Don’t Be That Parent
Lots of parents hope to impress or have positive relationships with their kids’ teachers. After all, these educators are responsible for looking after your kid for a significant portion of the day, and can impact their future through grading. To help you make the most of these interactions, here are 10 things teachers hate, and 10 things they love to see.
1. Sending Boxes of Chocolate
One of the most annoying things that teachers deal with is getting so many boxes of chocolates and candy sent in by parents. Yes, it might be a sweet gesture! However, with the number of students they have per class, it's not healthy to have so many sweets around and is a big distraction.
2. Texting Your Child
Parents, teachers are irritated when you text your child in the middle of class. Helping out is great, but it can be more of an annoyance than assistance. Texting even positive reminders can break concentration and distract other students.
3. Disciplining Their Students
Teachers hate it when parents punish their child and then want the teacher to follow through with it. If it means more work on the teacher's part, it's even worse. Parents mean well and they want to help discipline their child, but when they ask the teacher to make their child clean the classroom on their day off, that's not fair.
4. Emailing About Missing Assignments
Teachers can get very annoyed when they get an email from a parent about an assignment that was turned in or not completed. Instead of getting their child to take responsibility and send the teacher an email, parents need to let their child be accountable for themselves. It is alright for elementary-aged children, but with older students it can set them back in life.
5. Elaborate Holiday Gifts
Educators are often happy to receive a present from a grateful student, especially during the holiday season. However, a present with too much fanfare or the wrong details can easily backfire. Extravagant, useless, or just plain confusing gifts are usually not well received.
6. Over-Volunteering
Teachers love it when parents volunteer, but if you sign up for every activity they might think you're a little overbearing. If you do all the volunteering, it can cause hard feelings, and other families might be discouraged from helping out. Children also miss out on opportunities to be independent if a parent is constantly hovering around.
7. Misusing Teacher Conference Slots
Teachers hate it when parents book the last available parent-teacher conference timeslot so they have more time to talk. By then, the teacher is exhausted and if they take more than one slot/time or go over, they are stealing time from other parents. Parents should be involved but they also have to be fair to other people and be time conscious.
8. Trying To Be Their Bestie
Teachers are often put off by parents who treat them like their best friend or try to start a personal relationship that goes beyond their professional interactions. It is not appropriate for a parent to try to play games to get the teacher to like them or get special favors for their child. These actions feel intrusive and overstepping of personal boundaries, often leaving the teacher in a tense and awkward position.
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9. Personalized Teacher Awards
Teachers like to be acknowledged for their efforts, but a whole bunch of personalized “teacher awards” can quickly turn into clutter. The first one or two of these are special, but after that they end up taking up valuable space on a shelf and aren’t very practical. Teachers would rather have a meaningful gesture than just another thing to collect and store.
10. Ignoring Emails
Teachers hate it when parents read their important emails but don't respond. It makes us not know if you've read it or if you understand. They know you don't want to clog up your inbox but a simple reply goes a long way. Teachers try so hard to keep everyone informed and it makes us feel appreciated.
Now that we talked about behaviors teachers hate, here are 10 they adore!
1. Skip Food Gifts
Teachers love getting personal thank-you notes from parents and students. The more genuine the gratitude, the more the teacher will appreciate it. Rather than deliver food gifts, it's best to leave goodies in the teacher's break room or give them a gift card.
2. Stay On Top Of Your Kids’ Assignments
Teachers like it when parents teach their children to be accountable by speaking to teachers directly if there are any problems with an assignment. They also respect parents who aid their children in learning valuable life lessons such as overcoming shyness, time management, and confronting obstacles. Encouraging independence at home helps students be better prepared for adulthood.
3. Support School Consequences
Teachers like it when parents understand that children will sometimes misbehave, and when they are open to working together to help with the behavior. Accepting the school's consequences shows respect for the teacher and provides a united front that helps the child know what to expect. Additional consequences from parents are fine, but should be done at home, where they can be monitored.
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4. Schedule Extra Time If Needed
Teachers are grateful when a parent requests one conference slot, is punctual, and keeps to the time limit of the meeting. Arranging an additional meeting or providing a lengthy e-mail when more time is needed is a courtesy that helps things run smoothly. Being respectful in this way makes conferences productive and equitable for teachers and for parents.
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5. Follow Phone Rules
Teachers are thankful for parents who teach their kids to follow the school's cell phone policy and only text their child during school hours when it is an emergency. Teachers also appreciate honest communication from parents. If your child has a condition such as ADHD, teachers can work with you to develop a plan for how to help your child succeed.
6. Respect Boundaries
Teachers also like it when their parents are understanding of their personal boundaries, which means no prying into their personal life or gossiping about them. In case a teacher goes through a major life struggle, the parents can help but only through the school's administration. And if a parent wants to date a teacher, then they should wait until their kid's relationship with that teacher is completely over.
7. Read With Your Child
Teachers get really excited when parents establish a regular reading time with their kids every day. Consistent exposure to books and stories significantly enhances literacy skills. This daily routine strengthens language abilities and instills a lifelong passion for learning.
8. Taking Accountability
Teachers respect parents who take responsibility for their child's behavior and are a team player in helping their children grow. Accepting responsibility and working with teachers out of respect is a great way to contribute to a positive classroom. Children learn from their parents and will be more likely to accept responsibility themselves when they see their parents taking responsibility.
9. Oversharing
Teachers are most interested in hearing from you when you have information about your child or family that will help them in the classroom. It is best if you are able to keep your meetings or phone calls with teachers focused on details that will affect your child's day at school. It is not necessary to tell the teacher information about your family that is too personal.
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10. Prioritizing Outside Time
Teachers value parents who encourage their children to play outside, as it supports physical health and social development. Outdoor play helps kids build important skills like creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving. This balance between screen time and active play contributes to a child’s overall well-being and readiness to learn.
