With a new school year around the corner, your child may be facing a new teacher, and with that, new rules, and a new way of learning. Even if your children have the same teacher this coming school year, it is a great idea to build a relationship with your kid’s teachers.
Get to Know Them
You will want to be able to meet them early on during the school year, and hopefully your children’s schools have a type of orientation for everyone to meet. It is a great way to see where your kid’s teachers are coming from and what they intend to teach over the coming year. You will also have an opportunity to let them know about how your kid learns best, and they can use that to their advantage.
Setting Boundaries
You both will be able to discuss the amount of upcoming homework, group projects, and how much time your kid may be spending on assignments. This can help you for when your child may start complaining about how much homework they have, and you will already know it is manageable! But this also includes setting boundaries in a way; you will have an awareness of how involved your child’s schoolwork is, and your teacher will know that you also have their back in getting it all accomplished. Kid’s may lean on their parents too often in getting out of homework or certain tasks, but if you know it is helping them learn, then you will be prepared to stand your (and essentially, the teacher’s) ground.
Better Relationships
This is in turn true for when the opposite happens, such as a teacher that may be too demanding of their student’s time or mental capabilities. Meeting them first and having a few conversations can make it easier to come back later in the school year to discuss how it is going with your child. You will most likely feel more comfortable bringing up any concerns you may have with the amount of homework, for example. This can also help the teacher not feel “attacked” since they will already have an idea of where your children stand in their curriculum from speaking with you prior.
Simply saying hello and having a quick conversation with your kid’s teacher can make a huge difference throughout the school year. It is a great way of knowing what to expect for your kid’s education and to help guide them through it seamlessly.
Katie Kyzivat