Many people have fond memories of their school days, but some of us felt only relief at walking through the school gates for the last time. This can make speaking with your child’s school teacher about any issues harder, as it can bring back difficult memories. However, in the interests of your child, it is something that it is important to get right. Here is a list of tips to help you if you are about to meet with your child’s teacher.
Teachers are Human
The person sitting behind the desk may look intimidating or serious, but they are a human being who happened to choose teaching as their career. If they are a new teacher, or if you have come to discuss something especially serious, they may even be feeling more nervous than you. Treat this like any meeting and ask them how they’re doing at the start. Chances are, you will both relax, and the meeting will feel smoother and easier after that.
Communicate
If you are meeting with your child’s teacher, it’s likely that one of you has concerns about how your child is doing in school. If you have set up the meeting, have a clear idea of what you want to tell the teacher. Is your child being bullied? Are they falling behind on classwork? What has your child told you that the teacher might need to know? Remember, the teacher can’t share information about other children, but they can assure you that any claims of bullying will be properly looked into.
Be Prepared
If the teacher has arranged the meeting, ask them why you are meeting before you do so in person. A quick message or word at the classroom door is all that’s needed. That way, you can reflect and prepare. If the teacher is concerned about your child’s behavior, ask yourself honestly if you think this may be a problem. If they are concerned about social issues, question whether your child has said anything recently that might be a clue. This way, you can work with the teacher to untangle the issues and find solutions.