GUEST BLOG POST: Teachers & Parents - Friends?

Please welcome our guest blogger today: Amanda. As a parent of three Via Vita students, it's important to her to know and trust her children's teachers. We are just as excited to call her a friend!  We're all in this together! Enjoy the read.  Thank you, Amanda ,for sharing your thoughts! 

To be or not to be... That is the question!!
 
More specifically ...should I become friends with my children's teacher? 

Not just friendly with them but actually take the time to get to know them on a personal level.  Something that once was considered "normal" has in the recent past become something that seems to be very taboo.  Years ago families would have teachers over for supper at the end of the day or they would be invited to events in the community (if they weren't already from that area). Parents wanted to know who their child was spending their day with and wanted that person to feel comfortable within the community. For some reason this all changed and now people feel that the relationship between parent and teacher should be strictly professional. Well, I disagree... 

I have been lucky enough over the years to have some amazing teachers in my children's lives Most of them I have been friends with outside of school as well and I think that our friendship is part of the reason I found these teachers so incredible. Let me explain...

These teachers took extra time to get to know me personally so right away they had a better insight as to who my child is and how they tick, what works for my kids and what doesn't. In turn, I knew them better, too. So I knew if they were the type of person I can trust to help me raise my child, because let's face it, teachers spend as much time with our children in a day as their parents do, and sometimes more! I want to know that this person is someone I am comfortable with and if their values and morals are similar to our family's. Not only do I want them to be a good teacher but a good person in general! 

Another huge benefit that comes with this is the vested interest that they will have in seeing my children succeed, It's just human nature, the closer you are to someone the more you care about helping them succeed in life. On the flip side of that, I will also want to help that teacher out in anyway I can, whatever it takes to make their life easier because, well, that's just what friends do!

A teacher is an extended part of your family impacting your children in a huge way EVERY SINGLE DAY. I, myself, don't understand why you wouldn't want to be friends with them. Part of the reason we chose Via Vita is because of the small size of the school and the fact that we will be able to get to know all of the teachers personally, along with the other parents and children attending the school.  Each of them will play a role in my children's lives, so it's comforting in knowing, actually knowing, and appreciating who they are.  We are all in this together and all looking for the best education for our children.  Why not be friends? 

How lucky am I to already start the year off knowing these teachers personally, having them teach my kids, and call them friends!