I hear constant complaints from either side of the parent-teacher divide.
One one hand, the teacher says, "I don't have enough time to spend time with students on a one-to-one basis."
On the other, the parent says, "My teacher doesn't know my kid."
My son is a toddler. We've a few years to go before he's in a classroom setting, so I cannot begin to claim to be an expert. But I am in a position to share information that I gleaned at a the recent People for Education conference.
With how the system works (curriculum, teacher training, testing), the power dynamic is placed firmly in the hands of the educator.
Debbie Pushor, a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Saskatchewan, offered some good advice that isn't necessarily revolutionary. Among her astute tips for both parents and educators alike, she suggests a shift in thinking to equalize the power balance.
Instead of having "meet the teacher" nights. Why not have "meet the parent" nights?
Another small suggestion is to write a letter to your kid's teacher at the beginning of the year. The subject: information about your kid. Personality. Likes, dislikes. What you think the teacher needs to know. And why not? The time it takes to sit and write down the things you know about your kid is time well spent.
It'll certainly become a wonderful document in later years, and I suspect it'll save frustration later in the school year.
