Passing On Information Divorce is a never-ending process for children, so even though the chaos of the early separation period may settle, children of divorce continually face new phases of family and personal upheaval. Therefore, when a child graduates to the next class and changes teachers, it is important to pass along information not just about the past family history but also about how that student's classsroom performance has been impacted by the changing circumstances of the divorce and what classroom strategies have proved helpful/unhelpful.
The type of feedback report outlined below can serve as a working platform to start the year so that the child feels the new teacher is an ally, and the teacher feels he/she is not reinventing the wheel or re-working the past.
What are the teaching strategies that work?
e.g.,
---written weekly homework assignment sheets to allow for planning
---daily short (5 minute) check-in time to find out "how is life today?" for support and organization
---going first/in the middle/last may alter performance anxiety
What are the classroom experiences that are stressful?
e.g.,
---discussions about "what did you do this weekend?"
---strict adherence to homework deadlines
---mixed messages about expectations between teacher, mother, and father
What are the ways the child seeks attention/support?
e.g.,
---aggression
---passive-aggressive interactions
---withdrawal
---regression
---improved academic performance/unusual shows of compliance
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