| Ask any professional politician and they will tell you that | | | | Tactfully Blaming the Child |
| it's impossible to please everyone all the time. | | | | One must be careful when placing blame on a child, |
| Someone always feels they are either being left out, | | | | even though they are very much to blame. Some |
| given less attention or outright being treated unfairly. | | | | parents just don't want to hear that their child isn't |
| Teachers must also often play the role of politicians, | | | | perfect. In these cases, the best technique is often to |
| with the parents being their constituents. Often, parents | | | | just accept responsibility by telling the parents that you |
| only show up at the school when they perceive a | | | | weren't clear in delivering the message to the child and |
| problem, and not to shower the teacher with | | | | you understand how it got jumbled. Then you can |
| compliments on their pedagogical acuity. Therefore, | | | | explain to them what was actually said and hopefully |
| teachers must know how to deal with irate parents | | | | fix any problem the error caused. It is amazing how |
| and stay calm, cool and in control. There is a special | | | | quickly irate individuals can calm down when they hear |
| art form to dealing with people who are "hot and | | | | the other person accept blame. |
| bothered" from the get-go. | | | | Being a Mediator |
| Clarifying the Message | | | | Other times, teachers must act as mediators when |
| Everyone has played the game where a bit of | | | | dealing with irate parents. This occurs when parents |
| information or phrase is passed from person to person | | | | are angry at a child or another parent. The teacher |
| and when it arrives at the last person it is vastly | | | | tries to get to the root of a perceived problem, which |
| different from when it started. Often this same | | | | is often not as serious as the parents believe, and |
| process takes place when information is relayed | | | | once there, offer a solution that works for both |
| through children to their parents. Unlike the game, the | | | | parents. Once again, the optimal remedy is one that |
| information isn't garbled through its transfer through | | | | redirects the blame from the children and the parents |
| many people, but rather only requires a single child to | | | | and allows everyone involved to save face. |
| drastically alter the message. When angry parents | | | | Irate parents are just another part of a teacher's job. |
| arrive at the school, the first thing a teacher should do | | | | As if the actual children weren't enough, parents arrive |
| is find out what has been said by the child. Often, | | | | acting like overgrown kids themselves. Teachers must |
| simply clarifying the message to the irate parents is | | | | remain calm, cool and in control, and hopefully serve as |
| enough to remedy the situation. Little Joey very well | | | | a role model for their students as well as misguided |
| could have altered a key word or two and delivered a | | | | parents. The worst thing a teacher can do is become |
| message very different from the original. | | | | part of the problem, rather than the solution. |