Helpful or pushy parents?

Who teaches and has the experience of what we refer to as a pushy parent?

When teaching a foreign language the idea is to build up ability in all the skill areas -writing ,reading ,listening and speaking.This happens in stages.With each stage in the learning process grammar is developed from more simple to more complicated forms.Vocabulary is increased on a lesson by lesson basis.Phrases,collocations,idioms and so on start to be used.....its a process that takes time and study.

When teaching young people sometimes I experience parents who are completely uninvolved in their child's learning or the opposite -a parent who demands tons of homework and a huge amount covered in each lesson.This is a tricky situation to deal with.For the totally uninvolved parent I do try to engage them a little just so that they encourage their child in his or her studies.The 'pushy' parent is trickier to deal with.As a parent myself I understand where they are coming from .They are paying for lessons and want to see results week on week.But not all students of language have a natural ability and most need time to process information before they can actively use it.

So what is the best way to approach the parents who expect to see weekly improvements?

I hold regular tests for my younger students and pass the results to his or her parents with written advice about how the child can continue to make progress.I try to explain to the parents that progress is gradual but will happen as long as the child in question is happy and engaged with the learning process. If we are forced into doing something by someone most of us don't do very well-we naturally fight against it.We see it as an unreasonable demand.parents of a child learning a foreign language need to take this on board and accept it.

As teachers we want happy learners.We know we are doing a good job if our lessons are well prepared and tailored to the needs of our students.We know that our students will learn better in a friendly atmosphere where not so much pressure is put on them -just a little push to encourage them is all that's required usually.As teachers we want happy and successful students who are confident users of the language.We also want satisfied parents .Its important for them to see that their often hard earned cash is being wisely spent.

What can a parent do to help their child be a successful learner?
Provide a good working environment ,ask about homework and check it gets done,trust the teacher to deliver what's expected,speak to the teacher about how their child is progressing at regular intervals...just some helpful advice for parents.