Parents and Teachers: Working Together to Meet a Common Goal

It's back-to-school time again. Time to stock up on new crayons and freshly sharpened number two pencils. Time to fill out countless forms with your contact information and your child's immunization history. Time to take a fresh look at how you can effectively communicate with your child's teacher this school year.

Effective parent-teacher communication can be tricky, but if each party is willing to invest time and effort, the result can be very rewarding. To begin, understand that you, and your child's teacher, are on the same side. You both have your child's best interest in mind. You both want your child to have an enjoyable, successful school year. You are allies, not enemies. If you view your relationship with your child's teacher as a positive, collaborative one, it is likely you will have positive results in the area of your child's education. If you have had negative experiences with teachers when you were a student, or if you have had negative experiences with other teachers your child has had, that is in the past. Look at this as an opportunity to begin anew.

If you find there is an area of concern that needs to be addressed, begin by discussing it with your child's teacher. If, for example, you find that the amount of homework assigned seems excessive, discuss this with your child's teacher. Often times, parents will complain amongst themselves and speak negatively about the teacher behind his/her back. How is this effective in resolving the issue? Take your concerns to the teacher. He, or she, is the only one able to explain why the specific amount of homework has been assigned. He, or she, is the only one able to make a change if that is what the situation warrants.

Resist any urge you may have to go over the teacher's head and address the issue with the school principal, or other administrator, first. Your child's teacher deserves the opportunity to address the issue before involving administrators. The issue may not be resolved in the way you believe it should, but perhaps a reasonable compromise can be made amongst yourselves. Always begin with your child's teacher, if doing so doesn't resolve the issue then move on to the school principal or other administrator.

Keep your child's teacher well informed about your child. It is good practice to let the teacher know of issues that may affect your child's behavior, and performance, at school. An upcoming move, even within the same town, can greatly affect a child. The death of a loved one, or the deployment of a military family member, can also impact your child and their ability to complete their work effectively. Providing this information to your child's teacher can help him, or her, make small adjustments to help your child continue to focus and learn during these difficult times. Teachers often have a proverbial bag of tricks up their sleeve that comes from years of teaching experience. Providing them with these types of useful information can greatly benefit your child's school experience.