How to build a good relationship with your child's teacher

I have been a teacher for more than a decade but my first child started attending school last academic session. It is a different ball game to be a parent. I have related with many parents of the pupils and students that I have taught and I can describe the variations of my relationships with them as either warm, productive, tense, etc. I made up my mind before my son started school that I will do my best to make sure that I become the kind of parent with whom I had the best of relationship.
Building a good relationship with your child’s teacher is very critical to the academic success and psychological development of the child. A good relationship will definitely have a relay effect on how the teacher approaches or relates with your child which in turn affect the academic performance of the child. This will ultimately impact the worldview of the child as regards school.
The following ideas will help build a good and productive relationship with your child’s teacher:
1. Relate with the teacher as a professional – it is quite important to relate with the teacher as someone that knows his or her salt. We may know a lot of things as parents but the teacher has a technical training that equips him to relate with children appropriately. If you try to give instructions or ideas to teachers that suggest to him that you view him as incompetent, the relay effect might not be pleasant on your child. I do my best to let my son’s teacher know that she has the carte blanche to educate my son, despite my superior experience.
2. Express your reservation tactfully: - there are times that I have noticed errors in the teacher’s assessment of my son’s work or some grammatical mistakes in the comments or communicators. I just gently correct her and suggest the right thing to her. A teacher may be on the offensive if you correct his error in a derogatory manner.
3. Make the Parent-Teacher Conference a friendly meeting: - Most times, if care is not taken, Parent-Teacher Conference can generate a lot of fireworks. Do not go to meeting with a long list of complaints about the teacher’s shortcomings. Approach the meeting with an attitude of a partner in progress as regards your child academics. Offer suggestions discreetly.
4. Express your concerns or complaints to the teacher first: - many parents get so angry about some issues about the teacher’s shortcomings or oversight that they go directly to the school management to report. This approach will definitely destroy your relationship with the teacher. Sort out the issue with teacher first. If you are not satisfied with the result after several attempts, then meet the management.
5. Acquaint yourself with some details about the teacher: - Your child teacher will feel elated if you send her a birthday card or text message. Get to know his cell phone number, a fair idea of where he lives, and some other details that he will be comfortable to disclose.
6. Never criticize the teacher in your child presence; your child might relay those unwholesome comments to him. That will create disharmony between you and the teacher.
7. Appreciate the teacher with comments and gifts: - a teacher will be glad to receive good comments about his effort about your child’s academics. Gifts during special seasons such as Christmas will be a good idea.
These ideas will surely help to build a good and worthwhile relationship with your child’s teacher. A good rapport with the teacher will naturally make him have an excellent relationship with your child and this requires a deliberate approach.