Roadblocks to Effective Parent-Teacher Collaboration

By Emily W. King, PhD
As a mental health professional, I work under the assumption that everyone is always doing the best they can with the resources they have at any given time.
These resources might include what’s available based on our finances, energy level, mental wellness, emotional regulation, or prior knowledge of any given situation.
As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” And, as Ross Greene said, “Kids do well if they can.”
I believe adults do well if they can, too.
But, our lack of experience with certain situations and emotional dysregulation when overwhelmed often get in our way, just like it does for our kids.
I see this happen the most when parents and teachers come together in meetings to solve complex problems on behalf of students.
I’ve seen strong emotions either derail or stall meetings so today I want to help you avoid the five roadblocks I’ve noticed get in the way of parents and teachers effectively collaborating, as well as my ideas for solutions: