A 15-minute window to meet your child’s teacher may seem brief, but get it right and you’ll get the school year off to a good start. Here’s how to make the most of it.
What’s the point of meeting my child’s teacher or Wānanga?
“It’s about strengthening the home-school partnership,” explains education consultant and former high school teacher Mark Osborne.
“We talk about the golden triangle or the magic triangle between the child, the teacher, and the family … research shows that when parents are actively involved in their child’s education those kids are likely to have better outcomes from education.”
By breaking ice on the first day of the school year, it also means that if anything tricky does come up over the year, the foundation has been set.
Education author and online teacher Karen-Tui Boyes reinforces this.
Teaching a child is a partnership between school and home, she says. With many families made up of two parents working full-time, there’s less chance of casual playground interactions. A formal Wānanga, or open discussion, gives us the chance to build these bonds.
“It’s not that we’re outsourcing education to teachers anymore, as parents, we are in a partnership with them.”
15 minutes isn’t long, how do I make the most of it?
Do your homework before you sit down in the classroom, suggests Osborne, who runs Leading Learning and has a PhD in leading change in education.
Jot down a prioritised list of things you want to cover, including anything that helps the teacher get to know your child – their strengths, passions, talents and the areas of the curriculum they tend to thrive in.
“Teachers can use that to build confidence in the child,” Osborne says.
“We start with what they can do rather than what they can’t do … then they’re more likely to take smart risks in their learning, which they’ll need to do every day.”
From there, help the teacher understand how your child reacts to challenges, how they react when they find something they struggle to do.
“When they strike something difficult are they quick to put their hand up and ask for help? Or do they tend to try to go missing … struggle away on their own?
Remember, it’s also a chance to build rapport with the new teacher, so use some minutes to get to know one another.
Osborne suggests asking things like: “Where do they come from? Why do they love their job? What are they hoping to achieve this year? What are the goals for the class?”
“The human connection can’t be overstated … it’s not the point of the exercise, but if you start with the human connection, you’re probably going to get a better outcome in the long run.”
And share with them some practical information – what is the best way to communicate (email, phone, messages in an app) or family dynamics to be aware of like shift work or grandparents who might collect the kids or be involved in in looking after them, perhaps older siblings at school or blended families.
Boyes, who created Spectrum Education and works with students and their families via an online school across the country, says you may also want to use this time to set some clear goals – both academic and what’s called “executive function goals” (such as time management). To get the most out of goal setting, remember to return to these at future face-to-face meetings with the teacher.
“I would be asking questions like – ‘what are your main priorities for this class and my child this year?’ – to get a sense of where the teacher is coming from and maybe what skills and habits are they hoping to develop in your child.”
Parents may also want to ask the teacher about their role in the “golden triangle” for instance: “What would you like me to do to support learning at home? What’s your expectation of me as a parent? You might want to ask what support can I give you as a teacher? Do you need someone to come in once a week and help with reading? Do you need someone to come and help put resources away?”
What should I tell the teacher about my child?
Most often the child will be sitting with you for the meet-the-teacher chat, and Osborne says it’s great to involve the “learner” in the experience.
“They may want to share things that they want to achieve this year, their goals… or things that make learning easier for them, or ways that a teacher can support their learning best.
“It’s much better to include the learner in that conversation rather than having the adults talk over the top of them.”
Teacher and university senior lecturer Rev Dr Pennie Togiatama encourages parents to be honest about any challenges they face with their children at home – including any special needs or mental heath issues.
She says it’s wise to share any boundaries or rules in place at home (especially around device use) so the teacher is across anything that may come up around online homework.
“Share what you are comfortable with sharing so that your teacher has a better understanding of your child’s strengths, triggers and other commitments like church, music, dance classes,” she says.
By Nicky Park of rnz.co.nz
