Matchmake your child to their teacher

There are several things you can do to help your child develop a positive relationship with their teacher and vice versa. You want your child to respect their teacher and want to learn from them. This really helps with their attitude to school.

Speak positively about the teacher

• Avoid negative talk about the teacher in front of your child.

• Share interesting or fun facts about the teacher to make them seem more relatable.

• Say things like, “Mrs Corbett really cares about her students.”
  

Encourage respect and appreciation

• Teach your child to say “good morning” and “thank you” to their teacher.

• Encourage small gestures like making a card, taking a flower from your garden, or just being polite.
  

Build a connection between the teacher and your child’s interests

• If your child loves dinosaurs, say, “Maybe you can tell your teacher about your favourite dinosaur!”

• If the teacher has a hobby your child likes, encourage them to talk about it. Or maybe they’ve had a similar experience, “I think Mrs Corbett went camping in the holidays too.”

• If your child is nervous speaking to their teacher, they could take in an interesting shell/photo/artwork/something special to show the teacher. This helps get the conversation going.
  

Share positive feedback with the teacher

• Send an email or quick chat after school saying something they’re enjoying about being in their class or something they like about the teacher, “My child really enjoys being in your class, especially the game at the end of the day.” Or “Thanks for making learning fun! She has been talking about your science experiment a lot this afternoon.” 

• A little appreciation goes a long way in strengthening the relationship.
  

Encourage a growth mindset

• If your child struggles with a subject, avoid blaming the teacher. Instead, say things like, “Your teacher is there to help you - let’s ask them for tips.”

• Teach your child that challenges are part of learning.

Reinforce the teacher’s authority and rules

• Back up the teacher’s expectations at home. Don’t undermine them in front of your child. 

Matchmake yourself to the teacher too:

Get involved in the classroom

• Volunteer for classroom activities if possible, or even 10mins in the morning returning some readers.

• Attend school events to show support for the teacher.

• Help with supplies, field trips, or classroom projects.
  

Address issues privately and respectfully

• If concerns arise, speak with the teacher directly rather than complaining in front of your child.

• Frame it as a team effort: “How can we work together to support my child?”

• Email to arrange a time to talk so they have a heads up. Don’t go in just before the bell, expecting them to get into an important conversation with you.