Search Results for: should you request a teacher for your child

Should You Request a Teacher for Your Child?

The schools in my district have very different policies on requesting teachers. My school takes open requests from anyone for any teacher. Some schools only take requests under certain circumstances while others take requests under no circumstances. The principal has the ultimate say in whether requests are taken or not. So should you request a specific teacher for your child? Before you do, please consider the following thoughts below. Ask yourself why you are requesting the teacher. Few parents that make requests have actually been into the teachers’ classrooms and have made an educated decision. Most parents that I have … Continue reading →

Communicating With Your Child’s Teacher

Some parents barely know the name of their child’s teacher, let alone their phone number of email address. Then, there’s an entire camp of moms and dads who have their child’s teacher on speed dial. Which are you? My daughter has only been in school for a year-and-a-half. She’s had one teacher who winced every time a parent stepped into her classroom. Seriously; the woman would have been overjoyed if the students in her classroom were immaculately conceived by robots, so she wouldn’t have to deal with questions and concerns from parents. As for communicating, well, let’s just say it … Continue reading →

When Teachers Fail to Make the Mark

You know you’re in trouble when your child’s teacher behaves worse than your child. Whereas most parents realize that neither the public nor the private school system is 100 percent sound, I think it’s reasonable to expect that a child should not be subject to violence or ridicule within the confines of a classroom. Obviously, this has not been the case in the past. The news is filled with stories of teachers who duct tape their students’ mouths shut in class to stop them from talking, educators who push kids against walls when they don’t do as they are told … Continue reading →

Would You Allow Your Child to Live in a Co-ed Dorm Room?

Given that I spent my entire freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison holed up in a girls-only dorm affectionately (though, not accurately) known as the “Virgin Vault,” my answer to the question posed in the title of this blog would be a resounding: “HELL NO!” But that’s just me. After all, there’s still a good chance that my precious daughter could end up in a convent, which would make it a moot issue. Regardless of my opinion, the subject of teens living together in the same room at college is as real as it gets for parents of students … Continue reading →

Are You a Homeschooler at Heart? Answers

In my last post I made up a test to help you determine if you are a homeschooler at heart. I asked a series of questions that hopefully you answered and are now back to see the results. You may want to go to the previous post before continuing. As I am not an expert in administering surveys, the results were pretty straightforward. If you answered predominantly A’s you are least like a homeschooler. If you answered primarily with B, you have some tendencies that could lend to homeschooling, but you are more likely to work with the current school … Continue reading →

What Makes a Teacher “Popular”?

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As discussed in a previous article, this is the time of year when parents begin to think of their child’s teacher for the next school year. Some principals allow parents to request a teacher for their child. Other school administrators leave the decision up to the luck of the draw or random computer choice. Other schools use test scores and behavior records to divide the students into classrooms. No matter which way your child’s school selects homeroom teachers for students, there is likely a certain teacher that you either want or do not want for your child. In each school, … Continue reading →

Opinions About Other Teachers

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As human nature, we all form opinions and make judgments of others. While some of us are more vocal and more judgmental, we all have thoughts about how others look, act, and treat us. The same goes for teachers. Involuntarily teachers make judgments about other teachers. They form opinions about which teachers in the school are doing their part of the work and which teachers are less active in education. Opinions are formed about which teachers are “good” and which ones are “not so good”. In some cases these opinions are very similar across the faculty and in some cases … Continue reading →

Teacher Strike

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We hear of many protests in the form of strikes. The most common reason for persons to strike in due to the dissatisfaction of working terms such as money and insurance. Many different occupations have been on strike from their jobs. I have recently heard of truck driver refusing to move off the roadway due to high gas prices. However the circumstances are typically different when it comes to teachers who strike. When teachers strike, children, parents, and all other forms of jobs are all affected. Parents must find someone to watch their children while the students cannot go to … Continue reading →

Are Your Child’s Unique Special Education Needs Being Met?

The whole purpose of special education is to facilitate the unique educational needs that some students with disabilities have. However, sometimes the focus shifts from meeting these particular needs to just managing the child’s challenging behaviors. As the parent of a special needs child, you have the right to insist upon appropriate educational adaptations to help your child succeed in school. If you believe your child needs services or accommodations he isn’t receiving, you’ve got to speak up. You can begin by scheduling an IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting with your child’s teachers and therapists. How do I know whether … Continue reading →

Who Will Be Your Child’s Teacher Next Year?

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Many concerned parents begin to worry in the summer about which homeroom teacher their child will have the upcoming year. Some parents place requests while other parents leave the decision to the school. All schools have their own methods of placing students into classrooms. Schools also have their own timelines of carrying out this task. Some schools place students in the summer well before school begins. Teachers then send out letters to the students that will be in their classrooms. Other schools wait until after the final registration to determine which classrooms students will be in. In my county, kindergarten … Continue reading →