Other than the mandatory parent-teacher meetings, many parents usually wait around till the end of a school day to talk to teachers. They want to know how their child is doing. Use the methods below to professionally handle a meeting with a parent.
How to respond to their questions:
- Simplify. Keep your answers short and to the point.
- When they ask how their child is doing, mention their class attendance, participation in class activity, cooperation and socialisation with others, quiz and exam scores.
How to approach a parent to discuss something:
- Make sure this is something important, not something you are impressed with the student doing.
- Schedule an appointment with them, by calling them on the phone 2 days before hand, make sure to give them a middle of the week date, just in case they reschedule, you can change it to another day and not wait a whole week.
- Choose a time when you will be most comfortable in. End of a school day is a good option.
- When discussing get to the point right away. Don’t waste time with too many formalities.
How to say “No” to a parent:
- Use tact, not aggression.
- Do not give explanations or excuses, if it’s an inappropriate request, you don’t have to say why you’re declining.
- If the parent asks you something inappropriate i.e. coming over to their house to tutor their child. Declining is a valid option.
- Say no, without using the word “no.” Things like “I’m sorry, but that’s not possible for me.” Or “I’m not sure about that, but let me ask my senior and get back to you by email.”
- It is easier to say no to someone by email or text, than face to face.
- Do not be disrespectful to them, say no with courtesy.
- Again, do not give any explanations to others. The more you explain, the more they will contradict or try to find a flaw, and the more they will propose the same request. Say it’s not possible for you, and then politely stay quiet. If they ask, repeat the same thing. Use as many times as needed.
How to handle parents and their children:
For a serious parent with a difficult child:
- Be frank and honest with the parent, they know their child better than you do.
- If they have done something inappropriate, ask them if they are accustomed to this, and how they handle it at the household.
- If you notice that the child misbehaves for attention, tell the parents to take care of the child and spend some time with them doing non-academic activities, like reading a story book, or playing a board game like Monopoly or Ludo.
- Find something positive about the child, and highlight it and ask the parent to help nurture that quality or skill of the child.
For a serious child with a difficult parent:
- The child knows that their parent doesn’t care. Don’t judge the parents, you don’t know how things are at home for them.
- If you see that the child is upset or is facing issues such as bullying, tell them that if they ever want to talk, you’ll listen. It’ll mean a lot to them.
- Don’t make promises you can’t keep. They are accustomed to being treated this way. If you won’t be able to handle what’s causing the child to be upset, tell them to talk to the school counsellor, or see which of the other teachers or supervisors can help them.
For a serious parent with a serious child:
- Let them be, they are doing great.
For a difficult parent with a difficult child:
- Let them be, there’s nothing you can do to help the situation.