Ten Things Every Teacher Should Know

Your child’s teacher spends five days, and approximately 35-hours with your child each week. School is practically his second home. The teacher is there to help your child grow mentally and emotionally, and in addition to academics, she teaches your child many life-, social-, and communication skills in his classroom environment. It is therefore very important to communicate from the start and keep in contact with your child’s teacher throughout the school year to help her contribute to his progress and success.

Here are ten things every teacher should know about you and your child:

Allergies and food sensitivities: Make it very clear if your child has any allergies, food sensitivities, or has to maintain a special diet. It is very important to be specific about any negative reactions that could occur if he were to get a hold of certain foods. I will never forget one of my first teaching experiences. Eleven years ago, I had a student who was allergic to gluten. He took two pieces of candy from a classmate and ate them. The next day, his mother asked me if he had gotten hold of any food that wasn’t in his lunchbox. I hadn’t mentioned it to her, because I thought it was only two pieces of candy. He was so sensitive to gluten that he ended up being sick all night with stomach problems. I learned a very valuable lesson that day.

Behavioral strategies: If you have a behavior system that is successful at home, it is important to let the teacher know about it. If your child responds well to music, let her know if music calms him down when he is agitated, or if music wakes him up when he is tired. Tell her if you have tried using a sticker chart as a reward system and had absolutely no success with it. Perhaps you use a countdown method, where you show your child your hand and countdown from five to get a desired response, or maybe your child responds well to quiet time when he is overwhelmed and has just had a meltdown. Whatever works at home can be helpful in the classroom as well. The teacher may also be able to offer you some strategies to help you at home.

Sensory issues: What type of sensory issues does your child display? Does he rock back and forth to calm himself down? Does he sit on a special seat cushion at home that may help him at school? Maybe he has a special toy or object that he likes to squeeze that calms him down. Perhaps he uses earplugs or headphones in loud places that might benefit him in the cafeteria. Be sure to tell his teacher about any sensory techniques that work for your child.

Special interests: Your child’s teacher will benefit from knowing about your child’s special interests. You can prepare a list for her by writing down 10 activities or toys that your child likes.

Triggers: What really upsets your child? If loud noises, such as fire alarms and the school bell, are overwhelming for your child, inform his teacher. If he runs away when someone raises their voice, or when children cry, be sure to pass on that information.

Communication Tools: How does your child communicate best? Show or give the teacher any communication books or visual tools that you use with your child. If he uses photographs to express himself, be sure to give his teacher a copy of those photos.

Homework: Ask for homework to be sent home to help bridge the gap between home and school and reinforce lessons learned. Homework is also a great way to find out what your child is doing in class, and keeps you connected to the teacher. Some teachers do not send homework because they know that the work requires one-on-one assistance and they don’t want to overwhelm the parents. If you feel overwhelmed and need some strategies to help you get through homework time, ask his teacher for some ideas of what works in class. You can also contact Jennifer Lingle, M.Ed. for some recommended techniques.

Problem Reports: Do you want your child’s teacher to tell you every negative thing that happens in school? If not, let the teacher know that you are fully aware of your child’s behaviors and you would love it if her reports focused on his successes. This is not to say, of course, that you never want to know about his behaviors, but you prefer not to hear about behaviors you are already aware of every time you pick him up.

Updates: Ask for weekly, if not daily updates that include his progress, major concerns, and activities to work on at home. If you are worried about overwhelming the teacher, create a checklist for her of all the things you would like to know about each day or week. A sample checklist is available from Autism Consulting and Training, Inc. on request.

Support: Let the teacher know that you are there to support her. If she needs anything, you would like her to contact you. You are a team and want to work together to ensure your child’s success. Forming a partnership with your child’s teacher will benefit you, your child, and his teacher.

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Edited by: Ymkje Wideman

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net