Butting Heads: How to Actually Avoid That Teacher Conflict - September

Issues And Conflict

We are a couple of weeks into school and believe it or not, now is the time that issues and conflict may be starting to boil and bubble.

There may be issues or conflict with your child and their teacher or even you and their teacher.

Don’t wait until parent-teacher interviews to start a conversation about an issue Beverly Beuermann-King Click to tweet

So how do you ensure that the school year stays on the right path and will less stress for you, your child and their teacher?

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resilience During Parent/Teacher Conflict:

Parent-teacher interviews are usually scheduled for after the first report card. By then the stress or conflict may have grown too large. Set up an appointment and bring any issues out early. Communication is the key.
Keep your child informed about your conversations with their teacher. Children’s stress tend to grow and a parent talking to a teacher is hardly ever a good thing in their mind. Let them know that you are working with their teacher to ensure that they can be as successful as they can be.
Watch that you are not becoming an ‘Helicopter Parent’ who jumps in too soon or hovers around. We need to allow our children to solve their issues and try different strategies. We can teach our children by sharing our own experiences and strategies and allowing them to develop strong resiliency skills of their own.
Be open to the possibility that your child may be part of the problem. Outline with your child the kind of behaviours and attitudes that you expect and let them know that you will be discussing your expectations with their teacher. If the teacher approaches you regarding behaviour or attitudes of your child, try to keep emotionally neutral. This is not a personal reflection of your parenting skills. Move quickly into problem solving – what can be done in the classroom and what can be done at home. Remember that this is a team approach to helping your child succeed.

What To Do

If you find that your child and their teacher are butting heads and the solutions haven’t been effective – it may be time to bring in a third party to mediate. This is where the principal or vice principal may be able to look at the situation and come up with additional strategies based on their years of experience. Remember to document all conversations and action items as you proceed. Respect is the key – respect for the work of the teacher and respect for the needs of the child.

If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!