One of the things you will have to deal with as a new teacher is parents. This can be a good experience or a challenging one. It is vital that a new teacher try their best to communicate with teachers whether the student is doing well or poorly.

I have been in teacher orientation meetings where the principals, vice principals, and supervisors have told the teachers that it is important that all teachers do their best to communicate consistently with the parents about how their children are doing in class. This communication may be positive or negative. It is always best to balance both.

Dealing with parents can be intimidating for a new teacher because you really don't know what to expect. Just like your students, parents are unique individuals.

You will find that the majority of parents are helpful and genuinely interested to know what you are doing in class and how their child is doing. These will be the parents that are active in the school community. These parents attend back to school night, show up at parent teacher conferences, and will want to be the first to know if their child is misbehaving in any way. This is the ideal parent/teacher relationship and you will have this majority of the time.

There are some parents that want to be involved in school and their child's education but have some problems doing so. Work, personal problems, other children and responsibilities can keep them from interacting with the teacher they way they would like to. There may be times when you want to contact such a parent and they don't seem to get back to you. You may even believe they are avoiding or ignoring you. You may not be hearing from them, not because they are unconcerned about their child's academic performance but other things are occupying their mind and time.

Then you have the critical and perfectionist parents. If there child is having discipline or academic problems, they tend to believe that the teacher is doing something wrong. These parents may challenge you if their child has gotten a low grade, even if you know the student has earned that grade.

Unfortunately, you will also have parents that will not participate in their child's education. You will rarely, if ever, see these parents at parent/teacher conferences or school events. There are a number of reasons for this. It could be anything from their attitude toward education in general or a more serious problem like a drug or alcohol addiction.

In my experience as a teacher, I have come across every type of parent. No matter what type of parent you are dealing with, they are or can become your biggest ally. It just takes a little understanding and finesse to deal with the many types of parents you will meet as a teacher.

Try to remember a few important things:

1. Parents are your ally. Do your best to make a good impression on any parent you meet. Treat each parent with respect and make yourself available to them should they have any issues or concerns. If a parent likes you, and feels you respect them and their child, they will go out of their way to make sure their child respects you in return. They will make sure their child does everything that they are supposed to in your class.

2. If you have an issue with a student in your class and try to contact the parent but they don't seem to be responding, don't assume it is because they don't care about what's going on in school. If you can, find out a little more about the parent and the family. There may be issues that you may not be aware of that are keeping the parent from communicating with you.

3. The most important thing to remember is that no matter how a child is doing behaviorally or academically, your student is their child, their baby. Most parents want to do everything possible to make sure their children excel in school and in life.

Dealing with parents does not have to be an unpleasant or intimidating. Just be open to communicating with parents under both positive circumstance, such as their child getting an A on a test, or negative circumstance such as a discipline problem. You will find that parents can give you more help and support than you could imagine.

Sonya L. Wilson is a former teacher and free lance writer who has taught English, Language Arts and Creative Writing for over eight years. She has taught various grade levels in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and currently resides in Pennsylvania. For information on teacher certification in Austin, Texas, visit http://www.texasteachers.org