However important we may regard school life to be, we can't ignore the fact that children spend more time at home than in the classroom. Therefore the great influence of parents can't be ignored or discounted by the teacher. They can become strong supports of the school or they can consciously or unconsciously prevent the school from accomplishing its aims. Administrators have been aware of the need to _ the newer methods used in schools. Many principals have conducted workshops explaining such matters as the reading readiness program and developmental math. Moreover, the classroom teacher can also play an important role in explaining to parents what they should do. The informal tea and the many interviews carried on during the year, as well as new ways of reporting pupils' progress, can significantly aid the interchanged of ideas between school and home. Suppose that a father has been drilling Junior in arithmetic processes night after night. In a friendly interview, the teacher can help the parent change his method. He might be persuaded to let Junior participate in discussing he family budget, buying the food, using a measuring cup at home, setting the clock, calculating mileage on a trip and engaging in scores of other activities that have a mathematical basis. If the father follows the advice, it is reasonable to assume that he will soon realize his son is making satisfactory progress in math and at the same time, enjoying the work. Too often, however, teachers' conferences with parents are devoted to unimportant accounts of children's wrongdoing, complaints about laziness and poor work habits, and suggestions for punishments and rewards at home. What is needed is a more creative approach in which the teacher, as a professional advisor, plants ideas in parents' minds for the best use of the many hours that the child spends out of the classroom. In this way, the school and the home join forces in fostering the fullest development of youngsters' competence. What is the purpose of the schools' informal tea and interviews?
To improve the relationship between teacher and parents. To explain to parents the change of the school curriculum. To report students' misdoings and suggestions for punishments. To help develop good communication between school and home.