How often do you contact your child's teacher?
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Anonymous
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Reading the post about coaches made me wonder how much is too much to call/email the teacher. I am sure that many would say if you are wondering you are calling too often, but I am wondering and trying not be that mother.
I would say that I emailed about twice with some adjustment concerns my child was having at the beginning of the year (kindergarten, new school). Then maybe 3 or 4 times since then for various questions. Sometimes the emails they send are not clear and I want to do things correctly so I inquire. I respect my child's teacher tremendously, and I don't want to be a pest, but I also want to show that I care and want to contribute where appropriate. What do others think? |
Anonymous
| Never |
Anonymous
| Really, never? Doesn't that make them think you just don't care? |
Anonymous
| No the PP, but I don't care what they think. My child is doing well and I haven't had questions about the stuff that comes home. I'm not going to email the teacher just to check a box. |
Anonymous
| I call and email a lot - always be polite and thank them profusely. I always give generous gifts to the teacher for holidays, including Valentine's Day. You have a partnership with the teacher and that requires communication. |
Anonymous
My take is that you maybe contact a tiny bit too frequently on an ongoing basis (not at the beginning of the year), BUT that you sound like you are nice and polite so you haven't crossed over into "pest" territory. But I'm not even sure what you describe is too frequent, because wiith young kids, the kids are not reliable information-conveyors so teachers expect more follow-up. As the kids get older, unless the student has a great many issues, parental communications can be expected to decrease. However, getting back to your specific questions, are there ever times where you could email a fellow parent for clarification instead of the teacher? That might cut down on the number of emails to which she has to respond. |
Anonymous
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So here is the viewpoint from the teacher side:
Parents did or didn't email me. Out of 21 kids last year about 5 parents emailed me. Out of those 2 of them emailed what I felt was excessively. 3 sent sporadic emails. |
Anonymous
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As a teacher I want to hear from you if...
1. Something is going on in your child's life that impacts them socially, emotionally or academically at school. 2. If you have legitimate concerns about your child at school - socially, emotionally or academically. 3. In response to an email I send to you about concerns I have. 4. About extended absences Otherwise I don't need to hear from you. Most other information you can get from the website, talking to your child, having your child ask at school the next day, talking to other parents, newsletters etc. Please don't email asking for clarification on a homework page. Just write on the page - couldn't complete as instructions weren't clear. |
Anonymous
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My sister who is a teacher out in Calif. is always encouraging me to email the teacher, b/c she is used to having parents contact her all the time. She tells me she even texts them in the middle of the day, gets texts from parents clarifying something in the middle of the day, etc.
In my experience, this feels excessive to me as a parent, so I don't do what she suggests. However, on days when my DD (age 6, in K) is supposed to go someplace different (to Extended Day instead of the carpool line, to Daisies in stead of the carpool line, etc.) I send an email just with one sentence: "Just a quick reminder: Larla Smith goes to Daisies today." or something like that. The one day I did not do it, teacher sent her to Daisies when she wasn't supposed to go that day, and I was left standing out at carpool line thinking, "Where is my child? Where is my child?" Loony annoying teacher didn't even apologize to me. |
Anonymous
| And definitely never leave angry voice messages/email messages or launch a passionate campaign to alter a grade on behalf of your child. Things like that make you "that" parent. The things you describe sound pretty harmless. |
Anonymous
| When my child was in elementary private school, I checked in with the teacher every 2 weeks. Just a quick note to ask about progress or a class activities. |
Anonymous
Wow! OP here. I find this so interesting. I maybe should have added that at drop off the kids are walked into the building so I don't see the teacher. I work so I don't do the pick up. I really am interested in what my child is learning and I feel like if I did not email and ask questions every so often I would NEVER even see his teacher. I guess that some parents don't feel the need to interact with the teacher and if they are happy with that then she should not change. I just want to know as much about my child as I can, and he is not always a reliable communicator, so I rely on the the teacher at times. I am always nice, I actually think the teacher is great, so I don't complain, so hopefully teacher does not see me as a helicopter, crazy parent. |
Anonymous
How is this the teacher's fault? You didn't remind her and Larla isn't the only snowflake in the class. |
Anonymous
The school should have gotten it right without a reminder, but it's not a "sackcloth and ashes" offense. |
Anonymous
| If every parent emailed the teacher just to "check in" teachers would be spending all of their time making parents feel good about themselves. I only email to send a not that child is going home with someone or if I have a homework question and said child isn't old enough to address at school. This has happened maybe once a year per child. Conferences are for "checking in" |