I think this may happen often. Sometimes cultural or ideological boundaries may exist which would force the parents to disagree with the teacher. I think open dialogue and communication is the key. Why do they not agree with the assessments? IS there another form of assessment that they deem appropriate. Keep the conversation going. If the parents remain resistant after many attempts, getting the principal or a counselor involved would be my next step.
I would have to agree with Mary that there could be many cultural or ideological boundaries that may cause parents hesitant to agree with a teacher's assessment. Communication is most definitely called for and possibly even more informal assessments. Personally, I probably would have contacted a counselor early on. The more time we waste talking about a probable learning issue the more behind the student will become.
Hey Joann, That is a great question! If I were ever in that situation I would have a meeting with the parents and explain to them how I came about with my assessment of their child, and then I would give them the opportunity to discuss why they do not agree with my assessment, and then maybe we can come to a middle ground and work something out. I really hope that this never actually happens to me.
Communication, communication, communication. Indeed, more communication with parents and keep them informed of what you are doing in the classroom are crucial. If it is the matter of referring students for special services, then the due process would kick in. More on RTI and assessment in class.
I have 2 children who have been classified with an IEPs. It is kind of a scary thing to contemplate that your child has learning difficulties and some parents ignore or disagree with their child's teacher, counselors, and so on. What I would do in this situation is review the child's academic folder with the parents. I will have a folder of work for each one of my students. This profile of work will help me to keep track of specific strengths and weaknesses for each one of my students. If I have legitimate concerns about a child's academic performance, the folder will have specific examples as evidence. Of course, diplomacy plays a major role when talking to parents about their child. A team approach rather than pointing fingers is recommended. Also, it is important to remind parents that if their child is having trouble with their academics now, the problem will only intensify as the student advances to the higher grades.
I think this may happen often. Sometimes cultural or ideological boundaries may exist which would force the parents to disagree with the teacher. I think open dialogue and communication is the key. Why do they not agree with the assessments? IS there another form of assessment that they deem appropriate. Keep the conversation going. If the parents remain resistant after many attempts, getting the principal or a counselor involved would be my next step.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Mary that there could be many cultural or ideological boundaries that may cause parents hesitant to agree with a teacher's assessment. Communication is most definitely called for and possibly even more informal assessments. Personally, I probably would have contacted a counselor early on. The more time we waste talking about a probable learning issue the more behind the student will become.
ReplyDeleteHey Joann,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great question! If I were ever in that situation I would have a meeting with the parents and explain to them how I came about with my assessment of their child, and then I would give them the opportunity to discuss why they do not agree with my assessment, and then maybe we can come to a middle ground and work something out. I really hope that this never actually happens to me.
Communication, communication, communication. Indeed, more communication with parents and keep them informed of what you are doing in the classroom are crucial. If it is the matter of referring students for special services, then the due process would kick in. More on RTI and assessment in class.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 children who have been classified with an IEPs. It is kind of a scary thing to contemplate that your child has learning difficulties and some parents ignore or disagree with their child's teacher, counselors, and so on. What I would do in this situation is review the child's academic folder with the parents. I will have a folder of work for each one of my students. This profile of work will help me to keep track of specific strengths and weaknesses for each one of my students. If I have legitimate concerns about a child's academic performance, the folder will have specific examples as evidence. Of course, diplomacy plays a major role when talking to parents about their child. A team approach rather than pointing fingers is recommended. Also, it is important to remind parents that if their child is having trouble with their academics now, the problem will only intensify as the student advances to the higher grades.
ReplyDelete