SHOW APPRECIATION 

After every substantial meeting or phone conversation with teachers or school administrators, parents should be kind enough to express appreciation for the time that they have been given. Even after conversations that do not go as well as parents might have hoped, it is good to remember that the educators in the conversation either arrived at school early, stayed late, or simply used time in the school day that might have used in other productive ways. In addition to writing a follow-up note that clarifies a parent’s understandings of meetings (discussed under Document Everything), parents should follow formal meetings with thank you notes to the participants. These notes do not have to be long and developed. Unless you have the urge to write a more extended message, a simple, short, and nice note is all that is necessary: If parents actually do appreciate the help they have received from a teacher or from an administrator, they have all the more reason to write a note or make a phone call or simply say something to the individual’s supervisor in the school.