Become a Positive Partner at School

If you feel that the school your child attends does a reasonably good job you should become involved as a positive partner to make it the best that it can be. It is so important to work as a partner with the school your child attends. Below are some positive traits that a parent should try to incorporate to work as a partner with the school:

1. Public relations parents: These are the parent that is active in the community and goes out a speaks positively about the school and what is going on in the school.

2. Behind the scenes: This parent is rarely visible around the school, but will help in anyway possible.

3. Working parents: These parent works full time and cannot always be at all school functions. These parents will take off from work for important events and appointments. They will volunteer to do things at home or give cash donations.

4. Worker bee: These parents are stay-at-home and will volunteer to do just about anything needed.

5. The ray of sunshine parents: These parents come into the school and willing to meet with administrators and teachers to support school goals. They are positive about the school and everyone trust their input.

6. The skilled parents: These are parents that have special skills that they share with the school and the students. It can be computer tech, tutors, artist, bulletin boards, gardening, or anything need to make the school a better place for the students and the staff.

Make sure you get involved with a positive group of parents that go about trying to make positive changes in the school. It will make all the difference in the experience you will have with the school and the experience your child will have.

How to Handle a Difficult Parent Teacher Relationship: Part 2

Yesterday I gave you 6 traits that make you a difficult parent at school. Today I will give you 5 more personalities to avoid while dealing with your child's school. According to Stacy DeBroff, author of "The Mom Book Goes To School" below are some common negative stereotypes:

1. Overachiever: This parent lives vicariously through the high standards she sets for her child and the success that child achieves.

2. Overstressed and overworked: This parent constantly feels stressed and over-committed, yet continues to commit to activities. This parent feels guilty about a lack of involvement and wishes she had time to be more invested in the education of their child.

3. Parent Spy: This parent volunteers in the classroom to keep an eye on the teacher and report back to other parents, the PTA, or the principal.

4. Passive-aggressive: This parent hides behind nasty notes but will not tackle an issue with a teacher face-to-face. When a teacher approaches a passive-aggressive parent in person, the parent take on a much friendlier persona.

5. Well-intentioned by completely unreliable: This parent wants to be involve but make promises that are never followed up on.

Make sure you do not display any of these negative stereotypes. It will make your and your child's school experiences much more negative then it has to be. Tomorrow I will give you some positive stereotypes you will want to incorporate.

How to Handle a Difficult Parent Teacher Relationship: Part 1

I think it is extremely important for parents to realize that a teacher has the responsibility for satisfying many other students and parents besides yourself. You should be willing to forgive if your child's teacher makes a mistake or fails to devote full attention to your specific issue. Make sure you are being reasonable in every situation you address.

If you are constantly are confronting your child's teacher with questions about minor issues and request conferences, the teacher will quickly feel annoyed, and become increasingly evasive. Never storm into a meeting angry and ready for an argument. Calm yourself down and make sure you are ready to listen and evaluation the entire situation. According to Stacy DeBroff, author of " The Mom Book Goes To School", here are the things that make a parent difficult for a school setting.

1. Complainer: This is parents frequently calling the teacher or drops in on the classroom to gripe about minor details.

2. Confrontational: This parent constantly pesters the teacher and is unwilling to list to feed back and suggestions.

3. Meddler: This parent typically micromanages every detail of their child's education and personal life.

4. Needy: This parent is on whose hand the teacher has to hold thought every step of the child's education

5. Nowhere-to-be-found: This parent is almost impossible to track down and is never available when teachers need to meet.

6. Overreacting: This parent's first instinct is to barge into the school highly agitated, emotional and irrational.

7. Overachiever: This parent lives vicariously through the high standards they set for the child and the success that child achieves.

Tomorrow I will list 5 more difficult parent personalities and list some positive traits all parents should have.

Tip #70: Get Involved in the Your Child's School.

Parents are a child's first and most influential teacher. Therefore, the schools should and must have a strong, positive, partnership with parents. That brings us to tip #70.


Tip #70: Get Involved in the Your Child's School.

From involving families in the first day of school, to the principals and teachers getting to know the parents (and making home visits when necessary), to hosting no fewer than 10 fun, informational family events throughout the year. I believe with the school and family friendly partnership, our schools will reach their full potential. I teach at a magnet school in Huntsville, Alabama, and I know that the key ingredent to the success of our program is a strong academic program, capable administrators and teachers, and strong parential involvement. We work as a family and the health and success of any family is that everyone is important and must be successful. We are only as strong as the weakest link. So, parents please, please, please get involved. To find out how to get involved purchase my book, "A Parent's Handbook: How to Get the Best Education For Your Child K-6. You'll be glad you did!