37: Co-Parents, Teachers, and Your Child’s Education
Parents, stepparents and school representatives (teachers, counselors, and administrators) all play a role in helping school-home relationships thrive. But not everyone knows how to play that role. Ron Deal is joined by school counselor Allison Weatter, principal Steven Helmick, and teacher Nan Deal, along with stepmom and author Gayla Grace, for a panel discussion on this important subject. As a parent or stepparent, how can you help teachers understand your unique stepfamily dynamics and relate to your child better? As a teacher or school counselor, how can you better advocate for and look out for your students who live in stepfamily or single parent homes? Kids wear different backpacks to school with baggage they're carrying from life experiences. Listen in for some great ideas on how to help lighten their load as a parent, stepparent, or school representative.
Show Notes
About the Host
About the Guest
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- Learn more and register for the Summit on Stepfamily Ministry. https://www.summitonstepfamilies.com/
- Learn about FamilyLife's other podcasts. https://www.familylife.com/podcast
- Visit FamilyLife Blended® online for articles, videos, and resources for blended families. https://www.familylife.com/blended
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Ron Deal
Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and Consulting Editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and Preparing to Blend. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, popular conference speaker, and host of the FamilyLife Blended podcast. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at FamilyLife.com/blended.
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Allison Weatter
Allison Signaigo Weatter is an elementary school counselor in the Little Rock School District. She is nationally board certified and has been working alongside teachers, families, and students for over 12 years. She is passionate about bringing people together to help students flourish. Allison is an active member at her church, loves being outside, and spends most of her free time with her husband, Cory, and 2 year old son, Noah.
Gayla Grace
Gayla Grace serves on staff with FamilyLife Blended, a division of FamilyLife, is the founder of Stepparenting with Grace, and co-founder of Sisterhood of Stepmoms. She is a writer, speaker, and coach on stepfamily life and is passionate about equipping blended families. She holds a master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling and is the author of Stepparenting With Grace: A Devotional for Blended Families and co-author of Quiet Moments for the Stepmom Soul and Unwrapping the Gift of Stepf...more
Nan Deal
Nan Deal is the co-founder of Connor's Song, a non-profit organization that she and her husband founded in honor of their son Connor Lee Deal who died at the age of 12 in 2009. In cooperation with the Touch A Life Foundation, Connor's Song run Connor Creative Art Center in Ghana, West Africa, a facility that provides hope and healing through art therapy for almost 100 trafficked children rescued from the fishing industry in Ghana. Nan, a school teacher, and her husband, Ron, live in Little Rock,...more
Steven Helmick
Steven is the principal at Roberts Elementary in the Little Rock School District. As an educator, Steven has taught 4th and 5th grade, was named the 2015 Arkansas’ History teacher of the year, the 2014 Little Rock School District Teacher of the Year, as well as a Regional finalist for The 2014 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. In his free time he loves to run and enjoy the outdoors with his wife Keri and four kids.
As a teacher, school administrator, or parent/stepparent, what can you do to make school-home relationships thrive? Ron Deal conducts a panel discussion with a school prinicpal, counselor, and teacher, along with Gayla Grace, on this important subject.
