What parents want (from a teacher!)
Posted
August 25, 2008 at
3:21 pm by
Allison J
As a teacher I am confident in my professional abilities, but I never pass up an opportunity to gain knowledge and insight from those more experienced.
With a new school year fast approaching I am curious to hear what parents really value in a teacher. What makes for a great first day of school? How can a teacher make you comfortable and confident in the fact that they’ll be spending 6 hours a day with your child?
Tags: first day of school, teacher |
10 Responses to “What parents want (from a teacher!)”
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1. Stacey S_MOD said:
August 25, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Communication!!! The only time I ever hear from my sons teacher (granted he’s older) is if he’s done something wrong, or if I need to send something in. It would also be nice to hear something positive about my child along with the negative so I feel like the teacher got to know him as an individual & not just the kid who didn’t submit his homework.
This was really nice of you!
2. Allison J said:
August 25, 2008 @ 3:32 pm
That’s one of my biggest pet peeves too! Always a good idea — send home a “great job” report for a child once a month, highlighting accomplishments, good deeds, etc. Even high school seniors, and their parents, need encouragement once in a while.
3. Maddy said:
August 25, 2008 @ 5:55 pm
Ooo my goodness, that’s a huge list! Firstly would be communication and openess = if there’s a problem let us know, don’t hide it to save our feelings. Teamwork!
4. Rita said:
August 26, 2008 @ 8:13 am
The teachers that have impressed me the most are the ones who know the child. My son is always a law-biding, honor roll student, and we’ve had teachers who just beam at conferences, breezing through all this accomplishments and then say good-bye. I know they have troubled kids they need to give attention to, but the good ones need to be challenged, too. Our favorite teachers have been the ones who breeze through the praise in a minute and then tell us where his weaknesses are and what they think we can do (as a team–us and the school) to help him. He’s had the best school years when he’s had teachers who get to know HIM and see their students as individuals in the classroom.
The same goes for my daughter, but on the flipside of the coin. She’s not necessarily the law-biding student. Just as bright, but crazy non-conforming at times. She’s the wacky scribble in that old cartoon, where my son would be the line. So, when we had teachers who didn’t just look a little freaked out by her when we came in for conferences, but instead seemed to understand her for what she is and help to steer that wild and crazy scribble into an actual shape, we really appreciated it.
So, the communication is important, but you can’t communicate unless you KNOW the kids–their strengths, their weaknesses, their personalities, their fears, to just know them in and out, and THEN communicate back to the parents.
After that, knowing the kids and good communication, I’d say that having clear expectations would be next. If the kids know what is expected of them and what the outcome will be, it makes the work a lot easier.
5. Dorsey said:
August 28, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
I LOVE it when teachers USE the web tools avalable to them and keep an updated website!! These are FABULOUS for parents with children who never seem to have homework, but miraculously always have missing assignments. I guess its good communication, just more zero-ed in on.
6. Kymberly said:
August 29, 2008 @ 9:44 am
Friendly, communicative, warm to parents and students but … I have no problem with teachers who make clear they will have structure/discipline/standards too. I like warm n’ fuzzy but I also have “good students” and value that the class will not turn into anarchy while the teacher is handing out hugs.
I like enthusiasm. The best teachers are those in all grade levels who seem truly THRILLED to be back to another school year. I realize they are human too and who among us is thrilled when vacation is over? That said, I don’t want sighs and “are you ready for this?” comments like they are preparing for another grueling slog in a coalmine.
I like the ones that tell students - and teachers - up front that this year is going to be a challenge - but a fun one! That we are all going to work together, etc. etc.
Communicate to parents what you wish/expect - we cannot read your mind. If you like to have hands-on parents who will help bake a cake to celebrate a literary character’s birthday - let us know that. If you prefer a more tight environment and less “hands on parenting” in the classroom - communicate that (but nicely
Really though - enthusiasm. I think teachers have a right to their own style be it funlovin’ and zany or running a fairly tight ship. Please just communicate to my family that YOU believe in your particular teaching style and how it will benefit my - our - children, and I can guarantee I’ll be impressed.
7. amber said:
August 30, 2008 @ 10:03 am
hold the sugar,please.
my daughter has severe adhd & severe odd. she’s on meds & in therapy. but she’s still a work in progress. and i know that by the end of the first week of school, her teacher wants to strangle her. it’s ok. her parents do too.
almost every single parent-teacher conference starts the same way. “weeelllll….she’s really sweeeet, she’s an excellent reader, she’s very bright, buuuuuttt…”
yeah. we know. that’s why she’s been diagnosed, is on meds & in therapy. please, don’t sugar coat it for us. we can’t help her (and there by make life easier for her teacher) if the teacher isn’t totally honest with us. if we don’t know *exactly* what’s going on in the class room & are able to communicate this to her doctors & therapist, we cannot improve her behavior.
we didn’t have to beg our bosses for yet MORE time out of work for ANOTHER conference at noon on a Thursday for the teacher to tell us how awesome our daughter is.
give it to us straight. we can take it like men, i promise.
8. Kelly_Belle said:
August 30, 2008 @ 12:45 pm
I know my daughter is only 2, but my mother is a sub for the school system and only works for one school (she is their full-time sub. I think everything that has been covered is such wonderful advice…and I have just one small thing to add…
If you (as the primary teacher) are going to be out for more than just one day, please, please, please have a sub that is qualified to help teach your class in your absence. I have heard horror stories from the teachers at my moms school who had to leave (for one reason or another) for 3 days to a week and some random sub comes in and has no clue what to do or how to teach.
As an example (sorry Amber…) Amber’s child has needs that have to be addressed everyday. Her child is bright and loving…but…needs to have someone in place to make sure that her issues are addressed and not over looked. The average sub would not know what to do but a good sub, one that has been with that school for awhile, would have a better shot with her child.
I just see it happening too much where a teacher has to be out and the sub does nothing the entire time you were gone…or needs were not met.
Just my opinion.
9. Heather P said:
August 30, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
I know where I teach we have no control on who the sub is, we call in or ask off and we get whoever is available. I used to work in the school office and many times we would call for subs and be told they couldn’t fill the need so other teachers have to take their plan period and cover that class. If I am not mistaken, subsitutes are in short supply all over.
10. Rita said:
August 31, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
Yeah, subs are out of a teacher’s control. But, if there is a sub that is not working well, then definitely tell the administration about it, so they can take that person off the list or only assign them to a different class. Do the same if there’s a sub you really like. Teachers have no idea how the sub performed, so the only input the school gets is from the parents themselves.