This summer my daughters spent quite a bit of time talking about which teachers they were hoping to get. One daughter wanted the Kindergarten teacher her sister had. I admit mommy did too. Another (high school) daughter waited anxiously at the computer checking her course schedule to see if she got the teachers and classes she wanted for her senior year. The third daughter already had her teacher all picked out. Guess what only one out of 4 people got what they wanted. Getting a different teacher from what you hoped for or expected doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It could be a good one. Who knows? But there are a few things you can do for yourself and your children to make sure you can make getting a new teacher even better.
Excerpt . . .
Don’t show your disappointment. I admit I had a specific teacher in mind for my Kindergarten child, but we didn’t get assigned to her. It is important that I don’t show my disappointment or my daughter may walk into the classroom, and being the outspoken child she is, say, “Nice to meet you, but mommy and I wanted Mrs. X for my teacher.” Not only does that get you off on the “wrong foot” but your children will pick up on your attitude.
Expect the best. Many families make their decisions about where they are going to live based on the school district’s reputation. I know we did. As a result, even though I know absolutely nothing about my daughters’ Kindergarten teacher other than she is new to our school district, school and even our state, I have to have some trust that a good school district will bring in good teachers.
Continue reading Parenting tips for coping with a new teacher
