Why it's super important to talk to your kid's teacher
It’s been rainy lately which means one thing in the PNW - it’s fall again. If you’ve got a kid in school, you’ve been through the back-to-school routine already. Fresh school supplies - check. Packed lunches - check. But what about teacher communication? That’s something we don’t think much about, especially not at the beginning of the school year.
We parents aren’t in the classroom every day and usually gather information about school in bits and pieces from emails and what our kids relay. It’s not the most reliable of systems even on a good day. But especially if there’s something specific going on or your child has struggled in the past, the fragmented information (or even flat out misinformation) can be frustrating and confusing.
Why are parents hesitant to talk with teachers?
Teachers are too busy. Yes, they have packed schedules, it’s true. But it actually saves them time in the long run to have open communication with families because they can head off bigger problems and help get a child the other supports they need.
Parents should keep their distance and let the kids figure it out. This strategy may work for some kids but definitely not for kids who have differently wired brains or need extra support. And young kids sometimes simply need more maturity or modeling to know how to handle things like being organized or complex social situations.
Not wanting to feel like a pushy parent. I’ve felt this one too! Consider our end goal of all of this. We want our child to succeed at school, right?! Sometimes that takes a little extra effort but it’s worth it.
Any of these feel right to you? I get it, I really do. The classroom isn’t a place we have any control or influence and we’ve got a lot of emotions wrapped up in our kids. Asking for help or even admitting that something might be happening with your child can be really hard! Teachers are the professionals after all. But we know our kids best of all and that info can be valuable for teachers too.
Sometimes I hear from parents that they also don’t really know why they would even start up a convo with their teachers. So I wrote down a few reasons for you to consider.
Do any of these 4 describe you?
You have concerns or questions about something going on with your child. You’re seeing something at home that the teacher needs to know about. Or you’re hearing from your kid that something’s happening at school that needs attention.
You have information and insights to share with the teacher. Does your child have any particular needs around their learning or have a diagnosis you want the teacher to know more about? That’s valuable info for a teacher.
You have questions about what’s happening in the classroom. You want to know more about a specific situation or how grades, discipline, or other classroom structures happen. Maybe you want to reinforce them at home or maybe you wonder if a different approach may work better for your child.
You want to open up a collaborative conversation with the teacher because you want to know more about what’s happening at school. Maybe you aren’t sure how to do that or how to fit it into a teacher’s busy schedule (and yours too!).
If you were nodding your head at any of those, here’s some good news for you. You’ve recognized the importance and maybe even now know what’s gotten in your way. So now’s your time! Communicating early and often with teachers can help you avoid a lot of pitfalls. No need to wait for parent-teacher conferences or a big problem to arise. Get in front of it by building a positive relationship with the teacher right from the start.
