How long for teacher to return call??

[Still_Learning]

How long would you expect it to take for a teacher to return a call? I called this morning and didn't expect her to call during school hours, but thought surely this evening.

Am I expecting too much?

[Belia]

Yes. Maybe she wasn't even in the building or had a sub today, or a meeting right after school and she had to leave right after. I would give her at least a full 24 hours, but more realistically until the end of the following school day.

[Oriole]

Our school policy is for a teacher to call back within 24 hours.

If you called me this morning (I teach 5th grade), then you surely wouldn't have gotten a call back. I had a total of 15 minutes to myself today, and it was spent on lunch (a very uncomfortable, swallow as fast as you can, can't even sit down, kind of lunch).

I came in to school at 7 am and left at 5 pm. My only planning period was taken up by a meeting with a principal, and right after the busses left at 3:20 we had a faculty meeting. I SWEAR I barely made it to the bathroom, and I actually took over 5 minutes of someone else's recess duty because that teacher needed to use the restroom as well.

I can't even begin to describe how little time there is during the day for a teacher to teach+plan+correct+make copies+meet with administration+meet with parents+return phone calls+complete building paperwork on inventory+contact math coordinator+call in about that field trip+...

[AndrewsMother]

I would not expect a call before tomorrow night. Are you able to email the teacher?

[earthmama369]

I would give them two days. Weekdays, that is. If I called on a Friday, I would expect to hear back by Monday night.

[loon13]

I would expect at least a day. However, at curriculum night at DD's school, all the 1st grade teachers encouraged communicating with them and asking questions. They did agree, though, that sending a note is more likely to be in the forefront of their minds and quicker to address since they sometimes don't get phone messages right away.

[Still_Learning]

Thanks everyone I know they are terribly busy and shorthanded as well, so it's even worse for them right now.

Unfortunately, my poor little one is struggling. I'll send a note with him in the morning.

[elmh23]

Send the note. At our school, it really is the fastest way to hear back!

[darcytrue]

Originally Posted by AndrewsMother

I would not expect a call before tomorrow night. Are you able to email the teacher?

I was also going to suggest email. I had to do email when my youngest was in Kinder although usually I stopped by in person. My DDs teacher never checked the school voice mail or her cell phone. In fact those lines stayed full because she rarely deleted old messages. It was frustrating to say the least.

[Linda on the move]

I suggest email as well. That was what my DD's last year teacher preferred (we needed to chat a lot). She had a few minutes set aside during class time when the kids were doing something that she could quickly go through her emails. She could answer them while still in the classroom, but a call she had to be away from the class. Also, with a call, she could easily end up missing you.

As for calls, 24 hours for a response is ideal, but one hour after the end of the next school day may be more realistic.

I'm sorry your little one is struggling and I hope it gets better quickly!

[Alyantavid]

I've always gotten a call back right after school. I do normally email though so they can respond whenever they have time.

[staceychev]

I return emails much more quickly than I return phone calls. Emails can be returned on preps... phone calls become phone tag.

[Chamomile Girl]

Yup...e-mails are really the way to go.

[joycenjackiesmom]

Our school's policy is that we return calls/emails to parents within 24 hours. Personally I tend to answer emails more quickly because it is easier to respond right away--and can be done confidentially even when there are others in the room and the only time I am in my room by myself is before and after school. I also struggle with the time to return to calls as I am struggling to get both lunch and planning in my day at this time.

[lovbeingamommy]

I agree, as a teacher, I am so much quicker to respond to e-mails. I can e-mail 24 hrs a day whenever I have time which may not be until 9pm at night when everyone else is in bed. I would never return a phone call to a parent after 8pm so e-mail is great!!

[lindberg99]

I send emails too. I figure they are busy during the day and since a lot of the teachers at our school have children, they are busy after work too.

If your child is having struggles in school, you probably want to set up a meeting with the teacher anyway so I would just email and ask when a convenient time to meet is.

[Still_Learning]

Ok, still haven't received call although briefly talked to her in person. Did not at all feel like I got to say and ask all i needed to so i emailed the school to ask for her email address.

[ecoteat]

I can email parents while eating lunch, late at night, while cooking breakfast, even if I can squeeze a minute between classes. But making a phone call requires a quiet, private space, at least 5 minutes (which is hard to come by during the school day), and a convenient time that isn't too early or late in the day. A lot of teachers don't like calling parents from home because they don't want people getting their home phone number on their caller ID, so you might have to wait until the next school day. And definitely check if she would rather use email to be in touch with parents.