It is never too early or too late to spark a dialogue with your children’s teachers. Each year, parents and teachers in South Carolina have an important opportunity to collaborate on children’s educational success.
Teachers are well-accustomed to working with parents and guardians. They spend an average of 14.3% of their time per school year interacting with parents, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2020-21 South Carolina State Dashboard. So what about you as a parent?
Here are five steps that can help you stay in touch and in tune with your child’s teacher.
1. Share your desired goals for both your roles
Schedule a time that works for both you and your child’s teacher to meet. In-person sessions are great. Virtual meetings can be just as effective. Ask if your child’s teacher has a preference.
Plan an agenda for what you gould like to discuss about your child’s strengths and areas for improvement. Your initial meeting could also be the right time to ask how you can support the teacher.
In addition to your child’s academic progress, please consider other areas of development, such as how well your child manages their emotions, if they possess any leadership characteristics, athletic or artistic abilities, etc.
Not sure what to ask? Here are some solid questions to get you started.
- What is your teaching style and how can we be consistent with those methods at home?
- Name the top five skills you hope children will walk away with this year. How can I help them be developed at home?
- What have you observed, both negative and positive, in regards to my child’s response to classroom behavior expectations? Are they polite and respectful to teachers and students?
- Do you notice any difficulties my child is having socially at school?
- What can I do to support you and make your job easier as we work as a team for my child’s growth this year?
2. Determine how you’re going to stay in contact
Now that you’ve both set the stage for your child’s educational plan, it is important to make sure that you keep in constant contact throughout the year. There are many methods to do so: email, schedule virtual or in-person conferences, share updates via a shared notebook, send messages through your school’s designated platform, etc.
Usually, the school will convey all the details about how to communicate, but never feel afraid to ask for clarification or express what works best for you.
3. Be flexible and understanding
We now have more ways to stay connected than ever, but that doesn’t mean we’re always available to use them. Many people are walking a tightrope of juggling family responsibilities, jobs and other personal obligations.
It’s no secret the education system in South Carolina with deep-seated issues. According to a University of South Carolina report brief, the 2022–23 school year began with over 1,000 classrooms without a teacher.
So, yes, be understanding. Expect to receive timely responses, but remember that there may be occasional delays in hearing back.
That said, remember you are your child’s best advocate. If you and your child(ren) aren’t being heard, use your discernment to decide when to seek assistance in addition to your child’s teacher, including a principal or other school administrator.
4. Bring your active listening and empathy skills to the conversations
Perhaps hearing the perspectives of your child’s teacher can be a challenge, especially if you disagree with a particular statement that you find to be unfavorable toward your child.
Try to make it a point to practice active listening and being open to criticism. This article, published recently in the Harvard Business Review, is an excellent place to really understand what active listening is and how to do it. Author Amy Gallo writes, “Active listening is when you not only hear what someone is saying, but also attune to their thoughts and feelings. It turns a conversation into an active, non-competitive, two-way interaction.”
5. Get your child involved
What does your child have to say? If your child is old enough, feel free to include their thoughts and feelings in the plan. Your child has a relationship with both you and the teacher, so ask them if they have anything they’d like you and/or their teacher to know.
Some questions could include: What’s something new you’ve learned recently that you’re excited about and would like to do more of? Is there anything that you’d like to improve on this year?
Also, keep an ear out for when your child describes his or her day, how they feel about being included or missing educational mile marks, etc.
Creating a partnership between you and your child’s teacher can be one of mutual trust, respect, and collaboration between all of you. Keeping your child the priority in your conversations and reminding yourself that you are both working together can ultimately keep you in the loop about their academic progress and help you make timely decisions about any additional needs.
