Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“Is there a teacher who seems to understand you better than most adults do?”
What to listen for
Naming someone specific shows they're finding models of being understood outside the home too, which is a healthy sign of expanding trust in the adults around them.
If they explain exactly what that teacher does differently ('doesn't get mad when I ask questions twice'), that tells you something valuable about what makes your child feel truly seen.
If no one comes to mind, that's worth gently following up on over time, not every year has a teacher who clicks, and that's okay too.
What this tells you
This shows you what it actually feels like, from your child's side, to be understood by an adult.