Here are the troops heading out for the first day of school!! Just like millions of kids all over the nation around this time of year. New clothes on, hair brushed and done just perfect, tummies full, teeth brushed, backpacks stocked, smiles on!!
Here is Abby with her carpool friend. She loves school and was excited to be starting 4th grade. This year she gets to experience life in the portables....exciting in some ways. However, she was a little nervous as to what happens when you have to use the bathroom!!:) Her teacher seems like such a sweet girl. It is her first year teaching and she is all about the kids. She has sent home some great homework the first week and seems very into getting to know the kids and what they like and don't like, what makes them tick and what motivates and inspires them. Abby's smiles have remained all week.
Nathan's little smile however was quickly replaced by sullen mood swings, frustrations, anger outbursts and upset tummies. By Thursday I could tell something was wrong. We were attempting to do his homework and he proclaimed he "would never get it right". I asked what was wrong. He informed me that he was worried I might get mad at him. I assured him his problems were important to me and I would not get mad. He then proceeded to tell me about his teacher. It is her first year at the school and we were assured she came highly qualified. She has taught for 31 years. She seemed great at Back-To-School night. However, Nathan had a different take on her. She snaps at him, which bothers him a LOT! She talks in a loud voice, yells, turns the lights off to get the kids attention and is ALWAYS mad...according to Nathan. I thought maybe Nathan was just not paying attention or fiddling around too much..something he is prone to do. Friday when I picked him up...he was beside himself. In near tears and frustrated to anger. He was punished again for drinking out of his water bottle too much. It was taken away. I decided I had better go talk to the teacher to see what I could do to help Nathan. However, what happened was that the teacher "attacked" him. She had nothing good to say about Nathan at all. She harped, and I do mean harped, on all the bad things he does. These things include looking around at other students, having a "terrible" attention span, not concentrating, fiddling with pencils or pens in his desk, and sucking on his water bottle like it is a baby bottle. She took his She told me when she took his water bottle away that "My INSTRUCTIONS were that he would have to walk up to my desk when he needed a drink since his bottle was a distraction!" That isn't embarrassing or anything!! Little lone even more distracting than letting him keep the water bottle at his desk! Why not just tell him it was such a problem???? I was a little shocked! Shocked that these things were all considered terrible for a six-year-old to do the first week of first grade (his first experience to all day school) and shocked that she couldn't have been a little more encouraging. Needless to say, Nathan hates school. He tells us he is not going, gets "sick" often, and pleads us to let him stay home. He has tried his hardest, which may not seem like too much for him but I know he is trying, to pay attention and not get in trouble and do what he should. He is feeling terrible, scared of his teacher, so scared I don't think he can pay attention and feels like he will never be able to "keep up" on his work or make his teacher happy. AAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!! FIRST GRADE!!! Not fifth or fourth or even third. First grade! Honestly@!!!! I think a trip to the principal may be my next visit.
Here are the troops heading out for the first day of school!! Just like millions of kids all over the nation around this time of year. New clothes on, hair brushed and done just perfect, tummies full, teeth brushed, backpacks stocked, smiles on!!
Here is Abby with her carpool friend. She loves school and was excited to be starting 4th grade. This year she gets to experience life in the portables....exciting in some ways. However, she was a little nervous as to what happens when you have to use the bathroom!!:) Her teacher seems like such a sweet girl. It is her first year teaching and she is all about the kids. She has sent home some great homework the first week and seems very into getting to know the kids and what they like and don't like, what makes them tick and what motivates and inspires them. Abby's smiles have remained all week.
Nathan's little smile however was quickly replaced by sullen mood swings, frustrations, anger outbursts and upset tummies. By Thursday I could tell something was wrong. We were attempting to do his homework and he proclaimed he "would never get it right". I asked what was wrong. He informed me that he was worried I might get mad at him. I assured him his problems were important to me and I would not get mad. He then proceeded to tell me about his teacher. It is her first year at the school and we were assured she came highly qualified. She has taught for 31 years. She seemed great at Back-To-School night. However, Nathan had a different take on her. She snaps at him, which bothers him a LOT! She talks in a loud voice, yells, turns the lights off to get the kids attention and is ALWAYS mad...according to Nathan. I thought maybe Nathan was just not paying attention or fiddling around too much..something he is prone to do. Friday when I picked him up...he was beside himself. In near tears and frustrated to anger. He was punished again for drinking out of his water bottle too much. It was taken away. I decided I had better go talk to the teacher to see what I could do to help Nathan. However, what happened was that the teacher "attacked" him. She had nothing good to say about Nathan at all. She harped, and I do mean harped, on all the bad things he does. These things include looking around at other students, having a "terrible" attention span, not concentrating, fiddling with pencils or pens in his desk, and sucking on his water bottle like it is a baby bottle. She took his She told me when she took his water bottle away that "My INSTRUCTIONS were that he would have to walk up to my desk when he needed a drink since his bottle was a distraction!" That isn't embarrassing or anything!! Little lone even more distracting than letting him keep the water bottle at his desk! Why not just tell him it was such a problem???? I was a little shocked! Shocked that these things were all considered terrible for a six-year-old to do the first week of first grade (his first experience to all day school) and shocked that she couldn't have been a little more encouraging. Needless to say, Nathan hates school. He tells us he is not going, gets "sick" often, and pleads us to let him stay home. He has tried his hardest, which may not seem like too much for him but I know he is trying, to pay attention and not get in trouble and do what he should. He is feeling terrible, scared of his teacher, so scared I don't think he can pay attention and feels like he will never be able to "keep up" on his work or make his teacher happy. AAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!! FIRST GRADE!!! Not fifth or fourth or even third. First grade! Honestly@!!!! I think a trip to the principal may be my next visit.
6 comments:
Sounds like a teacher doesn't like school either. Good luck. It seems the principals always back the teachers. Hopefully you will have a good principal!
Yikes! You are scaring me...I know nothing about our teachers! I can't believe this all happened during the first week! Surely other parents are having issues with her, maybe ought to get into the principal quick before everyone tries to switch out! Glad Abby got such a great one.
My jaw is dropped! I just canNOT believe someone..teaching for 1 year or 100 years..would EVER do that! I know "running" from problems isn't a good lesson to teach our kids, but in this case I may just have to take my child's self esteem and ability to learn over teaching them to face up to all their problems! And MAN is she a problem!! Good luck! Have a happy day! Lataz~Love always, Kasey
I think you should meet with the principal as soon as possible. Also, it might be a good idea to do lots of time in his classroom "volunteering" to help but also see what is going on for yourself. So sorry Nathan is having such a rough time. poor kid.
Nikki, Get him out of her class. Whatever it takes. First grade is so important to how they see themselves and how well they do the rest of their years. You will have to stand up to the principal and just say that this is not working for your child and that is what it is about, the child. Don't say anything bad about the teacher just let them know that he needs to change. love ya
Nikki, I would get to the principal asap!! I have four experiences with my kids that were having severe teacher problems, and the first two times, we did everything including standing on our heads (at least it felt like that) ie working with the teacher, volunteering in the room, trying to get my busy bodies, to change their personalities and "behaviour problems" etc. It doesn't work. ONce that teacher has labeled them, it just seems to go down hill. My 3rd time, I had a wise counselor observe and she reccomended a class change despite my willingness to make them "work it out" and learn to adjust to life's harsh realities. What a difference!!!! I should have done it the first two times, but didn't and the fourth time I didn't even hesitate! I went in and factually explained my issues, focusing on academic achievements, failure to progress, sucess in the classroom, my emphasis on how much I believe that schools and parents need to be partners, how much I appreciated the efforts of the school staff etc. It seems to work if you can outline the academic reasons for a change and not the emotional ones. It is the pits, but you definitely need to be an advocate for Nathan, NO ONE else will be, and you cannot ruin his school career, which can happen. Labels are tough baggage to overcome. Document all the things the teacher said to you, as well as what she has said to Nathan and take that list with you to your meeting with the principal. It will help you to be organized when presenting your thoughts, it will also help you to seem rational and "on top of it" not just a mom whose baby has been attacked!! Okay, sorry for the novel, I hope this helps you!! Love ya, and get Nathan a blessing. Also pray for his teacher and the principal.
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