3 Ways Teachers Can Bring Adoption Into the Classroom

As your child enters school and progresses through the grades, you may find that many teachers and fellow students don’t understand modern adoption and are unsure how to address the subject.
 
Being proactive by sharing information and discussing the topic with your child’s teacher can significantly benefit your child. Not only that, but it will also provide a benefit to their teacher and the other students in your child’s class. Here are 3 ways teachers can involve adoption in your child’s classroom.
 
1. Ask the teacher if they can read an age-appropriate adoption book during storytime. There are some amazing children’s books about adoption out there. You could donate several books to your child’s classroom so the topic can be covered again and as your child outgrows the books you have, consider donating to the school library. Here are some book suggestions:
 
My Family is Forever by Nancy Carlson (for three to five-year-old children)
 
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis (for ages four to ten)
 
Built Together by Mina Starsiak (for ages four to eight)
 
My Forever Mommy by Jacqui Bester (good for babies up to age 10)
 
2. Celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. November is recognized nationwide as National Adoption Awareness Month. You can promote adoption awareness by educating fellow parents.
 
One Lifetime adoptive couple in Texas shared with us that they provided parents with handouts explaining the beauty of adoption. These handouts included advice on how parents could talk about adoption with their children, and how to encourage them to be accepting of their adopted classmates.
 
Visit NationalAdoptionAwarenessMonth.com for other ideas on how you can promote adoption awareness.
 
3. Watch out for confusing assignments. At the beginning of the school year, have a conversation with your child’s teacher to ask about any assignments that may cause confusion or anxiety for your child. The assignment doesn’t need to be cancelled, but the instructions might need to be tweaked a little.
 
The “Family Tree” is a common assignment that may be confusing and difficult for an adopted child whose background may be different from their classmates. With just a few changes, this task can give all the children more opportunities to be creative and show their family how they see it. Check out some great ideas for alternative family trees that are even printable for your teacher.
 
“Bring a Baby Picture” and “Create a Timeline” assignments can also cause some issues. If you adopted an older child, you might not have baby pictures or a timeline of their early years. The teacher might simply change the assignment to “bring your favorite picture.” For a timeline assignment, the teacher might leave the start and end time up to the child.
 
For a complete list of assignments and the tools to help you and your child’s teacher handle them, you can view the Center for Adoption Policy’s publication “Adoption Awareness in School Assignments.”
 
School is a fun and wonderful time for kids. It can also be a little nerve-wracking when adoption circumstances collide with assignments. Preparing for some of these bumps in the road will help you, the teacher, and your child.