Ask your child's teacher that difficult question!
Posted by Jomary Schulz - 3rd grade public school teacher.
Have you ever wanted to question your child's teacher about something? Have you ever kept the question to yourself thinking that it wouldn't be valued or it would be taken the wrong way? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions you are not alone!
I often have conversations with people that are amazed to find out that they do not have to wait for the teacher to request a conference in order to have a meeting with them. I encourage my friends and family to always be forthcoming with questions they may have concerning their child's education. A teacher may have between 18-24 students in any given classroom at any given time, so their ability to always have the accurate strategy or approach for each child is challenged daily.
Your child's education is important because every parent has their own set of educational standards. Feel confident when your expectations are not being met.
Here are some examples of questions that are okay to ask and getting the answers to them may ease your mind:
1) My child missed a homework assignment and was marked off, can she/he still turn it in and receive partial credit?
2) Our family runs on a very tight schedule during the week, is it possible to have the weekend before or after to finish up homework instead of it going home on a Monday and always being due on a Friday?
3) What can we do at home that may fill in the learning gap?
4) Why do you think my child has a lack of motivation?
5) Is it possible for me to come in a see their assessments on a weekly or biweekly basis.
6) What are the skills being taught? What are the skills my child needs to master by____?
7) Is my child making the necessary gains? If not, what can be put into place at school that may help?
8) How is my child being progress monitored?
9) What are the standards and what do they mean in ___ grade?
10) How is my child being enriched?
As a teacher I appreciate a parent that is open and willing to share their questions with me. It may be perceived to a parent that a teacher has all of the knowledge about education, but interestingly enough teachers that I have encountered throughout my ten years of teaching are self-proclaimed as being "life long learners" themselves. That being said however, a parent can not just come in questioning every move a teacher makes and expect a welcoming attitude. In the end, a parent with sincere concerns or just uncertainty about something, should never be afraid to speak to their child's teacher, remember we are both working toward the same goal, helping children with their education.
Have you ever wanted to question your child's teacher about something? Have you ever kept the question to yourself thinking that it wouldn't be valued or it would be taken the wrong way? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions you are not alone!
I often have conversations with people that are amazed to find out that they do not have to wait for the teacher to request a conference in order to have a meeting with them. I encourage my friends and family to always be forthcoming with questions they may have concerning their child's education. A teacher may have between 18-24 students in any given classroom at any given time, so their ability to always have the accurate strategy or approach for each child is challenged daily.
Your child's education is important because every parent has their own set of educational standards. Feel confident when your expectations are not being met.
Here are some examples of questions that are okay to ask and getting the answers to them may ease your mind:
1) My child missed a homework assignment and was marked off, can she/he still turn it in and receive partial credit?
2) Our family runs on a very tight schedule during the week, is it possible to have the weekend before or after to finish up homework instead of it going home on a Monday and always being due on a Friday?
3) What can we do at home that may fill in the learning gap?
4) Why do you think my child has a lack of motivation?
5) Is it possible for me to come in a see their assessments on a weekly or biweekly basis.
6) What are the skills being taught? What are the skills my child needs to master by____?
7) Is my child making the necessary gains? If not, what can be put into place at school that may help?
8) How is my child being progress monitored?
9) What are the standards and what do they mean in ___ grade?
10) How is my child being enriched?
As a teacher I appreciate a parent that is open and willing to share their questions with me. It may be perceived to a parent that a teacher has all of the knowledge about education, but interestingly enough teachers that I have encountered throughout my ten years of teaching are self-proclaimed as being "life long learners" themselves. That being said however, a parent can not just come in questioning every move a teacher makes and expect a welcoming attitude. In the end, a parent with sincere concerns or just uncertainty about something, should never be afraid to speak to their child's teacher, remember we are both working toward the same goal, helping children with their education.
Comments
Post a Comment