The start of a new school year is the perfect time to build a good rapport with your child’s teacher. Here are a few simple tips to help you open a friendly dialogue and make sure everyone is on the same page as to how to best support your student.

1. Rapport is so important! 
   1. Start the year off on a good foot (with a kind word of thanks and a small, thoughtful gift!)
   2. Ask how the teacher likes to keep in touch during the school year. If you’re using the mode that they prefer, it’s more likely that you’ll have productive conversations throughout the year. Teachers are so overworked and busy; this is a great and simple way to help them help you!
2. Schedule an intro meeting and bring a copy of their IEP.
   1. Consider including a cover letter with a short summary of your child’s strengths and areas that could use improvement.
   2. It’s not a bad idea to bring your child to this meeting (unless told otherwise by the school, of course!) Remember…it’s an introductory meeting, not a status report. There’s probably nothing being said at this meeting that your student can’t hear! Bringing your child to this meeting can also ease their potential anxiety about changes in the new school year, about their classroom, teacher, and other variables. Maybe they can even meet the principal, nurse, or cafeteria helpers while you’re there.

Hope you found these suggestions helpful! Here’s to the best school year yet!