Meeting with your child's teacher
A lot of parents get quite nervous about meeting with their child's teacher. It can be emotional or you may be concerned about something in particular. Here are 3 tips, based on my experience as both a teacher and parent, that can help you feel more confident.
1. Make an appointment
Trying to grab the teacher on the fly will be challenging for both of you. There's a lot going on at the start and end of the day, and often there are quite a few people around. Book a time that suits so you can both focus on the discussion. This then lets your teacher know that you are serious about this meeting and ready to spend quality time with them.
2. Write down your key points
It's very common for parents to get emotional when meeting with a teacher, so before going to the meeting write down what you want to say and the information or action you want from them. Take your notes to the meeting and refer to them. I strongly recommend taking up to no more than 3 key points so that you are not distracted by a wide number of things. Jot down some notes with these key points. This means you are prepared and not going off on a tangent when you are there.
Go along with a positive mindset prepared to listen.
Be respectful to each other, listening carefully to what is being said. Conversations are a two-way thing. It's important that your teacher listens to you too. This is a team effort, you are working together for the good of your child.
3. Clear next steps
Before leaving the meeting, recap on the next steps. Make sure it's clear what's going to happen, who is responsible for each of the steps and any relevant timeframes. I would add these to your notes. Make a plan about when you will meet next to follow through.
By booking and preparing for the meeting, it's more likely it will go well and be less stressful for both you and the teacher.
