There are many problems that I might encounter when dealing with students parents. I might have a differnt language, class, or ethnic background than my students. If the parent feels like I am not on the same level as they are when it comes to those particular issues then it might be harder for me to communicate with them. Some parents also think that their children can do no wrong so if a teacher calls to tell a students parent about an issue in the classroom the parent might automatically blame the teacher.
I think it is hard for some teachers to really learn how to communicate with the parents of their students. However, I think the best possible thing to do is to make sure they see all sides of the story and try to have respect for the parents. If a student is doing poorly in school it might be direct effect of something that is happening at home. I always worry that a student would be in an abusive household and would get in major trouble at home because of the teachers phone call home. I think that the safety of the student is extremely important and hopefully they are always safe.
I would deal with phone calls to the parents by always trying to mention the great things about their child before I mention any problems the child might be having. I would not show these problems as the child is a horrible person who I do not like having in my class. I would try to make sure that the parent knows that they have a wonderful child who brings so much to the classroom but who just needs some help in certain areas.
I think you and I worry about the some of the same things, not being able to communicate with them at the same level. And even though I speak more than one language, I worry about the parents that don't speak Spanish. And I am sure we are not the only ones who might face these issues.
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