~e-mail or call everyday, to see how their child is doing.
~criticise your every educational move.
~says that, "my child is a genius", but he/she can't even spell their name right on a worksheet.
~or even the ones you can never contact because you need to speak to them.
All of us have seen parents like this. I have always said, that the toughest part about my job is not the students, but the parents. Here are some articles/blogs that are worth looking at to help cope with difficult parents.
Dealing with Difficult Parents
Books worth reading:
Excellent first post! I am really happy to see that you are using this to expand your PLN and offer useful info to the blogosphere!
ReplyDeleteDealing with parents is sometimes a more difficult job than dealing with just the kid. I have found what works for me is to let them know that they are thier teacher as well and I would appreciate tips on how to work with them in the classroom. I also thank them for allowing me to be a part of their students lives. This seems to help build a connection of trust between us. I do try to deal with the email situation by telling them that I am busy teaching and planning for their child's education and do not have time during the day to answer emails and that I will check them at the end of the day. I follow through with this and it has seemed to ease some of the anxiety. I also invite them to come into the classroom and visit for a short time. That way they can see what we are doing and how their student fits into the classroom. I also try to listen. This is the best strategy. Often they just want to be heard and get their point across that we are dealing with their child and that they just want what is best for them. Another quick and easy tip is that I email them a short daily email of what was done in the classroom that day.
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