Day 13
I don't think teachers are trained on how to build relationships with parents. I would like to have taken a class on the importance of a good relationship between teacher and parent. I view parents are my partners in their students' education. I rely on them to help me get to know their student. No one knows you better than your parents. I also need them to be on the same page with me when it is regarding expectations in education. I have made many mistakes in this area, but I have learned from every one of them.
Working with parents is clearly something that should be covered when studying to become a teacher, particularly working with so-called "difficult" parents. I found that when I had my own kids, speaking to parents came a little easier as I could relate first hand where they were coming from. I've alway treated my students in a way which I wanted and hoped my own kids were treated, so I treat parents the way I would want to be treated; I speak to them without using jargon, and am tactfully honest as I can be without saying anything that may make them defensive. Our parents need to understand that we ARE on their side! Dealing with parents can be tricky, but if you speak slowly, thinking about what you really want to say before saying it, things go a bit more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I always think about, is what would I be looking for if the student was my own child. Often I've found that the message I wanted to deliver wasn't even the concern for the parent, and I had to try to sympathize more to understand what information they needed, or how I could help.
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