What do you have to gain by developing a positive relationship
with your child’s teachers? A lot more than you might have
thought!

One year, when I was a classroom teacher, I had been
transferred to a new school. The day before school started, I
was setting up my classroom when a woman and her son peeked
in…Debbie and Logan. Logan would be in my class that year and
they stopped by to warmly welcome me to their school; Somehow I
knew then that Debbie was going to be a fun parent to work with.


Sure enough, during the first week of school, Debbie sent in
brownies and a note thanking me for the Parent Handbook I had
distributed. Debbie was a teacher in another district and she
had empathy for the amount of time it took to prepare them.

About once a month, Debbie continued to do small things that
simply communicated, “I appreciate your effort.” Sometimes she
sent in a goodie bag of her latest homemade treats or would jot
a short note on Logan’s homework to tell me how much he learned
from our latest science experiment. Naturally, I ended up
giving Logan some specialized attention because I knew my
efforts were being recognized.

This does NOT mean I was ‘playing favorites.’ I simply honed in
on Logan more quickly than other children because his mother
gave me feedback about what was helpful to her and her son.

Logan was a bright student, but had difficulty learning how to
read. He was good at math, but reading -with all of the
‘exceptions to the rules’ that are characteristic of the
English language- was not registering very easily in Logan’s
logical mind.

Over time, I was able to personalize his instruction. For
example, I found books that were interesting to Logan:
math-based stories, books about designing automobiles, and how
to do origami. His interest in these topics provided important
background to help him understand what he was reading and, more
importantly, motivated him to read. His mother credits this as
the major turning point for him learning how to read and she
was even more grateful than ever before!

I have to admit, however, I felt guilty accepting her praise.
It is human nature to gravitate and respond to positive
feedback. As a teacher, Debbie was simply being the kind of
parent that she would have wanted in her class. What she did
not realize is that her efforts inspired me to tune into her
son and be more effective as his teacher. She also inspired me
to be a better parent, myself.

My two-year-old son goes to daycare part-time and his teachers
have made our lives wonderful. Their compassion and
professionalism give me great confidence and allow my son to
love ‘school.’ Debbie inspired me to share my appreciation with
his teachers by sending in little gifts or short notes
describing something nice my son has said about them. As a
result, I learned another great benefit about being a positive
parent; when I have a problem or concern, his teachers respond
right away and graciously work with me because they know I
respect them.

*** Action Plan ***

Regardless of your child’s age –preschool or high school- you
can show support for teachers. Keep in mind that middle and
high school students will not want to take in a plate of
cookies for each of their teachers. However, even if your child
is older and has several teachers, you can do simple things to
touch base:

- Send an email to say “thank you” for a progress report or to
tell the teacher something nice your child said about him/her.

- Drop a candy bar in the teachers’ mail boxes with a note
attached (i.e. “Some fuel for the first day of school. Welcome
back and thanks for all you do!”)

- Around the holidays, consider sending in a small value gift
certificate to a local coffee shop or deli.

These are just a few examples of the countless small and
inexpensive ways to show appreciation.

One note of caution: Always be genuine! Never say something you
do not mean or teachers will be wary. Do not be too flowery or
you will turn them off. Short notes, kind words, and small
tokens of appreciation are all you need to make a teacher’s
day.

*** In Conclusion… ***

Share your appreciation with your child’s teachers and you
will:

- Give a much needed morale boost to teachers.

- Naturally encourage them to pay greater attention to your
child, which will make his/her education more effective.

-and-

- Promote greater cooperation from teachers when you have to
address a problem or concern.

It is never too late to let teachers know that you value their
contribution to your child’s life. You and your child will reap
great returns from your efforts!


About The Author: To get more resources for managing school and
homework, including a Homework Toolkit featuring "25 Ways to
Make Homework Easier, Tonight," log on to Susan's website at:
http://soarstudyskills.com/

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