102. Why is it important for parents to be involved in their child’s education?
A big part of teaching is your relationship with parents. This is important because parents have a massive influence over a child’s discipline and willingness to learn.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“Teachers only see their students for part of the day. Parents play a far bigger role in their children’s lives than we ever could. If parents do not help with their children’s education, their children are going to have a much more difficult time learning than they need to have. Teachers and parents need to be a team, communicating and working together.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I’ve read that almost 80% of a child’s development happens in the home. As teachers, there is only so much we can do. This is why it’s so important that teachers and parents have a working relationship.
Over the years, I have developed different techniques to foster this relationship and communication, including emailing a periodic newsletter to parents with pictures and student artwork. I make it very clear to parents in various ways that I am available and am dedicated to their child’s success.”
103. How do you deal with parents who refuse to become involved in their child’s education?
Unfortunately, some parents show little or no interest in helping their children succeed at school. They may also have little interest in helping with their children’s discipline problems. It could be that the parents are busy with work, or that they are disinterested. You need to be prepared to answer how you plan to handle this type of situation.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“With most of these scenarios, it’s simply a problem of communication. I think it’s important to have a meeting with parents very quickly after you notice their lack of involvement. I offer meeting dates, times, and methodologies that are convenient for them, whether that is in-person on a weekday or via Zoom on a Saturday. This way I can connect with them and learn about their situation.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Sometimes parents that are absent are unaware of the damage they are causing. My first step is to help them understand that they play a vital role in their child’s success, and will sometimes have to help with things like homework. My second step is to make them aware that certain criteria must be met, and otherwise, their child might not move onto the next grade.
Unfortunately, sometimes parents do not have the ability to help their children with their education. In this situation, you have to become a type of surrogate parent to the student and provide as much assistance as you can.”
104. How do you include parents in the teaching process?
You have to include parents in the teaching process. Whether it’s something as simple as getting their child to do homework, parents have an important role to play.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“This starts by communicating with my students and including parents in my lesson plans. I make them understand that their parents’ involvement is vital.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I make sure they understand that parent involvement has a critical role in the education process. If the child is struggling, I’ll try to meet with them. During these meetings, I make sure they understand their role as a guardian.”
105. How do you answer parents who want to know why their child’s grades are so low?
This is a difficult question for any teacher. You have to explain why their child is struggling, as well as provide a solution.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“What I would do is offer to meet with the parents. During the meeting, I’ll listen to what they have to say and then provide ways to solve the problem. By this time though, I have contacted the parents several times, so I am able to provide evidence of this correspondence if I need to. And if they tell me that they haven’t received the correspondence, we can figure out a way together to make sure our communication gets through effectively,”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“This is a great opportunity! I love when the parents what to know. There is usually a reason why the child is struggling, and I will attempt to identify this reason, explain it to the parents, and then work with the parents to find a solution.”
106. What is your strategy for dealing with an angry parent?
This is something that every teacher must deal with. Try to provide concrete steps for dealing with these parents.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I think the simplest way is to listen to the parent. This often defuses a lot of their anger. It’s also important to come up with a concrete plan for dealing with what is angering them.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Most of the time, parents are angry because of their kids’ grades. If this is the case, I let them know that they can help the situation with certain measures that we can work together to develop, and that I am here for them to work together and keep the lines of communication open to solve it.”
107. How do you develop and maintain positive relationships with parents?
It’s important that you involve parents in their child’s education. With this question, they want to know if you have a plan for dealing with parents. Answer this carefully. What you say may indicate that you’ve had difficulty forming a relationship with your student’s parents.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“The first step is meeting parents and getting to know them. I take any opportunity I can to meet with parents in person. This gives us a chance to connect and get to know each other, and also build a relationship. I also try to keep parents updated and communicate from time to time.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“The best way is simply by holding parent-teacher conferences and also by providing regular reports. This keeps parents updated on their child’s progress. I also make sure they know that I am available for them, that I care, and that I am responsive.”
108. How do you get ready for a parent-teacher conference?
You need to be prepared to understand and explain the elements that make these events successful. Employers want to know if you’ve thought about this and understand how to work with your school community.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“First of all, parents need to know when and where the conference is taking place. I then gather my students’ records and review them. This way, I know exactly what to discuss with parents on the day of the conference.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Besides the usual preparation and homework, during the course of the school year, I make an ongoing effort to identify students who are struggling and most in need of parental help. I communicate with the parents of these students on an ongoing basis, so we can be working together on a resolution. On the day of the conference, there will be no surprises, but I do make a special effort to allocate additional time to speak to the parents of these students.”
109. How do you keep parents updated on what’s happening in your class?
Many parents want to know exactly what is going on with their children. They want to know what you’re teaching and whether their child is actually learning. Communicating with parents helps to deepen your relationship with them.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I think that having a class newsletter that goes out periodically is a great way to help parents feel like they know what is going on in the classroom. Including a few pictures personalizes it and helps parents feel that they have information about what is going on. I have a checklist of the students I capture in the pictures each time so I can make sure that all the children’s pictures are getting in the newsletter over time. These pictures have a powerful way of communicating to the parents that I am paying attention to their child and that I care.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I like to write personal notes to parents. This way, I can keep them updated on what’s going on in my class. I work through my students alphabetically and write a note to each of their parents. This extra touch is a great way to develop my relationship with parents.”
110. How do you handle phone calls with parents?
You may contact one of your students’ parents because of a discipline issue or some other reason. You should be ready to explain what the best practices are for handling these calls.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“When calling a parent, I find that it’s best to start with something positive. At their core, my students are innocent children that are absorbing their surroundings. At their core, they are good and wonderful and full of curiosity. Unfortunately, some of them have trouble at home and this makes their behavior less than ideal for the learning environment of our classroom. So, I approach the phone calls by starting with the students’ strong points and framing things in a positive light.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“When making phone calls to parents, I keep my emotions out of it as much as possible. I love these kiddos, but on the phone with parents, we need to come up with an action plan.
Before calling, I come up with a list of points we need to discuss. I then make the phone call and calmly explain what needs to be done. A key thing to keep in mind is that you don’t get personal or end up arguing with the parent.”
111. How do you make parents respect you? It’s important that you win the respect of parents. This makes them easier to deal with. It also means that their children are more likely to respect you.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I think that most parents understand that I am a person of importance and authority in their child’s life. If they don’t, I take the time to educate them about the critical role I play in their child’s life. I love them and want to grow them. When their parents understand that, things tends to fall into place quite well.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I’ve never really had a problem with parents respecting me. I think parents understand how important I am in their child’s life. Because of this, they tend to respect me.”
