5 questions to ask for help at school
Asking for help at school for our kids is really hard.
As a parent, you’re not there at school and you don’t have any control over what happens in the classroom. You’re also not a teacher so you feel out of your depth. It’s hard to know what to ask for or what is even OK to ask for.
Feel like you’re in the dark? You’re not alone! When our kids have trouble at school, it’s frustrating, nerve-wracking, and all together difficult. So where’s a parent to start?
Ask questions! It’s my favorite way to gather information. Why? Because it opens doors, gives us valuable information, and shows we are open to working together with teachers (and not against them!).
Here are my top 5 questions to ask your child’s teacher when you think they need help at school:
“What are you seeing happening with my child in class? And what are your concerns?” You’re just looking for information, so the key here is listening. No need to respond to specific school behaviors or give feedback yet. Just listen with an open mind and gather that intel.
“What do you think might help them be more successful in class (or in certain subjects, at recess, whatever the challenge is)?” The teacher knows a lot about your student and what’s happening - that’s a good thing. They may already have ideas for things to try so let’s listen.
“What resources, tools, or other supports already exist at school to help?” There may be available resources that you don’t know about! Using a positive tone here is important because it assumes there are things that can help rather than suggesting nothing will help. See the difference? You’re setting yourself up as a willing and collaborative partner.
“What other things might we be able to try at school?” “Are there other people we can ask to get involved?” “Do we need to gather more information?” OK, this is more than one question! But we’ll lump them together because they all dig into what else might be worth trying or who else can help. Posing questions helps set up that positive partnership with teachers.
“Are there things we could do at home to help?” There may be ways you can reinforce messages, try new strategies for homework, or talk with your child in a way that supports what the teachers are trying to do.
The tl/dr short version is this — ask questions, listen, be open. These are the first steps towards getting your child the help they need, so why not get started now?!
Need more specific suggestions or want to talk it through, 1:1 parent coaching can help you find success faster. To see just how I can help, schedule a no-obligation time to chat.
