Confession: I’m a total teacher dork and after a long break (which does seem to go by way too quickly) I love back to school time! As much as I am itching to smell freshly sharpened pencils, plan new exciting lessons, and set up my classroom, what I look forward to most is meeting my new little darlings and their families. I’ve noticed over my years of teaching that the best relationships I’ve had with students, and the ones that are the longest lasting, are the ones where the parents make efforts with me too. Research shows that teacher-parent relationships have one big pay-off: increased educational success for your child!
Whether you are meeting the new teacher at an ice cream social, supply drop-off, or back to school night, here are three quick tips for you to connect with your child’s teacher from day one:
- Ask the teacher about their life. I always want to know a lot about a student’s background so I can teach them better, but it goes a long way when school families get to know me, too. Honestly, after meeting so many new faces at the beginning of the year, the families that interact with me more personally are the students that I get to know the soonest. So ask the new teacher about their family, what they do in their spare time, or why they wanted to be a teacher. It also just feels good to have your school families care about your life since you are investing so much in their child’s.
- Find out something small they like. This doesn’t have to cost much- I’m just talking their favorite drink or snack. I had a mom once (I was fortunate enough to teach three of her children!) who found out I love cherry limeades and coke. Occasionally, I would walk in from recess to find a cold drink sitting on my desk! Another student regularly brought me KIND bars (accompanied by a big smile and a sweet hug) and it became my favorite morning snack. This is not about bribing the teacher! This is about letting the teacher know that you care. That you see how much she/he takes care of your child during the day, and that you want to do something to take care of her/him. These little perks give us the strength to keep working our magic throughout the day!
- Send notes. Please know that the shortest of notes thanking a teacher for ANY THING at ANY TIME is so uplifting. Have your child write a note to the teacher, but better yet, write one yourself! Send a quick email if you don’t have the time to send a handwritten note. We sometimes dread opening our emails on a Monday in fear of new mandates from administration or parents upset about a grade. Those few times there was also a quick email from a parent just thanking me for something I did for their child…priceless.
Solid relationships are a proven way to help your children succeed in school. Some simple moves can get your child’s year off to a great start!
