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Building a Partnership with Your Child's Teachers1
Diana Converse2As a parent, you can help your child achieve in school by becoming involved and forming a partnership with his teachers and counselors. Many parents wait until there's a problem or concern to learn about their child's school. You can help your child do his best by beginning a relationship with his teachers before a problem occurs. Your involvement shows your child that you value education, so plan a visit as early in the school year as possible to meet the teachers and administrators.
Parent-teacher associations suggest appropriate questions to ask your child's teachers. They include,
By learning more about the school, you may also have an easier time talking about school issues with your child, since you'll have direct experience yourself.
- "What are your goals for your students this year?"
- "What kind and how much homework are your students expected to do each night?"
- "How will I know what assignments are given?"
- "What is the best way for me to contact you?"
It can be difficult for parents, especially working parents, to attend many school functions, but it is important to try to attend some each year. Research shows that children feel recognized and get slightly higher grades when parents demonstrate an interest in school by attending school activities.
Building a partnership with your child's teachers shows your commitment to education and may motivate your child to do his or her best in school.
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Footnotes
1. This document is FAR0021, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published December 2007. In the interest of time or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. Diana Converse, Extension Agent III, Hillsborough County, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Reviewed by Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, and Executive Producer, Family Album Radio.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
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