Working as a classroom teacher means wearing a hundred different hats in a single day. You're tasked with being the master of your content area and the tireless cheerleader for those students who are, shall we say, less enthusiastic. At the end of the day, not only do you face stacks of grading and planning, but also phone calls, emails, and conferences with a group that can be hard to please: parents.
While parental involvement is, in theory, a great way for adults to get on the same page about a child's education, the reality is that many parents come to the classroom with unrealistic expectations, especially with recent national efforts to increase rigor in the STEM classroom. So, how do great teachers manage parents' expectations, while still being respectful and solution-focused?
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