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The Smart Way to Talk to Teachers
When your child's teacher calls you, chances are she's worried about your child's behavior or schoolwork, so it's tempting to panic, get defensive, or fly off the handle before you've even heard everything she has to say. How can you stay calm? The key is to ask the right questions so you and the teacher can create a plan to help your child. We asked teachers for the four most common reasons they call parents and the best way to handle each situation.
The teacher says: "Your child is having trouble with his schoolwork."
School struggles can be a symptom of a wide variety of issues. "Your child could be distracted by a family problem, or maybe he's just not getting enough sleep and can't pay attention," says Marian C. Fish, PhD, professor in the school-psychology program at Queens College, in Flushing, New York. "Or he missed learning something the previous year -- he was out sick when the teacher introduced subtraction -- and he's never gotten the hang of it."
The right response: Ask the teacher for specifics so you can judge what kind of help your child needs: Is he having trouble in every subject or just one? Did he score poorly on a couple of tests or many? Is he not doing the work, or is he frustrated and can't handle it?
Creating a plan: Always get your child's take on the problem. Say, "Your teacher is concerned that you're having a hard time with subtraction. What do you think?" Ask him how you can help, and brainstorm solutions with the teacher too. She may be able to recommend flash cards or work sheets your child can do at home, or maybe she can fit in extra-help sessions with him during lunch or free classroom time. You should check over his homework to discuss mistakes with him and work closely with the teacher to make sure he's improving.
Following up: Meet with the teacher for a progress report after your child has gotten a few weeks of extra help. If there's been little or no improvement, consider getting extra tutoring or consulting with a counselor or the school's psychologist to make sure he doesn't have a learning disability.
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I agree with most of the commentary, however there are things that cannot be overcome with good communication with all parties involved (parent,teacher,and child). For instance, cultural biases where the lines can be blurred between outright racism or just insensitiviy and ignorance. I am homeschooling mother, at least until my son enters metriculates to the 6th or 8th grade level...not all schools and teachers/administrators are equal.
12/7/2011 10:16:34 AM Report AbuseParents and teachers can¿t agree 100% of the time. Whether parents and teachers experience differences over teaching methods, a specific grade on a test or homework, or some other element of the educational experience, parents have tough decisions to make about how to handle those differences. What follows are some tips on how to handle those differences successfully. http://tinyurl.com/2g8nkre
9/21/2011 03:46:16 PM Report AbuseI am a teacher and I really appreciate the advice given to parents here. Good sound ideas.
8/22/2011 10:04:17 PM Report AbuseTeachers don't particularly like calling home to tell a parent their child is not doing well, or misbehaving. Please take in to consideration that we have most likely tried everything we can think of before we call you, please also remember that we do not have it out for your child. We are just concerned about their well-being and the other children around them, who may be disturbed because of their behavior.
9/15/2010 11:48:59 AM Report AbuseI saw the most awful thing on TV, this child was boxing with the teacher and she had some age on her, so what is going on with some of our children,when they take things to school with them? Who knows what they will do. There may be a bully at school and when caught with an object, I'll , if it was me say the right thing to not get in trouble, so who knows what our children are faced with everyday we just don't know and they maybe afraid to tell us.
10/15/2009 12:05:28 PM Report AbuseParent,teacher and child communication is so important in educating our childern.We must know how to address the teachers,parents and the children. So much could be going on at home and this may block the learning process. The childs cognitive, social, physical and mental development must be taken in consideration with careful observation of parents at home first and then the teacher because learning should first start at home.
10/15/2009 11:57:27 AM Report Abuse