Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, October 18, 2015

How parents and teachers should talk to each other - LA Times

How parents and teachers should talk to each other - LA Times:
How parents and teachers should talk to each other



Students aren’t the only ones who have homework. We parents also have an ongoing assignment: building, nurturing and maintaining a relationship with our kids’ teachers.
“The level of success a child experiences during a school year is definitely enhanced by communication and cooperation between parents and teachers,” former LAUSD kindergarten and middle school teacher (and mom) Wendy Kennar said.
For some of us, forging a collaborative relationship might seem daunting. As a mother of five, Gracie Lujan of La Cañada, put it: “You always feel like you’re going to the principal’s office.”
Sure, exchanges between parent and teacher can, at times, feel territorial or even adversarial. But they shouldn’t -- and they don’t have to.
Why do I need a relationship with my child’s teacher?
Teachers are the people we parents entrust with the most precious people in our lives -- the people who inspire the strongest emotions (and fears) within us. Just on that basis alone, it makes sense to connect with them. Both teacher and parent are working toward the same end: forming and facilitating the development of your child.
“As a teacher, there's only so much you can do -- after all, you've got 30-plus other children in the room, depending on the grade you're teaching,” Kennar said. “So what you're trying to do in the classroom must be supported at home.”
What should I expect from this relationship?
I saw the value of this advice within the first month of school this year. My 4-year-old started a transitional kindergarten program this fall, and my husband and I have been navigating the relationship through this perspective.
When we first dropped him off at carpool, we left a smiling, playful child who both charms and challenges us. For the next six or seven hours, we have no idea of the person the teachers encountered. We assumed it was the same child we took to preschool. Back-to-School Night proved very instructive, even if a bit unsettling. I lingered a bit to ask more questions of the teacher one-on-one.
We learned that in the classroom, our son was exerting some of the same defiance that we saw at home. The most useful takeaway: The specific words and actions the classroom used to deal with this behavior. When we began to implement the same approach at home, it was like a miracle. Mornings shifted from stressful screaming matches to a pleasant routine easing him into the school day.
The need for communication is particularly imperative when a child has unique challenges, said Jennifer Loza. Her son, who has ADHD, “gets bouts of depression and anxiety dealing with the loss of his dad,” the Bermuda Dunes mom said. “As long as I communicate this to his teachers, they are really good about giving some leeway and allowing him some space and even doing some extra things to keep him distracted or help boost his spirits.”
What should we talk about?
Just as you know your child in a certain context, so do teachers -- and you two might not experience the same person. The idea is to help the teacher round out her image of your child and to help her most effectively reach the student.
Tell the teacher what you know about your child’s interests, skills and history that will help to build a How parents and teachers should talk to each other - LA Times:
Big Education Ape: What The Gates Foundation’s Learned About Funding Education Journalism | The Grade | The Washing... http://bit.ly/1k5ZjUn

Where to reach Education Matters



How to reach Education Matters @LATeducation
Thank you for reading Education Matters as we get started. We hope you'll continue to participate by helping us tell the education stories you want and need to read. We want to know all about your experience with schools as a parent, administrator, teacher, student or resident in Los Angeles and across California. Our mission is to help you better understand your school system, to keep those systems honest, and to also entertain you with fun stories about education. 
You can help us serve you by keeping in touch. We want to know about teachers, homework, uniforms and commutes. Is your school doing something unique that excites you? Do you suspect cheating on standardized tests? Do you think your son's teacher is exceptional? Did your daughter's school bus break down? Is your school's lunch revolting? Or is it delicious?
We want to know.
How to reach Education Matters


You can find us on Twitter at @LATEducation. We'll often use social media to ask you specific questions, but feel free to reach out to us with quick thoughts, quotes or photos.


We're also available on email atedu@latimes.com. 
You can reach me, Education Matters editor and reporter, on Twitter@Joy_Resmovits and by email atJoy.Resmovits@LATimes.com. You can contact our reporter Sonali Kohli on Twitter@Sonali_Kohli, and email her at Sonali.Kohli@LATimes.com.
How to contact our Los Angeles Times education team
Howard Blume covers the Los Angeles Unified School District. 
Twitter: @howardblume
Zahira Torres is an investigative reporter covering k-12 education in the Los Angeles area.
Twitter: @zahiratorres
Teresa Watanabe covers K-12 education. 
Twitter: @teresawatanabe
Larry Gordon covers the UC system and other higher education topics.  
Twitter: @larrygordon
Carla Rivera covers the Cal State system and other higher education topics.
Twitter: @carlariveralat
Jason Song covers community colleges and private universities.
Twitter: @byjsong
Beth Shuster is the Los Angeles Times education editor.
Twitter: @beth_shuster