Good Teacher Student Relationship Means Good Parent Teacher Communication

Better teacher student relationship results from improved
parent and teacher communication that could make the vital
difference in your child's future. Yes, it could mean the
difference between his success and failure. Research
indicates that children are more successful in school when
their parents speak with their teacher more and become
involved in school activities.

If you are a young mother or father reading this article,
you're lucky because you have the information that could
make the difference between your child's success or
failure, her happiness or sadness. Not only that, by
acting now, you could save yourself a lot of guilt and
heartache in the future by preventing a major problem now.

Only you will know how you will feel later, if you could
have done something now to help your child but didn't. So
act now, be the hero of your son or daughter's life, and
save yourself and your child a lot of trouble and grief. I
assure you, you will never regret it.

Good parent teacher communication is critical in the
early grades for improved teacher student relationship.
Particularly in the primary grades, your child's teacher
sees her more, in the course of the day, than you probably
do. Hence, the teacher, not only is in a position to assess
your child's learning ability in school but, also, her social
skills and emotional maturity. If your child is having
a problem, or a problem may be impending, chances are
your child's teacher is in the best position to notice
since he gets to observe her in many different types of
situations, including interacting with her peers.

Don't think any problems you have with your child are just
a phase and will go away. Good parent and teacher
communication means you communicate these problems to
your teacher. He may be able to help you. What's more
your communication will cause him to be on the look out
for these same problems occurring at school. Your
communication will, not only help the teacher understand
your child, but improve the teacher student relationship,
which, in turn, should result in better school performance
by your child.

It is critical to find out about any challenges your child
may have as soon as possible or "sooner" than possible.
Attending to small problems in kindergarten or first grade
may help prevent huge, impossible problems later. Good
parent and teacher communication means being informed
about the problem early and dealing with the problem
immediately.This means getting the student teacher
relationship off to a good start right of the bat.

Good parent and teacher communication means approaching
the teacher with a cooperative mind set. A few parents,
unfortunately, approach the teacher in a combative mode.
This doesn't do anyone any good. The teacher will be more
likely to look out for your child if you approach him with
cooperation in mind, like two parents working together for
the benefit of their child. This sets the tone for a solid
teacher student relationship.

Good parenting means being aware of what is happening in
your child's life. Since your child's teacher sees her more
each day than virtually anyone else, good parent and
teacher communication is important in your determining just
how well your child is doing now, and what the teacher
thinks her future looks like. Such communication with your
teacher impresses her, and let's her know you are a
concerned parent, doing your part. Hence, the teacher will
too, and will foster a good teacher student relationship,
likely to improve your child's learning.

Therefore, for improved teacher student relationship, go
out of your way to talk and befriend your child's teacher,
and find out how he thinks your child is doing. Some
questions you might want to ask the teacher at the
beginning of each school year (after the first week) and
at the start of each quarter are:

1. How is my child doing academically compared to the other
   students and compared to performance in past years? Even
   if your child is doing well, ask what else you can do to
   help her do better, or assure she will continue to do
   well. This is because you must keep in mind now your
   child's future success in the tougher, higher grades.
   
   
2. What are her academic areas of weakness and strength?
   What can be done to improve her areas of weakness, and
   who would you recommend to speak with about this matter?
   Are there any special programs available? Ask the teacher
   for special homework assignments to help your child with
   the problem.
   
   
3. If your child has an academic challenge be prepared to
   help her out more than usual and stay in touch with the
   teacher on, at least, a weekly basis to assess any
   progress.
   
   
4. Is her emotional and social maturity normal for her age?
   If not, what particular areas does she need improvement
   and where does one get help?
   
   
5. What specifically can I do to improve my child's success
   in school?
   
   
6. Tell your teacher any specific worries you may have,
   concerning your child. He may be able to help you. If he
   doesn't volunteer help, ask him for advice.
   
   
7. Are they looking for volunteers to help at school? As a
   volunteer in the classroom, you can observe your child
   first hand.
   
   
   

The teacher's importance in your child's life cannot be
illustrated better than the story about "Crisis
Intervention and Suicide Prevention."

Click here to read the story.

In this story a teacher helped save a teenager's life by
referring him for counseling before it was too late. Good
teacher student relationship will help your child's teacher
keep you better informed since he knows you are interested
and committed to your child's school success.

As a counselor, I've worked with many teachers. I can
attest that they save lives and can help turn hopeless kids
into hopeful, successful kids with proper parent and teacher
communication, but they need your help. Unfortunately,
a few parents do not attempt good parent and teacher
communication, leaving the teacher to do the job alone.
Instead, realize teachers can be your best friend when
it comes to your kids. For your kid's sake, befriend them,
talk to them cooperatively, and use their professional
ability to better the teacher student relationship, and thus
assure your child's success.

Your child’s teacher is an important resource and can help
you determine if your child needs to see a counselor. So
don’t be afraid to talk to him. Year after year, teaching
a variety of different students, teachers have every day
experience of what the normal range of behavior is and
when a child may be having difficulty coping. Hence, the
teacher can be of great value in advising parents whether
their child needs some help, or in giving additional
information to the parent that can be used in helping the
parent decide whether or not to refer his child for
counseling. If you have any worries in this regard, consult
with your child’s teacher now. This contributes to good
teacher student relationship.

I have nothing but respect for the jobs teachers do. As a
counselor, they have helped me do my job better by pointing
out kids with suspected behavioral problems before they
became embedded and difficult to treat. Frankly, I am awed
by their massive work loads and how effective they prove.

I have first hand experience seeing what they confront on
almost a daily basis: stressed parents, troubled children,
lesson plans, demanding new standardized tests and
procedures, as well as, having to take students’ homework
and other paper work home.

In my opinion, they are over worked and under paid.
Teachers usually arrive at school early in the morning,
long before their classes commence and many times depart
hours after the end of the school day. Many help students
before class and after class, donating their free time to
students because they care. Parents, concerned about their
children, seek their time. Staff meetings are held on a
regular basis after school, as well as individual education
plan meetings that are arranged to meet the special needs
of certain students. During class time, they often have
thirty or more students to attend to, not to mention
various interruptions that transpire during their day.

What's more, due to parents, often, having to work at two
jobs, teachers help raise our children since they, frequently,
spend more time with them than we do. Hence, it is
important for the parent to communicate to the teacher
what his expectations are of his child. What's more,
it is important for the parent to, not only ask for
feedback from his child's teacher, but to take it seriously
by acting upon it. This effective parent and teacher
communication improves the teacher student relationship,
and the chance your child will do better.

Good parent and teacher communication means keeping in
mind that the teacher needs your help, and you need his help.
This leads to the good teacher student relationship that
enhances learning.

In summary:

• Kids whose parents talk to the teacher more, do better
  in school.
  
  
• Your teacher is like a second parent for your child.
  Therefore, particularly in the early grades, it is critical
  you talk to him at the beginning of each quarter, keeping
  in mind the questions listed above.
  
  
• Since parents work best that work together, approach the
  teacher with cooperation in mind.
  
  
• Look for and tackle your child's problems when they are
  in primary school or earlier because, if you wait, they
  will be ten to a hundred times harder to handle later.
  
  
• If your child is having a problem, ask your teacher for
  help now, or "sooner," or I can, almost, guarantee you that
  it will get a lot worse, and you could end up with a
  teenage nightmare on your hands.
  
  
• Your child's teacher can be your best friend, as far as
  your child is concerned. He needs your help, and you need
  his help. Befriend him, get his help, be cooperative.
  
  
• Remember great teacher student relationship is created
  by consistent parent teacher communication. Parents your
  child's success is in your capable hands.
  
  
  

You'll never regret cooperating with and getting your
child's teacher's help. Your child's life and future
success depend on it.