Both Parents And Teachers Make These Five Mistakes When Talking To Each Other

When CNN ran a series of articles about what parents want to say to teachers, and what teachers want to say to parents, thousands of comments ensued, many of them aggressive, and attacking -- going both ways, from parents criticizing teachers, to teachers making uncivil comments about parents.

What jumps out, if you refuse to "take sides" is that both parents and teachers make similar mistakes, not only when talking about difficult issues online, but also when they meet to discuss the welfare of children. It's not so much that parents or teachers are "bad". Its that both groups care a lot, and the issue of how children are to be best educated is an emotional one.

Here are five errors that both parents and teachers make in their discussions.

Quick Jump To Judgment

When things get heated between teacher and parent, each starts to blame the other for the conversation going badly, but the irony is that often BOTH are making the same mistakes that get in the way of solving educational issues. It's time to trash these errors.

When emotions run high, it's easy to draw quick conclusions about the other person (don't care, bad parent, lousy teacher) -- to judge the other person, even if we don't know them well. The problem here is that a quick judgment closes off our thinking, and shuts down our ability to hear what the other person is saying, and notice, not only the points of disagreement, but also the points of agreement. Prescription: First seek to understand, before judging.

Teachers That Make A Difference: The Gift That Lasts A Lifetime! By Robert Bacal

Some forty years ago, I learned that the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. I have to admit that I've never been called upon to use that information, any more than I've been called upon to recite the various classical columns in traditional architecture. There's not a big demand, I guess.

It's easy for teachers to focus on the curriculum, and the syllabus, or even the test scores, amidst the incredibly busy days teachers encounter. Ultimately it's not about the Battle of Hastings, though, or any individual bit of information teachers are called upon to teach.

it's about helping students learn about the joy of learning, the beauty of the subject, and creating lifelong curiosity that will open the doors to lifelong learning. Because this gift that teachers can bestow upon their students launches careers, excellence and successful lives.

Teachers Are From Pluto, Parents From Mercury. Bridging The Gap For The Sake Of The Children

With the beginning of the school year, the "war" between parents and teachers begins anew. Both parents and teachers have the same ultimate goal: To provide the best education possible to students going to schools, which is a good thing, but there's a stark difference between the roles and responsibilities of each. Truly parents and teachers often seem to be from planets at different ends of the solar system when it comes to HOW to reach their shared goal.

Perceptions Of Parents About Teachers

When I was researching Building Bridges Between Home And School: The Educator's/Teacher's Guide To Dealing With Emotional And Upset Parents I talked to a number of parents about their feelings and opinions about teachers. Here are just some of the comments: