Develop a Strong Relationship With Your Kids’ Teachers
Getting along with your child's teacher is not always as easy as it seems. Since most kids are in school nine out of twelve months of the year, life is easier on everyone if we can all get along. If you keep a few things in mind all school year long, your relationship with your child's teacher is sure to be less rocky.
Try to remember these things about your child's teacher as you face the good times and the bad during the school year:
1. They generally want their students to succeed- Your child's teacher wants to see his or her students do well at school. If you feel like their methods are setting your child up for failure, think about how you approach the teacher. When talking with them, focus on what will help your child learn, rather than what they are doing wrong.
2. He or she is just one person- Most classrooms have 25 or more students in them. If you are looking for a lot of extra support for your child think about asking your child's teacher for help in finding extra staff for your child's needs, see if the school can implement a peer buddy system, or go to the principal for other options. As much as they want to, one teacher can't always support all of the needs of every student in their class. Take a look at what you are asking and think about if it's realistic for the amount of time the teacher has per student.
3. They have feelings too- So often we get caught up in the emotions of our situation and what we feel our kids need and forget we are talking to someone who may take their job very personally. Try to remember that when you criticize what is happening in the classroom without fully understanding the situation you might be making things worse instead of better.
4. Be realistic- Are you trying to recreate the wheel? Are you asking for something that might not fit into the school day or is outside of what your child's teacher may be able to do? Think about what you are asking of the teacher or what your concerns are and whether they are practical or fueled by emotions before taking action.
5. Be flexible- When discussing concerns with your child's teacher, go in with an open mind. If you ask for help and suggestions rather than placing demands for how you think things should be done, you are much more likely to get a positive response. Schedule a conference if needed to give yourselves extra time to talk through a situation.
6. Be nice!- We all just want happy kids don't we? Show kindness in front of your children, especially when it comes to their teacher. Taking time to build a relationship with their teacher will help everyone in the long run.
What helps you to maintain a great relationship with your child's teachers?
Latest posts by Jessica Watson (see all)
- Back to School Homeschool Style - August 20, 2024
- 5 Things I’ve Learned from Parenting a Child with Autism - April 1, 2024
- Benefits of a Peer Buddy for Struggling Kids - August 15, 2023
