My daughter Vanessa is only in first grade, but I've know since she started preschool that it's of utmost importance for me to connect with her teachers. In my book, it's the only way for things to run smoothly and to truly work out for all of those involved. In a little bit, I'll be attending Vanessa's back to school night at her school. I'm looking forward to getting to know her teacher a little bit better and explaining a few things I think she should know about Vanessa, including the fact that I only speak to her in Spanish at home.
Although most kids haven't gone back to school yet, in the next few weeks, everyone will. So, we figured this was a good time to give you some tips on how to connect with your child's teacher straight from an expert.
Read more in ¿Qué más?: 9 things I teach my kids that they won't learn in school
The following suggestions, which I will put into practice immediately, come from Beatriz Pelaez-Martinez, a high school teacher in one of the top school districts in New Jersey and mami to 6-year-old Lucia and 8-month-old Rebecca. Check them out:
- Go to Parent's (Back to School) Night: According to Betty, teachers really appreciate this. As I said before, to me, it's a great opportunity to get to know my child's teacher a bit better and for me to be able to give her a more detailed insight into my child's personality, needs, etc.
- Volunteer: "You not only show the teacher that you care about your child's education, but you show your child that you care about their education and you will reap the benefits of a kid who thinks school is important!" says Betty. And I couldn't agree more. I volunteered a handful of times last year when Vanessa was in Kindergarten and I'll be definitely doing it again this year. Betty makes a good point when she says that you don't even have to go to the school. You could, for example, help with cutting or buying supplies.
- Reach out via email: Teachers are super busy and may not have the time to constantly communicate with you. So go ahead an email them a couple of times a year just to say hello and to see how things are going, says Betty. I must say that I think being able to email Vanessa's teachers makes it much easier to communicate with them.
- Remember "you are in this together": Betty says it's important for us parents to remember that "your child's teacher is an adult trying to help form your child's life through education," but you need to be involved too.
Do you have any tips on how to connect with your child's teacher? Share your thoughts with us by leaving us a comment below.
Image via woodleywonderworks/flickr
