It may be hard for many parents to believe, but the first quarter of the 2017-2018 school year is winding down. As parent-teacher conferences are near, it’s important for parents to have a good relationship with their child’s teacher.
A good parent/teach relationship is the foundation of a successful school year. The better a parent knows a teacher and his or her expectations, the more that parent can support their child in school.
The American Federation of Teachers offers these tips for fostering a good home/school partnership:
Be Involved: By volunteering in your child’s classroom, you’ll get a chance to observe your child’s teacher and they will get to know you better. That way, future interactions may be easier, as you already have a foundation.
Attend Events: Conferences and curriculum nights are crucial for understanding what your child is studying and how they are doing. Be prepared with questions for the conferences to maximize the brief time with the teacher. Talk to your child about any issues that they may want you to discuss with the teacher.
Follow Through: Make sure that if you do have to talk directly to your child’s teacher that you follow through days or weeks later on the issue. Ask if situations discussed have improved, changed, etc.
Understand Websites: Take time to familiarize yourself with school and teacher websites. These are invaluable tools to find out important information, homework assignments and grades. They can help you drill down on a specific issue, saving you and the teacher time if you do have to reach out via email or telephone.
Communication shouldn’t end after the fall conference. As you encourage your child to apply themselves through the last day in June, so too should you as a parent when it comes to your relationship with teachers.
