over talk, negotiate, or repeat your expectations. Instead, push your child
to be accountable, steadfast, and successful.

Zemia Atkins Young, M.A.  

Elementary / K-5 Curriculum Specialist
Los Angeles, California |15 years teaching experience 
 BONUS TIP

1) Immediately reveal to your child’s teacher any learning disabilities, in-home

drama/trauma or areas where your child struggles most significantly. The greatest
mistake a parent or caregiver makes is failing to reveal to the teacher the areas of
struggle that a child has. Without providing the teacher with the necessary information
to adequately support your child, you will leave them guessing or struggling to provide
the RIGHT resources to engage their development properly. This, in turn, results in
losing precious teaching time. Many parents hide their child’s greatest needs in fear of
the teacher treating the child differently. There are teachers who may misuse the
information, but the majority of teachers will, in fact, be grateful for the information
before behavior issues arise.

2) Be as active as possible on the school campus. Connect with your child’s friends,
especially if they are in high school. You need information that MOST teens won’t
readily share with their parents. However, if you are connected with their friends, they
will tip you off and give you a heads-up for any non-academic issues your child might be
facing at school with their friends.

3) Your child, regardless of age, ALWAYS brings your personal problems to school. That
means they share what you are going through with their friend or teachers. It’s
important for you to talk openly with your child about family issues and alert the school
counselor. Please be mindful. Only give children developmentally appropriate
information. 

Ms. Queenie Johnson, M.A.

Elementary to High School | Education Consultant
Los Angeles, Ca. | 15 years teaching experience  
Follow Up
Questions
THINK BRILLIANTLY 

1. Have I scheduled a call or face-to-face conference with my child's teacher(s)?

2. Have I identified the most meaningful tips in this guide to support my child's growth?

3. What's my plan to ensure my child(ren) have a great school year?

4 Have I set aside time to reach out to Ms. Queenie for support?

REMINDER:  All of your children are different. Be sure to consider what tip you need to
focus on for each child. 
ABOUT MS.QUEENIE JOHNSON,M.A.

Ms. Queenie Johnson, Celebrity Family Education Consultant, Mission

Maverick and the brains behind and Founder of The Curriculum Creators, a
digital learning agency, believes that by helping parents unfold their brilliance,
their children will have an impeccable model for what's possible in their futures.

Ms.Queenie partners with brilliant mamas (& dope dads) who are ready to
cultivate a limitless and strategic mindset in their child by equipping them with
the tools to powerfully parent the innovator and brilliant thinker within their child

Ms.Queenie is best known for her two signature programs, Mama Be Brilliant
Luxury Camp, and the Influential Parent Circle. Ms.Queenie draws from her 15
years in education, her extensive experience as a private coach, and her
exuberant, limitless spirit to help Brilliant Mamas & Dope Dads up their game
and change the world.

Ms.Queenie has served as a private education management consultant and

educational mentor to the children of Stevie Wonder, Charlie Sheen, and
Denise Richardson, Cedric the Entertainer, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Omar
Epps, Laura Govan and Gilbert Arenas, and Brandy Norwood to name a few.
She has an extensive background in constructivist/progressive education. Her
philosophy is rooted in a curriculum that's co-created with students.

You can find out more about Ms.Queenie at www.MamaBeBrilliant.com. You

can also follow her on Instagram @MsQueenieJohnson or call her office:
1-866-495-7107.
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