Sneakers are tied, cowlicks are tamed, and a morning snack is tucked safely inside the backpack. Your smiling, well-scrubbed child seems happy, poised, and ready to meet his teacher. But are you ready to meet your child’s teacher as well? Are you ready to create a small talk with your child’s teacher and giving her a good impression of you at the same time? Your child’s teacher is the one person who spends almost as much time with your child as you do, so you may want to make a positive connection.

 

Here are some values that would help you cultivate a good rapport with your child’s teacher.

Involvement

 

It may sound obvious, but participating in your child’s education, even minimally, can do wonders. Children whose parents are involved with their education generally tend to be less disruptive in class. Your involvement also shows the teacher that you support her role in educating your child. How engaged should you be? First and foremost, be sure that your child makes homework a daily priority — over sports and clubs. Teachers see the completion of homework as the number one factor in making a child’s academic life easier from kindergarten to tertiary education.

 

Most importantly, do not skip the school’s open day, even if it is your child’s third or fourth year there. Parents probably think these events are boring, but you will learn what is required of your child, what the school’s resources are, and what opportunities are available. Another great way to make an impact is to attend a few Parent-Teacher Association meetings.

 

Attending the PTA gives you an insight of what the teachers need as well as providing you a platform to raise some common concerns related to your child’s education, so that they could be overcome. Participating in your child’s education in a positive way would make teachers feel like you are on their side. If you are too busy for the PTA, a small contribution to the classroom goes a long way as well — just ask the teacher if there is something she can use, such as tissues, pencils, erasers, or crayons.

 

 

Confidence

 

Teachers have a deep appreciation for parents who really listen to their opinions and consider their expertise, especially when it comes to bad news. You do not want to believe that your child would ever push another child on purpose, but that might be exactly what had happened. Teachers witness behaviour and social interactions that parents often do not see. If the teacher is telling you something about your child that is upsetting, keep your cool.

 

A lot of parents have knee-jerk reaction to negative news about their child; they either call up the principal or show up at the school angry. However, that is the wrong thing to do. Most teachers want to work with you, but calling the principal — their boss — first sends the message that you do not really trust them. In fact, you are recommended to thank your child’s teacher for sharing upsetting news. While it would be hard to take this upsetting news, the additional information may help your child in the long run. And even if you do not ultimately agree with the teacher’s opinion, you would have increased her trust in you simply by listening and considering what she has to share with you.

 

 

Interaction

 

You may think it is enough to just sign off on permission slips and report cards, but communication about your child’s health, happiness, and progress needs to flow both ways. Most teachers are shocked at how little parents share about what is happening at home. If there is an illness or a crisis going on, your child’s teacher needs to know about it because it may explain why your child is not behaving well or performing well academically.

 

But do not wait for a crisis to connect with your child’s teacher; you can share the positive developments too, such as how well he is doing with his piano lessons or how he has taken to reading his favourite book. The more you can paint a true and full picture of who your child is, the more it helps the teacher. And keeping connected does not mean you have to schedule a conference or a special phone call.

 

 

 

Gratitude

 

Children may not show gratitude toward their teacher every day, so it is important for parents to do it. Teaching is a very high-energy job, and it is not given as much value in society as it deserves. But that does not mean you have to buy extravagant gifts. Whether a parent leaves a muffin, a flower, or a note on a teacher’s desk, it makes her day.

 

At the end of every school year, you may write a letter thanking your child’s teachers for their efforts. A simple thank-you card or simply wishing her “Happy Teacher’s Day” would mean a lot to your child’s teacher. By letting your child’s teacher know how thankful you are for what they have done for your child throughout the year would certainly strengthen your already good relationship with the teacher.

 

 

Respect

The teachers’ number one request from the 21st-century parents is that you get off your cell phone to say hello to the teacher when you pick up your child. Take 30 seconds and give full attention to the person who spends six to eight hours a day with your child. Never ignore the teacher.

 

 

Another frequent parental faux pas is dropping your child off at school late. You need to get your child to school on time. Getting to school late just throws off the morning activities. You do not want your child and her tardiness to be the reason why everyone else is running behind.

 

Likewise, be sure to return forms such as permission slips within two to three days after receiving them, and since your child may forget about them, check her school bag daily. If you do make a mistake and forgot to sign off on that report card, do not pile on the justifications or fibs. Just apologise and move on. Teachers hear excuses from children all day long, so they do not need to hear them from parents too.