talking with middle school teachers by email and phone calls is a top tip for parents and students.
When is the best time for parents to talk with teachers?
Is there ever a “good” time?
Before we delve into the best times to talk with teachers, let’s cover a few of the least opportune times.
- Avoid Mornings. Flying into your child’s classroom two minutes before the class begins (or at any other time during the school day) is one of the least available times for teachers and carries the added effect of extreme embarrassment for your child.
- Respect Weekends. Looking for teachers on the weekend at their school site is also taboo. Teachers need an opportunity to take a break from the routine of the work week. This goes for phone calls over the weekend as well.
- Impromptu Conferences. Public places like the grocery store, shopping mall, and sports venues are not the appropriate venue to hold impromptu parent-teacher conferences.
Although it’s become more apparent that teachers may be difficult to contact in traditional ways, parents actually have a greater opportunity to connect with teachers and school personnel than in the past through—you guessed it:
email and telephone calls
Middle School Parent Tip: When and How to contact middle school teachers
- Locate the teacher’s contact information, among the other noted important pieces of information on the class syllabus for each of your child’s courses.
- Note each teacher’s suggested or preferred method of communication with parents and students.
- Create a list with each teacher’s contact information, preferred method of communication, and days/times of accessibility. Post the list in a highly visible area in your home for future reference.
