Parents: Love 'em or Leave 'em

This article was an interesting one, since it pointed out the potential role parents can have in the classroom. The last part of my website I left was the blog I created for the parents in place of a discussion board. I had wondered what topics I should post and if parents would even care. Honestly, I also wondered if I wasn’t giving the parents TOO much information. If I ask the parents what they think of the curriculum, is there really a point? If I have 20 out of 25 parents tell me they hate it, what am I supposed to do about it? So, this article was a good one, because it focused on gaining respect, not love. Another good topic they brought up is sticking to your guns about things. For instance, don’t just let the parents show up and demand a meeting at any old time. Make sure you plan a meeting, so you can prepare what you want to say. Being unprepared and vulnerable never makes you gain respect. Another point I liked in the article was about not picking fights. For instance, if you have a parent who is on your case about everything, the author said maybe it is possible to let it go when the parent wants to meet 15 minutes ahead of their scheduled meeting time. Know your battles, and choose them wisely. I really appreciated this article and was glad to read it.