Making a Great First Impression on Your Child's Teacher

Each year we take our children in and register them for the upcoming school year, and for most of us we are just as nervous as they are. Wondering if they will fit in, if they will have a good teacher, and if they will behave like they should. Generally speaking, the thing that makes me the most nervous is the prospect of the new teacher.

I mean, not only do our children spend an entire year getting used to a teacher before one school year ends and another begins, but we too as parents. So, here are a few hints to getting to know your child's new teacher and making the best possible impression even when you are so nervous you can barely speak.

Be sure when they tell you what teacher's room your child has been assigned to that you take the time to go and greet his new teacher personally. When you find them, smile and shake their hand. Tell them who you are and that your child has been assigned to their class for the upcoming school year. Believe it or not most teachers are just as nervous about meeting the parents as the parents are about meeting them.

So be friendly, let them know that you will be available for any problems that come up with your child. Show them that you are genuinely interested in making this transition as easy as possible on everyone. Let them know if you are interested in helping out in the classroom, and if you are not available to help in the classroom let them know when you would be available to assist with classroom projects.

If you have any special concerns about your child let them know what they are. For example, my son is asthmatic. I always note this on his registration forms, but I also personally tell the teacher, and give her instructions about how to handle it if he should have an attack at school. That way, she knows up front what to watch for and the treatments that he responds best to.

It makes the situation much easier for everyone if he does have a problem with his asthma at school. I also tell them up front that my son is a talker and tends to be hyper, that way they know it going in. I also tell them the things that have worked well in the past to curb these behaviors, and the things that have failed miserably. I think that giving his new teacher a little knowledge about his history is going to make her job teaching him easier, and my job at making sure he is responding well to her easier.

Teach your child to start each new school year with optimism, and join him in this attitude. While both of you are surely going to be nervous whether it is his first day of kindergarten or his first day of 6^th grade, you can take steps to make it an easy transition for everyone involved. Don't be afraid to meet his teacher, talk with her about your concerns and expectations for your child and when you will be available throughout the year. Look at it this way, the two of you are forging a partnership, the partnership to educate your child.