Start the School Year With the Right Approach
New and Different Should not Create Fear but a Learning Challenge
Parents and students can be anxious about a new school year. If the previous year was a wonderful experience, there is always the fear the new year will not meet the high expectations and the focus is on that disappointment to come. If the previous grade level was a challenging one, there can be a dread that the coming one will be equally unpleasant.
It is important to decrease the stress and fears about a coming school year by being open to new possibilities and not having fixed expectations about what a teacher, curriculum, and school year will bring. Parents can be the model by demonstrating a positive approach to meeting new teachers, developing better communication strategies for working with teachers and administrators at the school, and learning and teaching new study strategies to help the child learn material in a supportive, helpful manner.
Identify and Neutralize Emotional Issues With the Teacher
This is an important goal for parents and children to learn and practice. Parents do not have to love the teacher that has been assigned to their child to have a productive school year. The quicker parents understand this, the faster they move on to learning how to handle the conflicts. Understand there is an emotional reaction to a teacher and a practical one. The emotional response is the one that makes parents want to like the teacher. The practical response is the one that asks how well the child is learning with this teacher.
While the child may not love the teacher, is the child learning? Children and parents can find that taking the time to learn how to work with a more challenging teacher can provide great dividends if the teacher has the ability to impart great knowledge. The most loved are not always the ones that provide parents with the answer to a struggling child’s challenges or the motivation for a gifted child to reach new heights.
Improve Communication Skills of the Parent and Child
Regardless of how a parent feels emotionally towards the teacher, improving communication is essential. One can always be a better communicator. Parents should start with acceptance and move towards understanding. This teacher has philosophies, policies, and procedures that may not be clearly understood. A good communicator learns how to ask questions about those policies, a bad one begins complaining before attempting to understand.
While many parents first move is towards the phone or an angry e-mail, pausing, calming oneself and waiting before reacting can be a better strategy. Miscommunication is common between home and school. Parents need to ask themselves what the issue is, what information they possess about the issue, and start with the belief that miscommunication has occurred. Starting with this perspective starts communication on a calmer footing and is likely to have a better outcome. Children can learn from this model and should be taught specific positive methods for asking questions and conflict resolution with teachers and other adults. If students lack the skills to ask for help this is an area parents can teach a useful life skill by teaching and modeling appropriate communication skills.
Work With Other Parents
Some classroom parents can become negative sharing complaints and gossip with other parents. However, parents can organize parent groups with a positive attitude, contact others who previously had good experience with the teacher, and be a model to classroom parents on how to approach this challenging situation. These movements tend to grow as others see how a positive attitude can have an impact on a child’s school performance.
Positive parent groups can find ways to improve communication with the teacher and provide a bridge to other parents. Teachers generally do not change a format that works, but miscommunication and gossip that leads to unrest can be lessened when caring parents take the lead in working to inform others. Volunteers who are willing to update websites and organize informational mailings can make the school year easier for all members of the classroom community.
Ask for Education
When curriculum changes or a teacher uses a different approach it can be frustrating to parents and students. Both groups need to learn to request information and when necessary education on the new materials and methods. Parents should bring suggestions to the school about information and training on new programs. Some schools have stopped offering them because of poor attendance. Parents who offer to organize and provide parents who will attend get more of a response from administrators for these requests.
Regarding School Supplies
This has become a hot button topic across the country. Parents who are angered about this issue have a right to be upset but should place the anger appropriately. The issue is a school finance issue, not a teacher issue. Teachers ask for school supplies from home because these supplies are not part of the annual school budget. This is a budget taxpayer’s have the right to speak on, but many do not.
Parenst who wish to express their frustration and anger at the ever increasing list should make a trip to the next scheduled school board meeting that is open for public comments. The board manages the tax payer’s school funds, not the teacher. School supplies that are not donated often come from the teacher’s salary. This may motivate more parents to read next year’s school budget more carefully to see what is being funded and what is left off.
A new school year is about to start. This is a great opportunity for parents and children to make a positive start and work on improving communication skills.
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