Meet the parents

Dear reader,

One of the tasks of a teacher is to meet the parents of our students. Although there may be some well-publicised stories in the news and parodies, most encounters are cordial and simple.

Here are some of my tips:
1) Recognise that both parties want the same thing: the best for the child.
While most disagreements come from the differing methodologies, let our intentions never been in doubt. We want the develop the child as far as possible.

2) Be polite
Remember, few parents want to meet unless they absolutely have to. So on our side, it pays to be professional and polite in our words and body language.

That's all I have for now.

Regards,
Reuben

The curse of rhetoric

Dear reader,

One of my biggest fears as a teacher is that I abuse my rhetoric. I fear that my students and peers listen to me because of my speaking style, rather than what I have to say.

Looking through the histories of various cult leaders like Jim Jones and Fred Phelps, I worry about my charisma and my debating skills.

In the future, I have to empahsise the following:
A) To focus on the facts, not intentions.
B) To allow students to express dissenting opinion
C) To encourage my peers to question my assertions if unsure.

Regards,
Reuben