Parents are their child’s first teacher. As a child grows, they will meet many more teachers throughout their life. Children attending school spend a significant amount of time interacting with their teacher(s) during the year.
Since parents and teachers both play an important role in the child’s education, it’s important they develop a great partnership that allows them to support one another.
“When you can build a relationship with your teacher it’s almost letting the teacher know that you’re willing to work with them and that you are invested in your student’s education,” Traci Byrne, kindergarten teacher at Parma City Schools says. “The more we build that partnership and mutual respect it just helps the child to succeed more.”
Sometimes parents believe that communication between parents and teachers only happens at parent-teacher conferences. However, Byrne doesn’t want parents to be afraid to approach teachers throughout the school year. She advises parents to keep an open line of communication with the teacher. Ask questions, raise your concerns, and if necessary, provide suggestions.
“Parents know their children the best.The more open we are, the more we talk, the better your teacher can help,” Byrne says.
For example, Byrne says that if your child had a rough morning, consider sending the teacher a message so if the teacher sees the child not doing work or putting their head down, the behavior makes more sense. The parent doesn’t have to give a lot of information, it’s just something to make the teacher aware in case the child displays unexpected behavior.
Maximize Time with Teacher
Thomas Major, 11th grade teacher, recommends parents maximize the time at the school open house by treating the open house like an interview. Open houses tend to move very quickly, with a number of parents in attendance and a short amount of time, so prepare ahead of time.
Major says that the information gathered during the open house can also help parents know which teacher to contact if they need additional support for the child.
Parents also need to know that they should always feel comfortable contacting the teacher if there are serious problems going on at school, serious questions that need to be addressed like kids failing, or if a parent’s questions are going unanswered. If the teachers and parents have discussed the problem and have outlined steps to address it, then set a date to follow-up to give the teacher and school time to address the issue. This avoids excessive follow-up and gives the teachers and school an opportunity to implement what was discussed.
Healthy Connections
It’s also important for parents to have appropriate expectations for communication and to understand that teachers are people too and have their own lives and families.
Another way to support healthy parent-teacher communication is to leverage the available technology before contacting the teacher.
Major says parents should ask their child or check the online grade book (if available) before asking teachers if an assignment has been turned in.
As your child gets older, the approach that you have with developing that parent-teacher relationship may change — especially if you have a child close to graduation or the child has a different teacher almost every period.
“The most positive parent interactions that I usually end up having are encouragement from parents,” he says. “My favorite emails from parents are, ‘My kid was talking about class today, and I could see excitement in his eyes. It makes me so happy. Thanks so much for what you have done.’ The parent isn’t looking for a response. It’s just encouragement, because we are a beaten down profession.”
Developing that communication with your child is the best way for parents to know what’s going on in the school and being taught in the classroom, according to Major. It is also the best way to continue to build the parent-child relationship.
“The teacher does not want any student to fail,” Byrne adds. “Our goal is to have every child succeed, and we want them to succeed, and we are very willing to work with you to help you. We are in this together.”
