A parent-teacher conference ends and both sides walk out sure they agreed. A week later the homework plan has three versions. The fix is a short written follow-up: what was agreed, one next step, a yes they can send from the inbox they already have.
Teachers are not on your assistant. Most will never be. Write as if the only tool they have is email. That is usually true.
Write the agreement, not the meeting
Three facts. What you heard the plan was. When it starts. Who does which piece — the teacher, the parent, the student. Write for a cold reader: they taught six classes after you left and will not replay the room.
If you are unsure you heard a promise, label the assumption. "I think we said a weekly check-in on Fridays" is honest. A confident recap your assistant polished from your notes is how you put words in their mouth.
Leave the feelings in the room unless a feeling is the plan. "We were both frustrated" does not tell anyone what happens on Monday.
One next step
The reply is the point. Ask them to confirm the next step or to correct it. Closed list: confirm Friday check-ins, or send the date that actually works. That is a decision they can own in a line.
Do not attach a second ask about grades, placement, and a club conflict. You will get the easiest one.
If you need to nudge later, send the same step and the date — without nagging. A longer story is not a better follow-up.
Email is enough
Writing to someone who is not on RelayLink is email plus a link to the briefing. They do not create an account. They do not pick a password. If they ever sign in, it is an emailed code. Until then they are answering mail.
You draft with your assistant. You read the package as the teacher will. You confirm the send. A note about a child under your name is not something the model mails because it finished a paragraph.
If the teacher already has a RelayLink account, you need an accepted contact. The refusal will not tell you which case you hit.
No attachments. Report cards and plans live in the school portal. The briefing is the agreement and the ask.
Nicknames stay private unless you share them. Use the name on the classroom door.
If they block you, the block is silent. Use the school's ordinary channels after that.
When the next step fits in a sentence, connect your assistant or write it from your account — either way, get the agreement on a thread you can both open next month.