Why and how to partner with your child’s teacher

By Amanda Morin

Expert reviewed by Bob Cunningham, EdM

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  • Quick tip 1

    Reach out from the start.

    You don’t need to wait for parent-teacher conferences to start talking with your child’s teacher. Reach out at the beginning of the school year to start building a relationship. It can take time to get comfortable sharing information with each other.

  • Quick tip 2

    Write it down.

    Having the words to say can make the conversation easier. Before you talk with the teacher, make a list of what you want to talk about. You can also take notes after the conversation to help you remember next steps.

  • Quick tip 3

    Be specific.

    Try to be specific when talking with the teacher about your child’s strengths, interests, and challenges. For example, “My child’s top two interests are soccer and drawing comics.” Or “I’ve noticed my child writes very slowly by hand.”

  • Quick tip 4

    Ask questions.

    If you need more information or don’t understand something the teacher says, ask a question. And if you think of a question after your conversation, write it down and ask it in a follow-up email or the next time you talk.

You and your child’s teacher share a common goal: Providing the best learning experience for your child.

Working with the teacher can give you an even better understanding of your child. It also gives you the chance to share concerns about what’s happening at home that the teacher may or may not be seeing in school.

For example, the teacher might tell you that your child gets frustrated about assignments and says things like “Why do we have to learn this?” Maybe you see the same reaction when it comes to homework. Together you can come up with consistent ways to respond to frustration. 

Engaging the teacher lets you find strategies to use in class and at home, and other ways to support your child at school.

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