It was toward the end of the first month of the school year when I wrapped up the day and noticed an email alert, from Mrs. Parker. A parent of one of my students named Liam caught my attention with a hint of worry in my heart. Liam showed promise. His constant distractions resulted in him missing parts of our lessons resulting in a decline in his performance at school. Although I had shared progress reports with his parents this particular email seemed to carry a disconcerting tone altogether.
The email started off with frustration mentioning, “Its puzzling why Liam is struggling much this year when he never faced any problems before.” The sender then shared worries about Liam’s grades. Wondered if the current classroom setting was suitable for him.
Breathing in deeply calmed me down as I faced a situation as an educator – handling parents’ concerns can be tough at times. It’s a chance for collaboration and growth together with them, in mind.
When we had our conversation, I paid attention to what Mrs. Parker shared about Liams achievements in the years—in math specifically— and his fondness, for reading at home. However, she mentioned her concern that my teaching approach might not resonate with him in the classroom setting.
After she expressed her views to me. I responded with my opinion as well. I talked about what I noticed in class. Liam appeared to struggle when faced with tasks or those that required a lot of guidance. However, he seemed to shine when presented with hands on assignments or brief and specific tasks. I recalled a science project where he excelled by constructing a model and explaining the process enthusiastically.
Her defensive stance seemed to relax as our conversation progressed prompting me to inquire if she had observed patterns at home and proposing an effort to develop strategies that could aid Liam’s educational journey, in both the school and home environments.
We devised a plan wherein I would introduce tasks in our lessons, and she would establish a homework routine to aid Liam in maintaining his focus better. I am also committed to providing her with progress updates on Liam. We scheduled to reconnect after a month had passed.
During the following weeks I noticed a change, in Liam’s behavior at school. He became more involved in class discussions. Seemed confident in his work compared to before. His performance reports started to show signs of improvement. He began to ask questions during lessons which was a positive behavior, for him.
A month after our last chat, Mrs. Parker and I had another discussion over the phone. She seemed in high spirits this time. She expressed her gratitude for the changes I made saying that Liam seemed to have a good attitude towards school and appeared more enthusiastic about his schoolwork.
I learned something important from this situation. Teamwork between parents and teachers can make a difference for students when there is communication and focus, on finding solutions together rather than arguing about whose approach is better.
From then onwards Liam kept on developing and our bond as parent and teacher became one of the robust of the year.
