ABSTRACT
What was hard to bear is sweet to remember- Portuguese proverb. Education is unique in that everyone with whom we interact with has a basic understanding of the education process and how schools operate. Some of our school memories are consistent, yet many are not. Our child's teacher may be the best in the school, but if we had a negative school experience, our ability to trust and engage in the learning process will be diminished. Without intentional efforts to understand how the past affects our present role as a parent, unintended solutions can arise and impact our partnership and ability to best support our child. As partners, it is essential for parents to move beyond the past so as to best support our child's school experience. This begins by acknowledging that schools, teachers, expectations and even the students of today are different from those in our memories.
