A parent comes to you after school just as you’re sitting down to do some planning. They stop and wait at the door, a look of mild concern on their face. You sigh and approach, annoyed at the interruption. Here’s what to do if … Read more
I’ve written about angry parents, complaining parents, uncaring parents, and overly chatty parents—and how best to deal with each. But never bully parents. So I thought I’d stick with the theme of the past two weeks and take on what is an incredibly stressful … Read more
You fire up your laptop to check your school email and the first thing you notice is the subject line: “Junior’s Grade” Noooooo! Complaints about grades are difficult to handle because it’s hard to know how to respond in a way that both you … Read more
Online learning increases the possibility of receiving complaints from parents—because they’re now able to see everything their child sees. They can judge and dissect every lesson and assignment as it’s given. They can note every frustration, every moment of confusion, and every small struggle … Read more
We want parents involved, of course. But when they overstay their welcome, when they hang around your door and talk and talk (and talk), about everything under the sun, it can be aggravating. It can keep you from your work, add more stress to … Read more
In this day and age, when you consistently enforce your classroom management plan, it’s bound to happen. A parent approaches you to complain not about a particular incident. Or their child’s role in breaking class rules. But that their child was held accountable. In … Read more
Here at SCM, we’ve heard horror stories about angry parents. Teachers have emailed us to share incidents of ranting and raving. They’ve shared how parents have interrupted their class and confronted them in front of students. They’ve told of parents who’ve stomped into the … Read more
For the most part, it’s a misnomer. 99.9% of parents love their children. They may have a misguided way of showing it. They may not sign one bit of correspondence from the school. They may be uninvolved, negligent, or worse. They may be preoccupied … Read more