Your child is a brat!
I have heard this from many other teachers, and they call home, recite the same phrase and wonder why they never see any results.
I was once like those teachers as I tried to redirect some anger and frustration at the parents.
But to a teacher and parent, a disruptive student is part of the job description.
The extent of it depends on your approach.
I could call a parent and say, “your child is a brat and I am getting fed up!
What the parent hears is your criticism of their parenting and your personal attack of his or her child. Of course, they will attack back since you are attacking.
A better way would be, “I am having some issues with your child” and you may continue to describe one or two actions the child committed. This way, you are addressing the problem and not attacking the student. Parents know their children act up in class, and it is the teacher’s job to redirect them without attacking them personally.
Many parents are distant because they either have a full plate themselves or they don’t want to interfere and respect the teacher’s job.
As a teacher, it is our job to communicate any concerns or problems without attacking their parental skills. After all, we all make mistakes.
