"Start with being completely honest with yourself: You do want to meddle. I'm not saying it's necessarily wrong to, despite the word's negative connotation. So let's call it, instead, "get involved," which is a bit more neutral. To get involved, begin the conversation at the first rung on the school ladder: with his classroom teacher. (If a regularly scheduled parent/teacher conference is coming up soon, save it for then; if there's nothing on the horizon, contact the teacher and ask for a private meeting.)"
"He is happy and does well academically, but never gets the awards or accolades that other kids do; nor is he selected for participation in sports tournaments (despite being on teams outside school and being very sporty overall) or school events. My son is starting to notice this, and it's affecting his confidence and making it hard for him to stay motivated to go above and beyond at school."
Nine-year-old boy is bright, caring, and friendly, enjoys school, and performs well socially and academically despite attending a crowded public school (30 students per class) with limited resources. The child rarely receives awards or selection for school tournaments or events, which appears tied to teacher "favorites" and is undermining his confidence and motivation. The family provides praise at home while the child receives heavy outside tutoring for competitive secondary school placement. The advised first step is cautious involvement: acknowledge the impulse to intervene, begin with the classroom teacher, and use scheduled conferences or a private meeting to raise concerns.
Read at Slate Magazine
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