It is important to build a strong, professional parent-teacher relationship with your child’s teacher because it is a win/win equation for all the parties involved, but your child is the most benefactor. When you have a closer relationship with your child’s teacher, you will feel comfortable to have an open discussion between the two of you so that you can freely exchange ideas on how to help your child progress in his academic endeavours.
Having a working relationship with your child’s teacher is one of the best ways to support your child’s learning process. Both you and the teacher have something in common; giving the best that the education system has to offer for your child. As a parent, you know your child than anybody else. But you cannot know everything about your kid, especially academically and how he behaves when he is not in your immediate presence. So partnering his teacher can give you even a better chance of getting to know your child even more. That is not all; you might be having concerns about your child’s performance. When you have a good relationship with the teacher, it will give you a chance to share freely with the teacher the concerns you might be having or the thing that you have observed in your child while at home that your child’s teacher might not be aware of.
When you partner with your child’s teacher, you can share with the teacher about what is going on in your child’s life outside the classroom, and the teacher will share with you what is happening in your child’s life inside the classroom. By keeping each other up to date about your child, you can come up with solutions on how you can help your child be a better person academically and otherwise.
Help The Teacher Know Your Child
You know your child best. Your child’s personality, whether he is patient or energetic, what kind of learner is he, these are important information to share with his teacher. Keep this in the back of your mind, the more your child’s teacher knows about your child, the easier it will be for the teacher to engage your kid in his studies. His teacher can even tailor teaching materials or methods to suit his learning behaviour. The information that you share with the teacher will help him to determine how to help him to learn better.
Be Collaborative
There are many ways to which you can help your child do well in his education. Be a partner of your kid’s learning process. Assist your child with his homework but do not do the homework for him, help your child learn how to manage his time, hold a conversation with your child about the school at home. That is not all, inquire from the teacher about what he expects about the child’s homework, what options you have in case there is a problem with your kid’s homework and which areas your child needs more monitoring. Co-operate with the teacher to ensure that your child gets the best out of his education.
Open Communication
The success of your child’s education is dependent on your relationship with his teacher. Just like any other relationship, to have an effective working partnership with the teacher, two-way communication is essential. Effective communication with the teacher involves you going out to meet with the teacher and talking about your child. Find out the best method and appropriate timing that you can communicate with the teacher either through regular phone calls, emails etc. Do take note to respect the teacher’s rest time and not bombard his teachers with over excessive calls and visits.
When talking with the teacher, be positive and curious when communicating with the teacher. Cement your relationship with the teacher with a thank you call or email for the interest that the teacher has taken to help your kid.
Keep Emotions Aside
Make a good impression on your child’s teacher by adopting a positive and friendly composure. Even if your child does not perform as you expected when you go the next parent-teacher meeting to discuss his performance, keep your emotions aside and give the teacher a chance to explain to you about your child’s performance.
There are also times where you and the teacher might have different opinions about educating your child. It is natural to have a clash of ideas when both of you are concern about your child’s future. Keep an open mind to his suggestions and respect his decision as his profession as a teacher.
Document Everything
Every time you visit the teacher for a meeting about your child’s school performance, take a notepad with you and make note of the important points that you discuss with the teacher. Seek for clarification from the teacher about whatever that you do not understand. Don’t ask the same repeated questions whenever you go to a parent-teacher meeting. Instead, come prepared with a list of questions so to open up a discussion.
Participation In Classroom
Your involvement as a parent in your child’s education is the key to the performance of your child. Your participation in your child’s classroom work will help to eliminate the barrier that separates the home environment and the school. The importance of your involvement in the classroom is important as you can recognise your child’s weak points and you will be able to motivate, influence and shape your kid’s class participation.
Building a working and professional relationship with your child’s teacher can go a long way in benefiting your child’s future. When your child is aware that you and the teacher are working together to help him do well in his studies; it can have a positive influence and make him feel more confident. As you freely share information about your child at home and the teacher at school, it will help the three of you – parent, student and teacher to be on the same page and have the same goals hence working as a team.
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