Teachers, parents, and students alike anxiously anticipate the first week of school with some trepidation and excitement. As a parent and elementary teacher, I understand the issues that arise at home and in the classroom. School is such an important part of our children’s lives and we want them to have the best experience possible. One way to facilitate that is to cultivate a relationship with your teacher. Here are some helpful strategies to develop a positive relationship with your child’s teacher.
- Stay in contact! Many teachers have weekly updates they send home. Check your child’s homework folder daily so you stay up to date on the current events of the classroom and read any messages your teacher may have sent you. Remember, teachers have an entire classroom of parents they must communicate with. Also, make it simple and easy for them to get in contact by keeping your phone number and email updated throughout the school year.
- Schedule meetings in advance. Ask when the best time to contact the teacher is. Don’t call during the middle of the day to talk about your student, while his or her teacher is currently teaching them. (Yes, imagine 25 first graders, unsupervised, as the teacher is on the phone…chaos!) Teachers also have weekly staff and student meetings on a regular basis. It is best to schedule ahead of time, if you have a concern you would like to discuss.
- Volunteer or donate items to the classroom. If you have the time, ask your teacher if she needs a volunteer once a week. Keep in mind, if you do volunteer, you need to arrive at the scheduled time. Teachers must prepare for parent volunteers just as they would for any other activity with the class. If you say you are going to be there, then make sure you show up. If you are unable to volunteer, donated classroom items are always appreciated. Teachers always purchase classroom items on their own dime so ask what you may contribute. Some basic items are tissues, baby wipes, construction paper, pencils, erasers, and crayons. If you really want to impress your teacher, ask them what brand, size or type they would prefer. Guaranteed homerun!
- Don’t talk about teachers negatively in front of your child. Everyone has different styles and personalities. If you find that a teacher is not a favorite that year, don’t advertise that to your student. It will ultimately undermine their learning. Rather, schedule a meeting with that teacher to explain your concerns and find a happy medium that satisfies both of you. Remember….it’s just one school year; onward and forward to the next.
- Develop a partnership with your teacher. Remember that they want the best for your student as much as you do. They entered this profession because they care about students and their progress. Use your knowledge as a parent to help your child’s teacher understand the best ways to help your child, and listen to the teacher’s strategies and suggestions too.
Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative for students. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.
Teachers who incorporate learning centers will tell you that it is a great learning strategy for many reasons. Some of these reasons include: 1) Increase student self-motivation and empower self-monitoring 2) Ability for teacher to integrate small group or individual attention 3) Individualization of instruction and meaningful learning activities leading to mastery.
Marti Beeck started her career in education as a parent volunteer in her three children’s classrooms. Her many years of teaching experience, including adult school, intervention, and the primary classroom, was inspired by her background in brain-based learning. After working for four years as an editor in educational publishing, Marti currently works as a freelance writer and content developer.
Erin Sawyer has been an elementary school teacher for 8 years and currently teaches sixth grade. She has also taught third and fourth grades. Erin enjoys finding resources that will motivate and challenge her students to learn. She also serves as the student council mentor to the upper-grade students.
Take it from me, as a second grade teacher and mom of two, time is my nemesis. A resource that saves me countless hours in lesson development is Evan-Moor’s TeacherFileBox online.With TeacherFileBox, I was able to access differentiated instruction for my students with a click of my finger.
Lisa Vitarisi Mathews is Evan-Moor’s executive editor. She has over 20 years’ experience in PreK–8 education, and has worked closely with teachers across the United States through Evan-Moor product training and workshops.
Going back to my compound words example, take a look at this screen shot.
Amy Michaels is a certified teacher with 11 years of elementary classroom experience who is actively homeschooling her own children. Her mission is share the best teaching methods and resources with all homeschoolers. Amy supports parents through her podcasts, webinars, and online training for homeschoolers on her website www.thrivehomeschooling.com.
Collect piles of good books and make time to read! Libraries, used-book stores, and thrift stores can provide new reading material.
Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer and homeschool educator, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.
If you are curious about these elements of art, they are quite easy to teach with Evan-Moor’s 
