A SIMPLE TRICK TO MAKE TEACHERS HAPPY
As a teacher, when you are in the office or classroom, and you get a call from the school administration that a parent needs your attention, these calls usually require that you abandon all you are doing to attend to the need of the parent. Often time there is a complaint.
An example of a personal encounter with a parent goes; thus,
“why did my son miss 2 marks in your subject, he got 60 out of 60 in other subjects why did he get 58 in yours?” These are some of the questions that parents bring to school and you have to abandon all you are doing to defend questions such as this.
There are important observations as well that requires a collective conversation between the teacher and the parent.
So, it is perfectly all right for parents to be concerned about the learning journey of their children and by extension engage the teacher about it.
Although, it can be overwhelming on the part of the teachers because they have to continually defend their actions in the classroom to a parent who is probably a Lawyer but completely has no clue about the technicalities of teaching. Anyway, it is our job, we must do it and we are perfectly ok with that.
However, it will be nice if parents can come to school occasionally, just to appreciate the teachers.
You don’t have to come with gifts, just come to appreciate us for the noticeable progress in your child.
This way, the equation will be balanced, and teachers will feel even more motivated. The situation where the only thing that got you agitated is the missed 2 marks and you are not excited to the extent of appreciation when your child can now read, solve algebra, draw, etc. is not a fair situation on our part. Your thank you shows that someone cares and more importantly, YOU care.
While it is not necessarily a responsibility, for you to appreciate us, after all, you paid the school for the service, it is an icing on the cake that worth the effort.
Therefore, don’t just go to complain, sometimes, take time to drive down to appreciate. Just say thank you. This will go a long way to further motivate the teacher and the effect will be felt in the performance of your child.