8 Questions to Ask Your Children’s Teachers

A child's education begins at home and continues at school. Having good communication with your children’s teachers is a great way to support their educational process.

Our children spend a good part of the day at school. Having good communication with your children’s teachers is fundamental to supporting and strengthening their learning process during school as well as to knowing that they are OK. That’s why you should ask your children’s teachers these 8 questions.

In school, children not only learn, but they also socialize, make friends, and have triumphs and problems that challenge their emotions. Your children will be your first source of information, but obviously you will also need to know the point of view of their teachers, with whom they share a good part of each day.

8 Key Questions to Ask Your Children’s Teachers

Your children’s education begins at home and continues in school. Conversely, there’s a lot that you can do to support your children from home with the learning process that occurs at school.

To do this, we propose you ask your children’s teachers the following key questions. These will allow you to delve into academic performance in the classroom as well as your children’s relationships within the school environment.

1. How is my child’s performance at school?

The first thing you need to know from your children’s teachers is what their performance is like at school. This goes way beyond whatever academic grade may appear on a report card or their exam results.

You have to ask your children’s teachers if your children work well while they’re in class. It’s important to know if they’re focused on the activities that are carried out within the classroom, if they show interest in the learning process or if they complete the assigned tasks on time.

2. What work methodology do you use in the classroom?

You must ask this question before you even speak to your children’s teachers individually. When you’re in the process of selecting which educational center you’ll send your children to begin schooling, you must know what their teaching methodology is.

It’s important to know if the teachers will send homework to do outside of school hours or if they prefer that the whole process be concentrated inside the classroom. It’s also important to know if it’s an open school, or if they work in projects. And, of course, you must agree with that teaching methodology.

It would not make any sense for you to not support the school’s teaching methodology and thus decide to reinforce your children’s education with an opposing methodology. If you were to do this, you could confuse your child as a result.

3. How can I support my child from home?

You can reinforce the learning process at home.

To do this, it’s important that you bear in mind that a parent’s role is to provide support and ensure that the children fulfill their responsibilities. In no case is it about doing the homework for your children or overloading them with extra tasks.

When parents are involved in the school work that children work on at home, it’s important to take the following factors into account:

• Ensure that your children can study or do their homework in a quiet environment.
• Parents should ensure that study time is not associated with punishment.

4. Is there a system that encourages student’s effort?

Ask your children’s teachers how they value student effort. Again, this is about looking beyond school grades. Find out if whether they give some kind of recognition within the classroom or even within the institution to students who stand out for their performance.

It’s also good to know how they encourage the children’s effort: how often they change the learning environment, whether the children have the opportunity to speak and suggest, what’s most relevant, how often the children can move around rather than staying seated, etc.

5. How does my child behave in the classroom?

The subject of good behavior includes respect for teachers and fellow students, compliance with the rules established within the school, and how your child relates to other children. Typically, if a child has bad behavior, the teachers will immediately make a complaint to parents.

Even so, it’s advisable to frequently ask your children’s teacher about this, even if you do not hear a complaint. Also, it’s important that you hear  any  good news about if your children are respectful, kind and friendly children.

6. How does my child interact with his classmates?

School is the space where your children make their first friendships and also have their first run-ins. Knowing how your children relate to their peers is important to their well-being.

Your children’s teachers should inform you if they share and play with their classmates during breaks. Other considerations are if they are able to work in a team and how they behave when they are with their group of friends, among others.

7. What are the procedures when a student misbehaves?

This is a fundamental question. You should know if your child’s teachers are in favor of or against punishments, and what measures will be taken if there are behavioral problems between the children.

Bullying is a growing problem across the globe. It’s important to find out what the procedures are in these cases, whether your child is the victim or the harasser.

8. How can I help?

Parents often drop their children off at school, and do not collaborate in any way with what happens there. They only receive the report card or go to a teachers’ meeting only when asked to.

Instead, offer to help during school days or in any activity that requires parent participation. Education is a team effort. Your support of the school community will benefit you child.