My Proven Strategies for Excellent Teacher Relationships
Hey there,
Welcome to this new school year!
How’s it going so far?
I hope you and your child(ren) are thriving and you’re not too overwhelmed with fears, challenges, tantrums, etc.
I’ve been talking to a neighbor of mine and she’s struggling with her son’s teacher (his first year in school). She said, “It seemed like she understood everything in the first meeting and said she would be checking in with me, but she’s not, and she just gave him a poor rating compared to the ‘typical’ kids in class.”
There’s, of course, more to that story, but you get it. Let’s take a deep breath and send lots of love to her and her beautiful four-year-old son. <3
I’ve been at this parenting business for fourteen years, but I’ve been in the label/therapy part of it for seven. I know some helpers have been great and some haven’t. I know some have cared immensely and some never knew how.
You have the power to make your child’s year better!
There are things you can do increase your chances that the teachers (staff, therapists, or whoever you’re working with) will help your child more than they might otherwise.
The first thing you can do, and I recommend this anyway, is to make them muffins, cookies, a fun cake, or any other specialty baked good you know.
You can get them small, sweet gifts for different holidays. Or like me, I buy every new teacher a set of fun colored pens each and every year.
The point is, you can get a long way with some nice treats because who doesn’t like surprise gifts? And don’t we feel like giving back when someone gives something to us?
This is not bribery, it is doing something wonderful for someone who is going to be spending a whole lot of time with your precious child.
Your communication style matters!
Michael’s just beginning his ninth-grade year in a school of four hundred when he’s used to fourteen students total. It’s a transition for sure!
Following is an email I sent this week. We’re getting him a 504 plan to help with some current difficulties that will hopefully be gone by the time we actually get to the meeting and paperwork.
Begin email . . .
I hope you are both doing great today. 🙂
I’d like to start by sharing that Michael seems to be doing well so far in this big new school (for him) and enjoying it. He’s got some things that are becoming more difficult to navigate, so I’m glad to get this process started. I definitely want him to feel safe at school so he can learn and participate like he usually does.
I am currently gathering (finding in moving boxes) all of the diagnostic paperwork I have.
I hope to have all of this to you on Monday with a list of things I think will be helpful for him.
Thank you so much for your future help and I’m here to be a full partner with you and Michael.
Wishing you a great weekend and I look forward to hearing back from you after I submit the paperwork for your review,
Mica Gadhia
Michael’s Mom
End email
Let’s look at this email line by line:
I hope you are both doing great today. 🙂
This line means: I’m not attacking you and this is a friendly email.
I’d like to start by sharing that Michael seems to be doing well so far in this big new school (for him) and enjoying it so far.
Translated: We’re not in crisis mode.
He’s got some things that are becoming more difficult to navigate so I’m glad to get this process started to see how we can address that for him. I definitely want him to feel safe at school so he can learn and participate like he usually does.
Translated: Here’s why I’m writing and need your help . . . I have an end result (Michael feeling safe) and why that is important for him and the school in general (he needs to participate and learn).
I am currently gathering (finding in moving boxes) all of the diagnostic paperwork I currently have.
Translation and purpose: I’m a real person with real issues and I’m not afraid to share information about my life. It also lets them know we’ve moved recently, which is good information for anyone teaching children.
I hope to have all of this to you on Monday with a list of things I think will be helpful for him.
Translation: I’m here to help and will do my part and this is my expected date to have the information you need.
Thank you so much for your future help and I’m here to be a full partner with you and Michael.
Translation: I will not let you slack on this. It’s important and I will be here to get it taken care of as soon as possible with kindness, diligence, fortitude, intelligence, respect, and partnership.
Wishing you a great weekend and I look forward to hearing back from you after I submit the paperwork for your review,
Translation: The next step is in my hands and you do not have to reply to this email.
My main goal is to have my communication be clear, kind, easy to understand, and filled with all of the pertinent information needed.
Most teachers want to help our children succeed. We need to treat them with kindness in our words and deeds, and hopefully they will reciprocate where it matters most: with our children.
We’ve got this! Thank you for being part of our Different-Brain community!
Huge love,
Mica
How’s it going so far this year? Join me on Facebook and let’s chat.
