Nearly everyone at one point or another in life will have a neighbour, group mate, or even their (child’s) teacher they don’t like at some point.
It can be discouraging and annoying, but usually it’s not the end of the world.
Are you in a fix and looking for ways to manage conflict with your child’s teacher?
Here’s how to handle it:
1. Start On A Clean Slate
You may have heard rumours about your child’s teacher being difficult/problematic.
It is in your best interest, however, to try your best not to let these stories influence your own opinion.
If you head to school thinking that you will hate your child’s teacher, you probably will.
But if you go into it with an open mind, you’re much more likely to get along with your teacher.
2. View It As A Lesson
You will not always get along with everyone you encounter in life, and that’s just fine.
It’s crucial to learn how to persevere and deal with people you don’t like, so try to view this experience as an important life lesson that will help you grow into an emphatic human.
Remember that you don’t have to like a teacher in order for your child to learn from him/her.
As long as they are still doing well in the class, do your best to relate with them professionally, and then step by step find things you appreciate about them so you can develop a closer relationship with them.
If the problem is affecting their grade or causing your child to be anxious about going to school, it may not be worth it to just stick it out.
3. Separate The Teacher From The Schooling
Before you decide you don’t like your child’s teacher, it’s important to think carefully about what exactly your reason is.
If your child happens to hate math, it may be that the problem isn’t really with the teacher, but instead with your child’s understanding of the subject matter.
This is an important distinction because getting a new teacher will not help the situation if they hate math.
In most cases, once they understand the subject matter a little better, you might find that the teacher really isn’t so bad after all.
Help your child find something that interests him or her about the subject or learning in general, and help them focus on that as much as possible.
4. Be Nice And Observe
If you think their teacher is being mean to your kid, you might be tempted to be mean right back to him/her, but this will only make the situation worse!
Take it from me.
You don’t need to be overly cheery when you talk to your child’s teacher, but always be pleasant and respectful, while considering the best way to approach the matter.
Your child is with the teacher most hours of the day, the last thing you want is the teacher giving your innocent kid ill-treatment based on the unresolved conflict you two might have.
Be nice, and observe the best way to handle the matter.
Who knows? Your good attitude will rub off on your teacher.
5. Have A Talk With The Teacher
If you think your child’s really having a hard time learning because of their teacher’s teaching style, consider having an open conversation with the teacher about it.
Let them know what specifically is bothering you and see if they can make some adjustments to help your child learn better.
For instance, if you think the teacher is too harsh of a grader, you might want to get some tutoring or study tips for your child.
If they speak too quickly, find an appropriate time to talk to them and kindly ask if they could speak slower because your child has been having trouble catching up.
Have You Read: 5 Things To Do If Your Child Hates Math
If there’s something going on at home and affecting your child’s personal life and affecting them at school, let their teacher know about it. He/she may be much more understanding of their behaviour if they understand where it’s coming from.
Also, only talk to the teacher about things that can be changed.
It might help to have a conversation about comments on their homework that you don’t understand, but it will not be productive to tell the teacher that you think she’s mean and unfair.
Instead of just blaming the teacher for the problem, show that you’re up for working together to fix it.
6. Talk To Other Parents
When push comes to shove, consider talking to other parents.
If there are other students’ parents in the class who seem to be getting along with the teacher, pick a cool one and talk to about your troubles.
Ask them if they have encountered any of the same concerns you are dealing with, and if so, what they did about it.
They may have some useful insights for how to deal with the teacher and handle the issues.
Lastly, choose your battles.
It’s important not to be too argumentative with your teacher, as this will only worsen your relationship with them and by extension, theirs with your child.
It’s okay to confront her about points you don’t understand, but don’t be confrontational about it, and try not to argue over every single point.
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