The 10 Most Common Questions Parents Ask Teachers—Answered!

This isn’t an uncommon concern at all. Largely, there’s a gap between what our children know about technology and what most adults know. Most importantly, remember that technology is a tool. You can still ask the same kinds of great questions about the work: What are you learning? What are the challenges of this assignment? What are you trying to accomplish?

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Yes, you heard that right. We appreciate the nod to being responsible and caught up when students have to be gone. But if a student must miss an entire week of school, then realize that you’re going to need to give a teacher a significant chunk of time to accumulate materials (collecting work for a student for an entire week has often taken me an hour or more). Moreover, please realize that teachers often modify plans based on learning progressions throughout the week, so there will most likely be things to catch up on upon return. Most importantly, remember it’s largely impossible to have the same school experience when the child is absent. This isn’t to say that the time away from school isn’t valuable or educational, but just know that generally saying “yes” to one thing means saying “no” to another.

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This can be a question with a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can lead to a problem-solving conversation. On the other hand, the question is more about the grade than the learning. If this question were posed to me by a friend looking for feedback, I’d suggest re-framing the question to ask about the child’s learning instead of just the grade. The teacher will be refreshed by the perspective and you’ll get better insights too.

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Many of the teachers in my network said this was a question they were asked frequently. Several even talked about the importance of this question culturally, noting that parents in some cultures would not ask questions about curriculum or assignments, believing to do so would be disrespectful. In these cases, checking on a child’s behavior is acknowledging the partnership between school and home.

Conversely, when I read this question, I also have my friend Margaret’s voice in the back of my head: “Don’t ask a question you don’t want the answer to.” Sometimes as teachers we have to report the tough details. Please remember that we’re reporting, not judging. As a parent, I know that I want the truth, even when it’s tough to illuminate.

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A colleague offered this one with a great deal of gratitude attached to the sharing of it. We know this work is a partnership and nothing honors that reciprocity more than asking your child’s teacher how to support any aspect of the learning environment.

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