Parent/Teacher Communication Tips for a Successful Relationship

Everyone wants the best for their children when it comes to school. It seems that everyone blames the other when the student fails. The teacher blames the parent, and the parent blames the teacher. Having been both the teacher and the parent allows me to give both some advice that is tried and true.

There are several things that are set in place for both parents and teachers to communicate effectively with each other. Some schools have set up email notifications for parents to contact the teacher. Parents must however realize that teachers should not be checking email all day. They have classes to teach. By the same token teachers should realize that some parents still do not have or do not know how to use the internet.

The forever present open house is still around. It is a time for parents to meet their child's teacher and the teacher to put an adult face with the student. It is not a place to go over grades. You can however make a parent/teacher conference at this time.

Most school districts send out progress reports every three weeks. Parents should understand that it is a progress report, not a report card. It is possible that the student will do better on the report card (there may be assignments that have not been graded and recorded). It is also possible that the student will not do as well as reported-there may be a low test score, missed assignment and much more during the next three weeks.

Parent/teacher conferences were one of the things that I enjoyed the most, both as a parent and as a teacher. This gave me an opportunity as a parent to talk with the teacher one-on-one. I was able to see my child's work, talk with the teacher about what she considered to be my child's strong points and also the weak points. I asked questions that were answered. We discussed things that would help my child do better in class. I ask for a parent conference twice a year, once each semester. I made each open house. I sent my husband to coffee and donuts with the teacher. I made it plain that I was concerned about my child's education.

As a teacher I liked parent/teacher conferences so that I could set the parent at ease. Each parent was different. Some were concerned, some were angry, some were skeptical and some just didn't know about the educational system. I tried to answer all of their questions concerning the education of their children. I asked questions, I made suggestions, but most importantly I showed the parent that I was concerned about their child.

Communicating is the most important thing both parents and teachers can do to insure that students have success. As a parent, I would go to the school and just peak in the door of my child's class to see what was going on. I didn't talk to either the teacher or my child-I did however check in at the main office. I just wanted to make sure all was going well. I did this a couple of times each year because each day is different. As a teacher, I had parents come up and just look in, and I also had those that wanted to sit in class with their child. I didn't mind. I did, however, tell them that it made their child a little uneasy.

As both a parent and a teacher I knew that it was up to me to effectively communicate to ensure that my students and children got the most out of their educational experience. Communicating helped my children and my students.