Collaborating with Your Child’s Teachers
Needless to say, the start of the school year is a busy time for everyone. You already know that it's important to take some time to get to know your child's teachers and other school staff. Just as important though, is to do so when it's convenient for school staff. During my years working as a school psychologist I saw well-meaning parents and caregivers make the attempts at the wrong time, and I saw it backfire. I also saw parents and caregivers make meaningful connections with staff during opportunities that were preferable for staff. Often times, their message and actions were similar, but the big difference was their timing. The well-timed encounters tended to lead to more effective communication and collaboration throughout the year. To help you get the new school year journey off to a good start, I am going to share a few tips with you all over the next few weeks.
Please note that this content is written with the assumption that the learner does not have an IEP, Section 504, and/or Health Plan. Follow the school’s protocol to get in contact with the designated staff/case managers.
This week’s tip: Timing is everything.
While they (often) have a great poker face, the start of the school year is one of the most stressful times for school staff. Typically, staff are spending the few days that they have in their buildings before the students return in meetings and professional development sessions. These trainings are incredibly important (most of the time), and often satisfy requirements from the school system. These opportunities to have all staff in a building without students are rare. Subsequently, a good chunk of their time is spent completing these trainings.
While sitting in these meetings, they are learning about changes to:
their student rosters,
their classroom locations,
the subjects or grades they will be teaching this year,
their building administrators (e.g., bosses), etc.
I have even seen teachers learn that they'll be working at another school just a day or two before the students return. It's a really stressful time. Understandably, they may feel as though they don't have enough time to prepare for the start of the school year.
At the same time, it's extremely important to work on developing a relationship with them so that you all can be a team for your learner's growth throughout the year. So, here are a few tips:
When you reach out to connect, try to time it in a way that's convenient for them (if it’s possible for your schedule). Some teachers are great about listing their preferred methods of contact and the best days/times to connect. Do your best to find time in your calendar that aligns with their schedules. For other staff members, you may need to ask them how they prefer to connect.
Be intentional. Think about the 3 most important things to share with them before the school year gets going. Consider writing it down to focus your message and to provide them with something they can go back to and reference as they are digesting all of the information at the start of the year.
Be mindful. Set a timer for 15 minutes and try to stick to it! By doing so, you're communicating from the start that you respect them, their career, and their time. Respect is often an element that is not intentionally communicated early in a working relationship, and it's a critical component of the foundation for collaboration that you're trying to build for the year.
Be patient. They are looking for opportunities to respond, but between the meetings, classroom preparation, trainings, and emails from other staff and parents/caregivers, it can be tough to quickly reply to everyone .
Hopefully these tips will help you deliver the message of “collaboration,” and to deliver that message in the most effective and favorable manner. Stay tuned for more suggestions!
Best,
Evan Gallena, Ed.S., NCSP
Founder & Lead-Consultant: GPS Education Consulting L.L.C.
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Email us at Evan@GPSEducationConsulting.net if you have any questions!
Let’s navigate the path to success together!
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