Tips for Building Healthy Parent/Teacher Relationship

When we’re on the same team, our kids usually do better in school. When we know and trust each other, our kids can’t play one against the other when they find work challenging or want to avoid a task. When there’s good communication between us, accomplishments get acknowledged, little problems don’t tend to become big ones, big ones can be better managed.

Here are a few reminders of what we parents can do to build a positive and productive partnership with our child’s teachers.

• Introduce yourself to the teacher. Start the year off right. Don’t wait for a problem before making contact. Find a way to say hello, to help the teacher attach your face to your name, and to make a cordial connection. If the school limits contact immediately before and after school, email the teacher and ask if there’s a convenient time when you can just stop by. This isn’t the time to have a lengthy conversation. It’s a time to simply let the teacher know who you are and that you are a parent who is interested in your child’s education.
• Introduce your child. Elementary classroom teachers often have 20 – 40 new children to get to know each year. Write a brief note or email to the teachers telling them a little bit about your child’s strengths and interests.
• Go to the parent-teacher conference prepared. Respect the teacher’s time. Get to your meeting on time and don’t overstay your assigned time. Take the time to jot down things you feel are going well as well as concerns. Share the whole list with the teacher right away. Then go back to each item together. You are much more likely to cover everything you want to cover if you are both keeping track.
• Remember the Golden Rule. Always assume good will on the teacher’s part. People go into this profession because they like kids and they love the process of teaching and learning. Don’t go by anyone else’s  opinion – especially if it’s negative. Different people react to each other differently. Your best friend may not like someone you find to be terrific. Your child may need some help adjusting to a new teacher’s style.
• Communicate regularly. Be sure to compliment the teacher on interesting lessons and to share moments when your child repeats something positive that happened at school. Let the teacher know early if a particular skill or subject is giving your child trouble. In addition, keep the teacher informed if there are issues at home that should be borne in mind if your child is struggling. Children don’t leave family crises at home. Conversely, they don’t leave the excitement about an anticipated event  at home either. Kids who are unhappy and kids who are excited are often distracted from school work.
• If there’s a problem. This is where the good relationship you’ve worked so hard to establish pays off. You know that you and the teacher both want the best for your child. If your child carries home a tale of teacher meanness or unfairness, maintain a neutral stance until you have more information. Don’t talk negatively about a teacher in front of your kids. When both parent and teacher stay focused on the problem at hand, be it a child’s need for practice with a skill or a bit of an attitude transplant, things can usually be worked out.

                                                                                            

“LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, THESE ARE THE POINTS TO PONDER”