Overly+Involved+Parents

=5. How do I work with parents who are overly involved?=

After browsing the resources about working with parents, negotiate with your group five key concepts to remember when dealing with difficult parents. Draw upon suggestions from the readings. You can negotiate your "top 5" in writing or f2f.

5 Key Concepts to Remember about Working with Parents
1. Call them while they are at work or lunch. That way they won't talk too long and you can convey your concerns.

2. Find common ground. let them know how appreciative you are that they are involved in their student's learning.

3. Encourage them to talk with their student before calling you about any concerns, assignments, projects.

4. Never argue and never hang up.

5. Let them know what times are appropriate and means of contact. If they want a daily update ask them to email you once a week and then you will send them an update of their child's progress.

Once you have your list, create a scenario that deals with your question. Write a short paragraph that describes a likely situation including what the key players (student, teacher, parent) have done and how they are feeling now. You can write the scenario as a group or someone can post an idea for the others to revise until you are all satisfied. Type your scenario below.

Scenario
When you have your scenario, each person should draft a hypothetical email to the parent in response to the scenario. Write the emails on the discussion boards. Read your classmates' work and comment on it. Look at it from the point of view of the parent, the student, and an administrator. How does it come across? What suggestions do you have?

Mrs. Mcfee has a child in Spanish 2. Her child is an excellent student, turns in her homework on time, and has no behavioral problems. Nevertheless, Mrs. Mcfee insists that she get a daily update about her daughter. When you're not calling her, she's emailing you about her concerns about your class. She shows up in the morning when she drops her daughter off, during your plan, lunch, and when she picks her child up from school. You sometimes swear you see her car riding past your house at night. You've called the police to press charges but they can't find any evidence.