A wise philosopher once said: "All students are gifted. Some just open their packages earlier than others."

Teachers are well aware of this and so are parents. Sometimes all it takes is overcoming problems and getting your student on the right track. So what do you do when you get that dreaded telephone call for your child's teacher? Working together, there are solutions.

When problems arise, schools, teachers, parents and students need to work in unison to resolve them. The U.S. Department of Education offers the following tips for parents:

Contact the teacher as soon as you suspect your child is having a problem

Schools have a responsibility to keep parents informed, and you have the right to be upset if you don't find out until report card time that your child is having difficulties. On the other hand, sometimes parents figure out that a problem exists before the teacher does. By alerting the teacher, you can work together to solve a problem in its early stages.

Approach your child's teacher with a cooperative spirit

Believe that the teacher wants to help your child — even if you disagree about something. Don't go straight to the principal without giving the teacher a chance to resolve the issue first.

Explain what you think is going on

Sometimes a child's version isn't the same as the teacher's. For example, your child may tell you that the teacher never explains an assignment, but the teacher may tell you that your child isn't paying attention when assignments are given.

Develop a concrete plan to solve the problem

For instance: "Is the homework too hard?" Maybe your child has fallen behind and will need extra help from a teacher, parents and/or tutor to catch up. "Is your child forgetting to do homework?" Set up an assignment notebook procedure that requires your child to write down assignments each day and get verification via teacher initials that the correct information has been recorded. Parents can then check completed work against this assignment notebook each night.

Follow up

Make sure the approach you agreed upon is actually working. Too often, this is where things fall apart. Call the teacher in two weeks to talk about your child's progress. Keep up your end of the bargain and expect that others will do the same.