Parents

Dealing with your students' parents is a very important part of the job. Cultivating positive connections to home is very important and will help the student feel more at ease in the classroom. Unfortunately, there will be times when you do something or say something a parent doesn't like. In my experience, parents are not shy to come forward when they are not happy. Here are a few guidelines I have for addressing parents' concerns:

1. Do not be caught off guard. If they have a concern, please ask them (politely) to make an appointment to discuss it - by phone or in person.

2. E-mail can be helpful to solve a quick problem or answer a question. But use it sparingly. When the problem becomes bigger or is too involved, go face to face or voice to voice.

3. Don't answer calls from parents on home or cell phones. You have a private life that extends beyond the school. When you leave at the end of the day, parents need to respect that. If you answer, not recognizing the number, politely ask the parent to call you at the school in the morning. If it's a true emergency, then it may be important to deal with it.

4. Stay positive. Parents want reassurances that you care about their child and want what's best for him/her.

5. Don't get defensive, it's an admission of guilt. Parents can be very critical. Try to stay calm and keep your voice steady. If he/she gets belligerent, call in the principal to help. That's what he/she is there for.

6. Keep the conversation focused. Try to keep the conversation on track  and focused on what the teacher and parent can do together to help the student succeed. Try not to rehash repeatedly what made him/her unhappy to begin with.

7. Remember, YOU are the professional. You were hired to do a job. Stay professional by not arguing or making passive-aggressive comments.