I love this time of the year! School is officially starting, and it’s back to business for kids whose daily routine will be kicked into high gear. Many parents and their kids will get the pleasure of meeting their new teacher a few days before the school year begins, which is a great time to see the classroom your child will be inhabiting for the next several months. Meeting the new teacher is also a perfect opportunity to ask the teacher questions that you have regarding the curriculum, class rules, expectations, and more.
My child and I met her new third grade teacher recently, and I didn’t take the event for granted. I had a list of questions that I knew would not only help me but my daughter as well.
Here are 5 Questions to Ask Your Child’s New Teacher:
1. “Tell Me a Little About Yourself”
I know this sounds a little cliche, but it’s a really good question to ask a teacher. With this question, you may be able to find out where they went to school, how long they’ve been teaching, how long they’ve been at the school, etc. It’s a great way to open up the lines of communication, and you may feel more at ease knowing these details about your child’s teacher.
2. Teaching Style
Many teachers have a specific teaching style. Some are comforters, some are very rigid and strict. Knowing the teacher’s style may help you when speaking with your child about their day and the goings on in the classroom.
3. Discipline
Knowing how your teacher disciplines is key. We all like to think that our child always behaves well at school, but the truth is that all kids have their bad days, which may affect their behavior in the classroom. Knowing how your child’s teacher disciplines will help the both of you with making sure your child understands the consequences to their bad behavior while at school.
4. Special “Needs”
Each of our kids are unique in their own way. For instance, I have blogged in the past that my daughter stutters and sees a speech pathologist while in school twice a week. Knowing how your child’s teacher deals with these items may give you more a peace of mind while your child is in school. Since my daughter is pulled out of her classroom twice a week for an hour, I need to know how she will learn the material that is being taught while she is with the speech pathologist. I need to know how the work will be made up and if she will be on par with the rest of the class. If your child has any areas of concern, Meet the Teacher Day is a great time to address them.
5. What Do You Need From Me?
Each year at the beginning of the school year, I always ask my daughter’s teacher, “what do you need from me”? It’s a question that I think a lot of teachers would like to be asked. That is because school is a partnership—it’s not just about the teacher doing their thing and us parents sitting in the background. We have to work together to ensure a successful school year, and I want my child’s teacher to know that I am here for anything they need. I can volunteer, assist with class parties, help tidy the classroom, or do anything else that they need me to do.
We all want our kids to to have a happy school year. Asking questions of your child’s teacher and bridging the gap between home and school ensures that your kids have the solid foundation they need scholastically.
Here’s to a happy school year!
What types of questions do you ask your child’s new teacher?
love this! Great info
Shauna, thanks for commenting. Glad you found the post useful 🙂
These are great questions that I hadn’t thought about. Thanks for sharing!
Laila, thanks for commenting. I like having a plan of action when I meet the teacher for the first time. It can be overwhelming, so having my questions ready ahead of time makes it easier.
Thanks so much for this! I always forget to ask how they handle special “needs” with each individual child and I never thought of asking them about themselves. The questions always seem to be about the kids. Great post.
Amiyrah, I think the teacher actually appreciates a question or 2 about them. I also think it gives us as parents a great perspective about the person who will be spending a great deal of time with our children. 🙂
Thanks for the reminder to connect with the teachers who will be spending so many hours a day with our children.
My son is 2 and only attends in a half-day preschool twice a week.
But he’s been through quite a few teacher changes lately and I need to make sure his teacher is up-to-speed on his allergies and what to do in case of an emergency.
I learned from a brief chat that she’s a former journalist like me and I’d like to ask her even more.
Great post!
Joyce, thanks for commenting. I am sure the journalist in you knows how to ask great questions and get down to the heart of the matter. I hope your little one is enjoying is preschool despite the changes.
Very nice ideas! I’m a teacher and I really appreciate when parents ask me about myself. So many don’t seem to care and I think they should. Also, its nice when parents are supportive of the learning but don’t ‘hover’. Lol