As a teacher, this year is the hardest year that Khrysten (@khrysten98) has ever had. She teaches a classroom of 28 kids, and 22 of them are not performing at their grade level.
In her TikTok video, she explains that the problem is not just about curriculum and class size. She says the biggest contributing factor toward a child’s success is not the teacher, but the parents.
“Right now in my class, I have two students with the exact same situation: single mother, live in a low socioeconomic area, but one student is performing at a kindergarten level and the other is performing at a mid fourth-grade level,” Khrysten said.
“They’ve been in the same class since they started elementary school, and now they’re in third grade. And the biggest difference is parent engagement and interaction.”
Both children have had the same teachers and education throughout their years in school. But despite sharing nearly identical backgrounds, one is falling behind and the other is thriving. It’s the perfect example of how parent involvement can tip the scales.
Her message is both honest and heartbreaking. Teachers across the country are doing everything they can—staying late for tutoring sessions, buying supplies out of their own pockets, adapting lessons for individual kids, and providing all kinds of resources.
But without parents reinforcing learning at home, many students are already starting the race miles behind.
Sitting down at the table with your child and carving out time to do homework with them, read together, and talk about school is so important. Teachers need parents to work with their kids at home because education is a team effort.
For Khrysten, this is a cry for help. Parents need to start doing their job as parents again. Teachers can guide, inspire, and support, but they can only do so much. When both sides show up, kids thrive and even surpass expectations.
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Her video struck a nerve with both educators and parents alike. Many of them echoed her frustrations and called parents to action in the comments section.
“This was me in school! My mom didn’t help me with homework, didn’t have time, was always at work!! I’m grown now, and I will never not have time to help my kids with their work! Idc how tired I am,” commented one person.
“You’re absolutely right. Single mom here, and my nine-year-old is above grade level. I make the effort to sit down at the table with her and engage with her after school and on weekends. It starts and ends at home,” stated another.
“I absolutely agree. I teach second grade and have 18 students; 14 are on kindergarten level. Same situations. My highest kid’s mom is a single mom, but she works with him. Another student has a single mom, and she can’t be bothered,” added a third.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
