Parents and Teachers ...part 2

If your child has a special condition or need that a teacher must be aware of to teach the class [or that child] effectively then you should be sure they have that information as soon as possible. Try to do it in a way that is helpful to the teacher... that is the best way to help your child. Trying to arrange a face to face meeting the first few weeks of school is next to impossible. Save the face to face for later. Start by writing the note I talked about yesterday. [If your child has ongoing issues be sure you save a copy to work from the next fall.]

Things to inform the teacher:

• anything that could have emotional repercussions for the child

[visuals, noises, words, topics...especially common for kids with PTSD, abuse, neglect or sensory issues]

• anything that might affect classroom plans

[court orders, non-custodial parent, book topic choices, visitation arrangements that may affect homework support]

• anything that will affect the child's ability to complete home assignments

[counseling afternoons, visitation obligations, in home support services, biological family visits]

A foster child I knew would take off running out of the room, down the hall, and find a hiding place anytime he heard a story starting that was about a dad. This would have been helpful for the teacher to know ahead, not have to figure out during the course of repeated chase events! If your child reacts violently to fire sirens it would be helpful for the teacher to know before the first fire drill.

We would never not tell a teacher about a bee sting allergy, so too we must inform them if our child has an emotional allergy to something that may commonly occur within a school day or year. Forewarned is forearmed and the teacher will greatly appreciate the heads up! Even more important, your child is likely to have a smoother, more successful year.