Meet the Teacher: From A Teacher's Perspective
Today is a big day around here. From 10-12 this morning, I have to attend an informational meeting for parents of kindergarteners.
Yes, TWO HOURS. In the morning. Without any kids. I could go on a rant about how ridiculous I think that is since there are so many working parents or parents who can't get a babysitter, but that's not the point of my post.
In the afternoon, I get to go back to the school with my oldest, so that he can meet his teacher and get his supplies arranged in his desk.
Even though I vowed not to ever be that parent back when I was a teacher pre-kids, I still find myself thinking of questions and concerns that I have.
So, I thought this would be a good time to remind myself of the do's and don'ts/things I wished the parents of my students had done on meet-the-teacher day from the teacher's point of view. Before I go embarrass myself and become that parent.
*Don't ask the teacher how old she is. This might just be a sensitive issue for me because I had my first meet-the-teacher night as a teacher about a week after I turned 22 and looked 15. But, really, it's not any of your business.
*You can ask how long the teacher has been teaching that grade/subject. But, keep in mind that years of experience does not necessarily have anything to do with how effective that teacher will be. Experience can be a great thing, but can sometimes mean a complacent, mediocre teacher. A newer teacher might be clueless or could have more enthusiasm and be open to trying new things.
*Do not tell the teacher that your child is brilliant or smarter than all the other kids. Eyes will be rolling. Let the teacher actually spend time with your child first. Every parent thinks their child is special. Teachers get that. And sometimes, the child in question is actually gifted- and if they have been identified as such, it's okay to make sure the teacher is aware of an existing IEP.
*While you can share concerns you might have about your child, sometimes a wait-and-see approach is better. A behavior you see at home or that showed up a previous year might not be an issue in the classroom. If it's something that could harm your child or others, bring that up, but you don't have to confess all your child's quirks at that first meeting.
*Do let the teacher know if your child has an IEP. This seems to be more of a concern if you are changing schools than just moving up a grade in the same school because sometimes files are late being sent or the IEP can get separated from the rest of the file.
*Keep in mind that this is the time for the teacher to meet all the parents and students who show up- not a time for an in-depth conference with you.
*And btw, those other parents can hear what you are saying, so don't put all your business out there for everyone to hear. If you have something private to discuss, schedule a time when it can actually be privately discussed.
*Do not bring up gossip you have heard about the teacher. "So-and-so's mom said that you....blah, blah, blah." Give the teacher the benefit of the doubt at first, okay? Or, let's say that so-and-so's mom told you that the teacher only lets the students have one bathroom break a day. Instead of putting it like that, if you really are concerned, just ask how many bathroom breaks the students are allowed a day. Don't make it seem like you have been gossiping about the teacher with other parents.
*Unless you are seeing the classroom the night before the first day of school, cut the teacher some slack for the appearance of her classroom. She might not have it all together yet. She's probably been in staff meetings and workshops. I wanted to put an "under construction" sign on my door one year...though I settled for allowing my assistant to shove all my boxes into the closet and pray no one was nosey enough to open the closet.
*Do not open the teacher's closet or go behind her desk or open her desk drawers. Yes, some parents do these things.
*Don't be annoyed at the school supply list. I know that there are often things parents don't understand about it, but there's a good reason for the things on the list. And sadly, things like kleenx are often not supplied by the school. Teachers can't be expected to pay for every little thing for their classrooms- and they don't have any answers for where your tax dollars are going, either. They probably want to know, too.
*Your child's teacher will probably have a list of "wants" somewhere in the classroom- if you can, please bring in some of these items. Prizes for the goody box, pencils, and dry erase markers were items that I couldn't have enough of.
*If you are able to volunteer at all, let the teacher know. Whether it's for parties, special events, field trips, tutoring, on a regular basis or occasionally, let the teacher know. One year, I had a parent who came in every Tuesday afternoon for two hours and would do whatever I needed her to do- from making copies to putting up a new bulletin board to working one-on-one with students. That was awesome and I plan on doing that in my son's kindergarten class.
*If you can't go into the classroom to help, ask the teacher if there is anything that can be sent home for you to do. Particularly in the younger grades, there is a lot of tracing and cutting that needs to be done. You could do that once a week or once a month as you watch tv in the evening.
*Keep in mind that the teacher will be sharing more info with you as the school year starts. You don't have to leave that first meeting with her knowing every single classroom procedure and every single thing that she plans to teach your children that year.
*If, for some reason, you do not like the teacher, wait until you are away from her classroom and away from your child to vent about it. I'll never forget the mother who stopped right outside my classroom door with her son and said, "Shit, another young, blond, pregnant teacher for my son. Two years in a row, we got screwed." Not the best impression on the teacher and if you don't show respect for the teacher in front of your child, you're setting a bad example for your child.
*If all else fails, presents always work. (Um, just kidding......sort of)
Oh, and yes, I know I used feminine pronouns throughout this post and there are male teachers- just generalizing here and avoiding the awkward use of he/she and his/her. ;)
We'll see if I can remember back to my teaching days today, though, when I'm the other side of the desk and it's my own child that this concerns.
If you want my advice for how to deal with your child's teacher later in the school year, you can check that out HERE.
Love the vocab challenges at Word Up, Yo! This week's word was "mediocre." I thought this would be a good week to play along since one of the hosts is Natalie from Mommy of a Monster, who is this week's BFF. If you missed her guest post this week, you can check out the link in my sidebar.
Yes, TWO HOURS. In the morning. Without any kids. I could go on a rant about how ridiculous I think that is since there are so many working parents or parents who can't get a babysitter, but that's not the point of my post.
In the afternoon, I get to go back to the school with my oldest, so that he can meet his teacher and get his supplies arranged in his desk.
Even though I vowed not to ever be that parent back when I was a teacher pre-kids, I still find myself thinking of questions and concerns that I have.
So, I thought this would be a good time to remind myself of the do's and don'ts/things I wished the parents of my students had done on meet-the-teacher day from the teacher's point of view. Before I go embarrass myself and become that parent.
*Don't ask the teacher how old she is. This might just be a sensitive issue for me because I had my first meet-the-teacher night as a teacher about a week after I turned 22 and looked 15. But, really, it's not any of your business.
*You can ask how long the teacher has been teaching that grade/subject. But, keep in mind that years of experience does not necessarily have anything to do with how effective that teacher will be. Experience can be a great thing, but can sometimes mean a complacent, mediocre teacher. A newer teacher might be clueless or could have more enthusiasm and be open to trying new things.
*Do not tell the teacher that your child is brilliant or smarter than all the other kids. Eyes will be rolling. Let the teacher actually spend time with your child first. Every parent thinks their child is special. Teachers get that. And sometimes, the child in question is actually gifted- and if they have been identified as such, it's okay to make sure the teacher is aware of an existing IEP.
*While you can share concerns you might have about your child, sometimes a wait-and-see approach is better. A behavior you see at home or that showed up a previous year might not be an issue in the classroom. If it's something that could harm your child or others, bring that up, but you don't have to confess all your child's quirks at that first meeting.
*Do let the teacher know if your child has an IEP. This seems to be more of a concern if you are changing schools than just moving up a grade in the same school because sometimes files are late being sent or the IEP can get separated from the rest of the file.
*Keep in mind that this is the time for the teacher to meet all the parents and students who show up- not a time for an in-depth conference with you.
*And btw, those other parents can hear what you are saying, so don't put all your business out there for everyone to hear. If you have something private to discuss, schedule a time when it can actually be privately discussed.
*Do not bring up gossip you have heard about the teacher. "So-and-so's mom said that you....blah, blah, blah." Give the teacher the benefit of the doubt at first, okay? Or, let's say that so-and-so's mom told you that the teacher only lets the students have one bathroom break a day. Instead of putting it like that, if you really are concerned, just ask how many bathroom breaks the students are allowed a day. Don't make it seem like you have been gossiping about the teacher with other parents.
*Unless you are seeing the classroom the night before the first day of school, cut the teacher some slack for the appearance of her classroom. She might not have it all together yet. She's probably been in staff meetings and workshops. I wanted to put an "under construction" sign on my door one year...though I settled for allowing my assistant to shove all my boxes into the closet and pray no one was nosey enough to open the closet.
*Do not open the teacher's closet or go behind her desk or open her desk drawers. Yes, some parents do these things.
*Don't be annoyed at the school supply list. I know that there are often things parents don't understand about it, but there's a good reason for the things on the list. And sadly, things like kleenx are often not supplied by the school. Teachers can't be expected to pay for every little thing for their classrooms- and they don't have any answers for where your tax dollars are going, either. They probably want to know, too.
*Your child's teacher will probably have a list of "wants" somewhere in the classroom- if you can, please bring in some of these items. Prizes for the goody box, pencils, and dry erase markers were items that I couldn't have enough of.
*If you are able to volunteer at all, let the teacher know. Whether it's for parties, special events, field trips, tutoring, on a regular basis or occasionally, let the teacher know. One year, I had a parent who came in every Tuesday afternoon for two hours and would do whatever I needed her to do- from making copies to putting up a new bulletin board to working one-on-one with students. That was awesome and I plan on doing that in my son's kindergarten class.
*If you can't go into the classroom to help, ask the teacher if there is anything that can be sent home for you to do. Particularly in the younger grades, there is a lot of tracing and cutting that needs to be done. You could do that once a week or once a month as you watch tv in the evening.
*Keep in mind that the teacher will be sharing more info with you as the school year starts. You don't have to leave that first meeting with her knowing every single classroom procedure and every single thing that she plans to teach your children that year.
*If, for some reason, you do not like the teacher, wait until you are away from her classroom and away from your child to vent about it. I'll never forget the mother who stopped right outside my classroom door with her son and said, "Shit, another young, blond, pregnant teacher for my son. Two years in a row, we got screwed." Not the best impression on the teacher and if you don't show respect for the teacher in front of your child, you're setting a bad example for your child.
*If all else fails, presents always work. (Um, just kidding......sort of)
Oh, and yes, I know I used feminine pronouns throughout this post and there are male teachers- just generalizing here and avoiding the awkward use of he/she and his/her. ;)
We'll see if I can remember back to my teaching days today, though, when I'm the other side of the desk and it's my own child that this concerns.
If you want my advice for how to deal with your child's teacher later in the school year, you can check that out HERE.
Love the vocab challenges at Word Up, Yo! This week's word was "mediocre." I thought this would be a good week to play along since one of the hosts is Natalie from Mommy of a Monster, who is this week's BFF. If you missed her guest post this week, you can check out the link in my sidebar.Labels: school stuff
posted by Shell at
8:19 AM
79 Comments:
Good advice. At our meet the teacher night, I was astonished by the parent telling the entire class that her child couldn't drink tap water or he'd have explosive diarrhea, and the mother who told the teacher loudly that her kid's always getting in trouble.
I think it's appropriate to ask about gifted, if your child has already been in the program, though. Like an IEP, gifted children have differentiation in the classroom and I want to meet with the teacher asap to discuss how she deals with those issues, so I do bring it up, gently, nicely, and off to the side. None of that "MY KID'S SO SMART SHE'LL KNOCK YER SOCKS OFF" nonsense. I don't need to talk her up. She does fine on her own. ;)
I think it's all great advice.
I'm not sure if it's because I am seasoned (my oldest entering 8th grade), but I have become really relaxed about BTS. I encourage the kids with positive info about teachers (I'll make things up if I don't know her).
This summer, our schools have been under major construction, the teachers are at a major disadvantage for getting their classrooms set up. We won't be doing our "traditional" meet the teacher night ( a good time to drop of supplies, to find the classroom, and to get a quick intro with the teacher). Baby Girl was already worried about finding her class. I explained she had two options, ask her brother to help her find her class, or to walk down to where the 1st grade classroom were and ask for help from an adult. She got excited, I love empowering my kids.
Good to know. I didn't plan on doing those things but then again, I may have!
My son't 3-year-old orientation is tonight at his school. I am pumped!
He isn't. He doesn't do well with change. I am trying to be optimistic and hoping that it goes well. We'll see...
I don't understand the "during the work day" meetings either. My son has freshman orientation tomorrow - he has to go to get his schedule...however, it's from 8-12, with no bus transportation...and then they threw in a parent thing from 12-1. I work at least 1/2 an hour from his school!! So...I ended up taking the morning off. Not that I'm upset about that part. It seems like his open houses have been from 3-6 the past few years and while I appreciate that those times are while teachers are still there and don't interfere with their evenings, it's not exactly convenient for working parents.
On a positive note, those are definitely some good tips for parents to keep in mind! :)
Great advice. I am a newbie my son is only in Preschool but these are great to know. Oh and a great one that my son's preschool teacher said to us last year "If you don't believe everything your child says about me, I won't believe what he/she said about you." so true!!! Good luck.
thank you! as a teacher (and a parent) who just had to meet the parents of her students last week(half of who broke one or more of your rules) it is great to know someone is "educating" us parents on the do's and dont's!
i had to make myself a mental list too before i went to my daughters first back to school night!
haha, these are great and so true. I'm trying really hard not to be THAT PARENT, but don't always succeed. I taught school for ONE YEAR (I have the utmost respect for teachers, its a HARD job!), but spent 7 years working in the schools as a nurse, so I've seen a lot of what you mentioned. My mom is a teacher, so I always try to ask her before I jump on something - she usually tells me to chill. However, I really think I should tell the teacher immediately how BRILLIANT my child is ;)
First, thanks SO much for joining in Word Up YO!
Second, I can relate to so much of this. My mom is a retired elementary teacher, and I've heard so many of these comments from her. And I also have many, many memories of my brother and I going to her school to help get her room set up!
What amazing advice... As a teacher and a mom.. you hit the nail head on... I was laughing because I have at least 3 mothers a year come in and tell me how brilliant their kids are.... Loved this!!!!!!!!
This is great advice! Our schools go back in 2 weeks and the teachers are already getting these questions for parents.
You said it best! Everyone of those things I have experienced. I had to laugh about the sitting behind the teacher's desk. I really had a dad sit down at my desk and open drawers. Unbelievable.
Thanks Shell!
Great advice. I will take is all under advisement.
Really, parents fo behind a teacher's back to go through their stuff? That's crazy!
We have our meet the teacher day on Wednesday. I'm going to have t keep reminding myself to keep my mouth shut and take the wait and see approach when it comes to behavior.
Good luck! I hope everything goes well!
Good advice. I need it now that Caitlin starts kindergarten in a week.
What great advice! I just can't believe that some parents would actually say or do some of those things. My kids are grown now, but I do remember those meet the teacher days. I actually enjoyed them.
Too Funny! I am now on the other side of the desk, and I know exactly what you are talking about, but it IS hard to remember all this when your child is involved. Good luck with this school year from both sides of the desk!
Great post!
I cannot believe people would nose around in desk drawers!! Yikes!
Great advice, and something you should definitely post every year because I think parents (and teachers to be fair) forget to use their manners sometimes and don't realize their actions or statements can be received in multiple ways.
I loved this. My MIL and one of my good friends are both teachers- at the same school- and they are already having a tough year. There is nothing better than a great teacher, and they need our support to be just that :)
Wonderful and much-needed advice... you did, however, forget one major point... if you have been the teacher of an older child and the next in line is in your class, PLEASE don't make remarks in front of the child about how great the older child was and how this one is soooo different... accept each child on their own merits and stop comparing... it took years for my youngest to ever believe she was capable of meeting/matching anything her 'genius' 'talented' sister did and 'you can see her art all over the school!'... these were remarks made throughout the school year by not only her teachers, but other teachers and the principal, as well... the closing remark, "she's not her sister, is she"... (This was pre-school, and set the belief.) No. She wasn't her sister. Turned out, she had an IQ of 164 and was bored to tears with early school work, but she never got past thinking she would never be as good as her sister... come visit when you can...
Twitter: SolarChief
I have yet to get my credential, and therefore yet to get a classroom. But now I'm slightly intimidated!
Ok kidding. Really I'm just warned. :-D
Great list, Shell!!!
The ENTIRE faculty alreday knows The Girl, so teacher night should be easy enough. Is it bad that I've already left a message for her Special Ed teacher to have a before school starts meeting with her and the new classroom teacher?
great post, thankfully I did none of those things being a first time school mom! Casey is having a little adjustment period right now and I hope it all shakes out, but I do wish I could be a fly on the wall.
Great post and nice to hear the teachers perspective ! Thanks for sharing :)
Have a great school year !!!
Great list! People go through the teacher's desk? Yegads!
I've been in education for 6 years now. Last year, at a new district, I was told to do Open House/Meet the Teacher the way I did it. I had a parent who had a very public facebook rant and rant about how she didn't like the way I conducted the night, how she didn't think I was going to be a good teacher because I had done SpEd before this 4th grade and how I have no background and looked young (I was 28). She had it public for awhile eventually made it private but I learned a lot from that parent's status that year.
This is excellent advice! I can't think of a single thing to add :)
That last comment reminds me that at the end of the year last year, a student started a Facebook page called, "Mrs.4444 has got to go!" Dumb kid posted it publicly and took it down when my daughter asked him if he was sure he wanted to do that, haha. I don't even remember what spurred it on (referral, probably). Too funny.
Really? Really? Parents open up drawers and closets! What poor teachers have to deal with.
Shell, your profession has my undue respect. It is a noble career and one that is terribly underpaid.
I always try to buy up as many wish list items as possible and to be one of those parents who makes life a little easier for the teacher through volunteering and making sure my child is prepared and well behaved.
So sorry I haven't been around. I've been buried in writing. Hopefully, once school starts tomorrow, I'll have more time for my beloved blogs.
Awesome, awesome, and more awesome!! Even though I haven't been a teacher in a formal school setting, I've been a preschool teacher way back in the day (as well as a school director) and I couldn't believe some of the things parents would ask or say to me. Most of the parents would greet me with "Do you have kids yourself?" and as soon as I said no, they would roll their eyes, as if my formal education counted for nothing.
I was surprised this year how when Cole and Bella had their meet and greet the day before school started how many parents monopolized the teachers' time for personal things that seemed like they could wait. One parent was all up in arms because the teacher hadn't given us a schedule of what the kids would be doing day to day. She said she hadn't had a chance to do that yet and she was still waiting to formalize the time the kids would be going to the library and computer lab before she sent anything home. The parent was all, "I think we as parents have a right to know what our kids are doing on an hourly basis". I felt bad for the teacher!
The only thing I had a problem with was that the teachers asked us to buy name brand items, like Elmers glue and Crayola crayons. I bought the cheap RoseArt crayons and one of the teachers actually commented on it to me that she prefers the kids to all have the same brand. WTF?
What great advice for parents! I cannot beleive some people would go through the drawers or closets! That's insane! I think I'm going to try to hop over to "Word Up"! That sounds fun. ;)
my oldest starts school this year, good tips! I still just can't believe I would have to supply kleenex, it just irks me so bad! lol I don't know why! lots of schools ask for it though.
I would love love love to go in and do bulletin boards, i used to work in preschool and that was the best part!
Love the list!! That's so funny about the parent asking how old you were. I'm going to be barely 23 when I start teaching, but hopefully I'll be able to get some clothes to make me look older than 15! hehe
I remember you posting something similar last year and I always crack up at the crazy stuff parents do.
Last year, I felt so bad that we were taking up so much of the teacher's time explaining Buddy's food allergies, that this year I'm just going to type everything up.
oh my gosh that is good advice....ya know at my daughters meet the teacher there were these loud mouth parents talking about how bad their son was and that his favorite activity was watching tv...I seriously face palmed in embarrassment for them....seriously keep it quiet!
Happy Monday!
Awesome list! I'm a few years out on needing most of these tips, but I'd love to post a link on my Macaroni Kid ... let me know if that's okay.
(And, actually, I'm thinking that some of this overlaps with day care, not just school ... so maybe I should read through again!)
All good advice. But here's the question. What if back in the day you used to sleep with the (future) teacher? Like can you not tell your kid how ugly she is and how much you can't stand her?
True story.
Good thing friends of ours are going to that school and not us. Cause I'd have to move or something.
This is great stuff! I will remember as much as I can for when Babe starts school in several years.
We still have almost 3 weeks before school starts, but I am getting ready to meet the teacher. My oldest is entering high school so I am little anxious.
Thanks for the advice! My daughters first day is today but wasn't able to have a chance to meet the teacher so I am going after the school day is over. This helped a lot!!
You have it all covered girl! Good advice!
I remember the how old are you questions. That drove me crazy. And you are so right about the experience, that is completely irrelevant.
I can't believe someone was so rude to say that about you, much less within earshot. Some people!
My son will enter kindegarten in just two weeks, so this post couldn't have come at a better time.
Thanks for sharing such a great perspective as someone who has been on both sides of the desk. :-)
I love this and laughed at this from the teacher perspective. :)
Seriously, SOME parents. ha! Oh the stories.
How exciting for you to have your 1st baby in kinder! I always made sure to embrace the moms experience as well. The Kissing Hand...was our 1st day of school book and project. ♥
I love and miss teaching kindergarten!
These are great tips for the beginning of the school year! My husband is a teacher and he comes home with some crazy stories sometimes about parents. He usually finds the kids easier to deal with than the parents -- and he teaches teenagers! That says a lot.
Good grief...I think i'm glad that my son has one more year of preschool before I really have to worry about this stuff. Make sure to repost this next year for sure! :)
Great tips. I make a point though of always telling Jakob's teachers at Meet the Teacher night that he receives Speech and OT and has an IEP for Aspergers. Then I send them a really long email with lots of details. :)
I met the teacher with my son we introduced ourselves, put up the shared supplies found his desk and his hook and said see you Monday...I 100% agree each teacher deserves a fair chance to teach your child...Plus isn't meet the teacher really about finding your childs classroom so the first day is smooth
As a former Day Camp Site Director, I can't tell you how many times I wish a parent DIDN'T tell me their kids quirks, especially if their kid overhears it. What's the point of their behavior changing if it's expected anyway? Or it can taint the view of the staff before actually getting to know the kid. Not good. That being said if they're prone to violent outbursts, please mention in advance!
Tomorrow will be the first time I will have ever been in this situation so this post came at a good time for me. Some of the things made me laugh and think that I can't believe people really do that and some things I had never thought about. It is nice to have another perspective on this. I have to say that I think teachers are pretty amazing. I don't think I could handle that many kids all day long every day.
Such good advice! We have our Pre-K open house/meet the teacher next week (kids here go back after labor day) and I am interested to see how it goes. I hope yours went well!
Great advice, I meet my sons teacher this week. I've wondered about the present thing, what is a good gift to get? I don't want to get my sons teacher something cheesy that will end up in the trash.
I love this post! I am a second grade teacher and even though I love meeting all of my parents I also get a little nervous because of everything you just mentioned. I hope I remember these things when I become a mom!
Great tips. I don't think I've ever done any of these bad things - shockingly enough!
Sooo, I loved this post! A little odd because none of this information is at all helpful to me right now haha! But I know it will be, someday! I'm going to college in hopes to become a teacher and hopefully I'll be a mom one day so I'll have to put all this info in mental notes right! BTW what grades did you teach Shell? And would you laugh at me if I told you how much I look forward to decorating "my classroom" one day, lol! Hope your boys have a great first day!
As a third grade teacher, still relatively new to the profession, I LOVED this post! You hit it dead on! Thank you for giving such great advice to parents for this ever important first meeting. You never get a second chance to make a first impression!!! I just had Meet the Teacher on Friday and started my first day today. I didn't have any crazy parents- you would have thought they all read your post first! LOL
This is SO HELPFUL! Seriously. I'm going to my first ever 'meet the teacher' next week. I'm not a 'town joiner' of anything - and so I know nothing of any of the teachers. Keeping an open mind was on my agenda, but some of the other stuff (what can I do from home) is such good advice.
Big Major Smooch from me - thank you!!
parents open teacher's desks? really? hhhmmm...wonder what kinda grades their kids'll get?
OMG!!! I would never ask a teacher their age! Or go through their things. Maybe that is just how I was raised. My son got switched from PM Kindergarten to AM and has gained a new teacher. She is YOUNG! Like you were...22 looking 15. I didn't ask. That would be rude. I pointed out my son to her. She asked me if I had questions. I really didn't. She said they would probably have another back to school night to introduce herself and any differences in the program. That's fine.
I did a post about homework today, would love to have your perspective.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
I pulled double duty this morning at MtT as both mom AND teacher! I wish I could have given out copies of this post :)
I've always kinda thought that they won't remember me from Adam on that first day so why bother really telling them much of anything!
As a teacher this made me laugh! Good advice...set those people straight.
ps 2 hour informational meeting with no kids? Hope you got some good information!
Oh thank you for this! No I hopefully won't be one of those parents :)
Terrific advice! From a former teacher, now homeschool teacher and sending 2 kids to "real" school, as they call it!
Parents are the key! You can make or break any school situation, home, public, private, charter. Be involved, stay involved, don't assume your child is always innocent! Because they are not! Help, in any way! Shell has nailed it! Teachers pay for so much out of their own pockets. Bring in extra tissues, drop her a gift card to walmart, offer help in and outside of the classroom!
For the very first time, Monday I will send 2 of my kids to school! I will cry the whole way there and back, take lots of pictures, walk them to their room. Oh, wait they are 14 and 12, maybe i'll just hide out!
I know where my tax dollars are going... have you seen PR's football stadium?! LOL
When we went in for Find your classroom day Z's teacher saw me with Z, b, and Baby G - I think then she understood why I said I could help on Friday's with notice and would do anything from home LOL
LMAO I am so the mom that would think he kid is gifted..hahaa
But in my defense I only think 1 out of the 3 are (no offense to my other kids)
Def a good post and great things to know in-case my kids ever do go to public..I dont wanna be the crazy mom givin someone blog material..lmao
How do you keep a strait face when dealing w/ some of these my poker face is AWFUL
Great, great advice!
This is brilliant--- I love the if all else fails part. Because sometimes it does just fail. :)
I can relate to this one! My husband used to teach, and some of the things he told me about concerning some of the parents... wow. But he totally would have been open to presents :)
Reading this post made me sad:( Not that your advice was bad, because it was excellent! But it just made me reflect on the different experiences of children and parents and teachers in schools.
My husband teaches in an inner-city setting and unfortunately all of these tips? Would be null and void. Out of the 36 students he has (yes, you read that right, 36), only about 5 parents show up.
Granted, some of them can't get off because of work obligations or taking care of other children obligations.
But some of them? Don't even care.
I only WISH that these suggestions were applicable to my husband's classroom...
Sigh.
In going through the comments, I had to add:
1. If they go through the teacher's desk, they'll go through yours at your house... never let them out of your sight...
2. If the teacher is certified, she's qualified... age doesn't matter...
3. If you don't know why you have to supply tissues for your child, try supplying them on your own for the entire class... the school doesn't provide for them but still wants everything sanitary... that means the money comes out of the underpaid teacher's salary... your child should already have the habit of carrying tissues when they start school... this is the parent's job not the school's...
and, finally,
4. Ian - She dated YOU, thinks you're ugly and can't stand you... that's what you can tell your kid...
I bet this is helpful for so many parents!
This is brilliant! I'd love to make copies and hand them out at our own meet-the-teacher night.... but I don't have the guts :)
Good tips. It is just right that parents should know what to do in front of the teacher or maybe ask the right questions to avoid awkward moments. Thanks for sharing.
Ruthilicious
LOL @ going through the teacher's desk. I have never had that happen to me (Thank God). I think my jaw might very well hit the floor if I ever see a parent mingling in my desk. Not that I have anything in there that will freak them out, it's just soooo rude! LOL
Marie
As a teacher....I love you :hehe:
Grreat post!!!
I can imagine ALL OF THESE ARE SOO TRUE from a Teacher's perspective. Going in their drawers??
WTF is wrong w/these people!?!?
Oh, good. I put my foot in my mouth a lot and it's nice to know I might be able to buy my way out of it if need be.
But closets and desk drawers is just too much for me. I'll never have to buy a gift big enough to make up for that.
People actually ask teachers how old they are?! Ridiculous I tell ya!
Good to know all these things, because I'm sure I probably would've done at least one of them. It's good to see things from the teacher's point of view!
For our pre-k, its not until about a month in. But thanks for the advice. I cannot believe that people went through your desk! How ridiculous.
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