JFC. The “burden” is yours. YOU HAD THE KIDS. |
I’m sorry. I hear you. Ignore the onslaught of idiots who are about to indignantly clap back If You Don’t Like It, You Should Just Quit. I wish for their kids that the good, hardworking teachers do quit and their kids are “taught” (babysat) all year by a cadre of unqualified rotating subs. |
That is true. BUT schools cannot teach them how to respond. They cannot teach them verbal comebacks. They cannot teach them self-defense. They cannot teach them anything besides turn the other cheek which does not work. And more importantly they don't share information with the parents of what exactly is happening. So parents are hamstrung by a lack of information while school officials are hamstrung by an inability to teach the dark arts of schoolyard bullying responses. |
|
OP, glad you're back.
You still haven't responded to criticism of this part of your OP:
Do you really not see how statement like this are essentially designed to make parents angry and defensive? You are not qualified to diagnose a child with autism, and if you are speaking like this to parents with autistic children, do you really not understand that they are own their own difficult journey that you simply do not understand? And your phrasing here about kids who get picked on is absolutely unacceptable from a teacher. Absolutely, 100%, not acceptable. Parents with kids who are being picked on and bullied are ALWAYS working with their kids to figure out how to keep themselves from being a target. Do you have kids? Do you not understand how heartbreaking it is to have send your kid to school where another kid is making fun of them or tormenting them? If there was a magic thing you could tell your kid to keep it from happening, you would. It's just so condescending. If a teacher said this to me about my kid who was being tormented, not only would I not "believe her", I'd ask that my kid be removed from her class. When I child is being consistently picked on in your classroom, the answer is for the adult in the room to intervene, and work with the kids to address these issues. I get that you don't have perfect control, but you have more than I do in that moment, and "sorry kiddo but you've got to stop making yourself a victim here" is NOT going to cut it. Address the problem. Fortunately I've never had a teacher pull this with me -- we've always had good relationships built on trust and mutual respect. But what you wrote in your OP was not trusting or respectful. I think if you have enough poor relationships with parents to write something like this, the problem might be you. |
Well folks I apologize for triggering so many parents with this post. Please know that I would never in a million years be so blunt in an actual conversation with a parent of a struggling student. I DO understand how heartbreaking it is, having been on the receiving end of such information twice. Please know, however, that there are many many parents out there who would rather deny that a problem exists and verbally attack the teacher for bringing it up in the most respectful, compassionate way. That was the audience for this post - parents who will leave their child, the teacher and sometimes the entire affected class hanging because they cannot believe that their child might need extra support. It is completely demoralizing for all involved. So, with those experiences under my belt along with the multiple chastisements posted in this thread from parents who DO want to support their struggling children, I will think twice about having these conversations in the future. You have cut me down to size, put me in my place, and schooled the teacher. |
Then get rid of the bad apples in your profession. This actually happened to both of my kids: K and 1st grade teachers say the kid is wonderful. 2nd grade teacher has a long list of the ways she finds the kid deficient. 3rd, 4th, and so on teachers return to viewing the kid as wonderful. 3rd grade teacher was completely perplexed by everything the 2nd grade teacher said about kid. Same 2nd grade teacher told me that it was my DD's fault that she was being bullied, since the other kids were the most wonderful, perfect girls in the universe, my DD was annoying, they didn't want to socialize with or talk to my DD, and they had no choice but to be mean to help my DD pick up on the social cue that they were out of her league. Meanness included making fun of DD's clothing, rolling their eyes at her and covering their ears every time she opened her mouth, including while answering the teacher in class, mocking DD's religion (they didn't understand agnosticism, so they decided DD was Jewish and then mocked her for that), refusing to let her sit near them on the bus, and so on. For my DS, it was simpler. This was one of those teachers who loved all of the Pretty Princess girls and pretty much hated all boys. I want to respect teachers, but if your view is the outlier compared to all of the other teachers or professionals who deal with my kid, then I'm going to assume that you're either prejudiced in some way or an idiot. |
12:01 PP. If the vast majority of parents are acting defensive or not believing you when you try to have these conversations, then it probably is a *you* problem and not at all a problem with their kids. Most parents are taking in info from last year's teacher, other teachers who work with their kid, their kid's piano teacher, soccer coach, pediatrician, etc. When parents get defensive, it's because you're saying something that no one else has told them or that directly contradicts what they've been hearing from everyone else. |
OP, Thank you for your attempt here. I’m a teacher, but for the moment I’m going to speak from the perspective of a parent. I had a teacher who sat me down and gave me some raw, upsetting information about my own child. No other teacher had done that. I was defensive at first. I wanted to defend my child, her upbringing, and all I had already done to try to prepare her for school. I took the teacher’s comments as a criticism and, initially, I was mad at the teacher for exposing something I didn’t want to accept or deal with. Two years later, I have nothing but appreciation for that teacher. She took the time to really learn about my child and she cared enough to put herself in that uncomfortable position. I can’t imagine she relished having that conversation with me. What she said was a spark and I am now grateful for her insights. I know you were speaking from experience and you weren’t speaking to ALL parents. I think the reason you got so much heat in response is because (A) we are all very defensive about our own children and (B) this is DCUM and our intentions/tone don’t always translate the way we want them to. |
Please educate yourself. Target and playdates are not “home.” It is very very common for kids to have no behavioral problems at home (where they feel comfortable and parents have made accommodations for them). Maybe if you focus more on the child and less on blaming parents (ie moms) you’ll help the kid be more comfortable in school. |
Is this a parody? Of course teachers need to know and implement strategies to deal with behavioral issues in the classroom. That’s part of their job. |
Shout this from the roof tops. |
Schools literally have a legal requirement to identify kids in need of special ed. But sure let’s add another classic dialogue: - Teacher: Your kid has big problems! - Parent: I don’t know what to do - Teacher: (Doesn’t inform parent about the supports and rights created by law specifically to help kids with problems.) - Parent: I still don’t know what to do - Teacher: Your kid has big problems but don’t expect me to help, not my job! |
Exactly. If OP is consistently finding that parents don’t listen to her, then OP needs to think hard about how and what she is communicating. We’ve seen both types. Teachers who communicated in a way that couldn’t be better formulated to create problems; and teachers who worked with us as true partners. A teacher who comes at this stuff from the attitude that “Your kid has issues, I know best” is not going to create a good alliance with parents. |
Or - Teacher: Your kid has big problems! - Parent: What are they? - Teacher: Jargon - Parent: Can you provide some examples or context? - Teacher: No - Parent: um, ok |
This is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to those of us who perform our jobs well. I can’t believe I work as hard as I do to be treated like this. I know it’s fun and popular to pick on teachers, but all you’re doing is insulting those of us who CARE. Teachers who don’t care also aren’t concerned about your anonymous comments. |