Resolving Parent-Teacher Conflicts

It's happened to all parents at one point or another, whether it be a negative written comment on an assignment, or a phone call or a conversation during PTA time. She'll say something that will hurt your feelings and that protective instinct kicks in and all you want to do is set the teacher straight. To me a complaint from the teacher is very stressful, and to complain about a teacher very difficult. It took me years to get a grip on how to handle the situation in a way that would actually help the child.

As a parent you might think, that once you have secured admission for your child in a reputed school you could put your feet up for the next thirteen years and at the end of that, out will come your child educated and wise to face college and life.

Unfortunately, many parents who have older children will warn you against any such complacent ideas – because a good school does not equal a good teacher, does not equal a child who will fare well.

Today a mother has written in complaining:

My child has got a terrible math’s teacher and will obviously fare badly, what can I do?

In my life coaching work with both children and parents I tend to argue this particular point on the basis of how we deal with poor leadership in our professional lives. How as a professional, you might be thrown into the deep end to put together a project or a presentation without any background information. What you rely upon to be successful is your sense of responsibility to complete the task and your resourcefulness to get the job despite the lack of information.