Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Parent interactions What should I do if I have parents who do not have the time to care about their children? I have seen cases where parents get angry at the teacher for even calling them. I also have seen cases where parents "don't care" what their students are up to in school. What are some solutions? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) As educators, we must understand that everything isn’t always as it seems. Often times, teachers and schools are unaware of the home environment. It is very easy for schools to place blame on the parents, just as it is easy for parents to place blame on teachers for a students’ performance. The relationship between school and home is a complicated, yet important one. One strategy for teachers to foster a healthy relationship is to establish a positive communication method early on. This might be through a presentation at back-to-school night, a posting on a class website, an email, a paper announcement, etc. By sharing the positive milestones in their children's’ educations, we can be prepared for the times when we might need to share some more critical feedback with the parents. If a healthy, positive relationship exists between school and home, parents are less likely to become “angry” or uncomfortable when the teacher calls about a more serious matter. To address the issue of parents “not caring,” we must consider that all students have a different home life and home environment. Teachers must consider cultural differences. Some cultures believe that parents are responsible for raising children and teachers are responsible for educating them. Additionally, many students have parents who work full time. Just because familial involvement looks different for different students, this does not mean that there is no support for education at home. I have heard that a classroom website is a valuable resource. It is an easy communication source, and allows parents to view their students progress with pictures and messages from the teacher. In this way, schools acknowledge that it isn’t a matter of not caring, but a matter of ease of access.