Any suggestions as how to convince my fcps principal to change my child's home room class?

[Anonymous]

Demand a change. Do whatever it takes,

Don't worry about what others think or say if you really believe if will impact your child's year in school. There are plenty of parents before you who have done the same and there will be plenty who come after you who do it to.

[Anonymous]

Just ask. School is for learning. Contrary to what other posters have said, the focus of schools is not to teach children compensating strategies.

Schools are large institutions and students are moved around everyday. Teachers are not insulted when students are transferred. It's only natural that principals desire harmony in their schools. If a family desires a small scheduling change as you describe there is no reason a principal would not willing make that accommodation.

Just ask.

[Anonymous]

OP, I would try calling the principal and talk to him about your concerns. Just be honest about your child's learning style and about what you have heard about this particular teacher's learning style. That's really all you can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Demand a change. Do whatever it takes,

Don't worry about what others think or say if you really believe if will impact your child's year in school. There are plenty of parents before you who have done the same and there will be plenty who come after you who do it to.

Have you actually managed to switch teachers? I have 3 kids ranging in age from 14 to 10 (my youngest is in 5th grade). I have never known a child to have switched classroom assignments, and I know a handful of parents who have tried. My kids are in a small elementary, so it would be very easy to know if someone switched. 2 cases in particular seemed like a good case could be made, but those kids didn't get moved-- not after begging, threatening to bring in lawyers, etc.

Rather than waste energy trying to get an assignment change, I would sit down with the teacher and come up with strategies to help your kid in that particular class.

[Anonymous]

New poster. I have actually known several kids who have switched teachers, including my own. However, all switches were done after school started.

After a disastrous year where I made my child finish under a wretched teacher because I thought it would teach "resiliency", I vowed not to allow that to happen again. It wasn't until after the year was over and we dealt with the fallout in therapy that I realized all it did was undermine her self-esteem. Two years later, similar situation, I worked with the teacher and school to make changes for 2 months, then asked for and got a switch. No issues at all, and the principal and counselor were happy to make it happen. Everyone was much happier.

[Anonymous]

OP: my dad gave me great advice that is applicable here:

Duck your head when running under the helicopter blades. Whoppa whoppa whoppa

(He flew helicopters in Viet Nam)

If you are going to be a helicopter parent, brace yourself. Duck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: my dad gave me great advice that is applicable here:

Duck your head when running under the helicopter blades. Whoppa whoppa whoppa

(He flew helicopters in Viet Nam)

If you are going to be a helicopter parent, brace yourself. Duck.

Thank you for sharing that bit of wisdom with us. We thank your dad for fighting for our freedom against the expanding communist threat and presumably saving lives in Vietnam. Unfortunately you and he differ in the sense that you never served, you would deny a person's freedoms to speak freely, and you are threatening. It really makes you wonder if Vietnam was worth it after all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just ask. School is for learning. Contrary to what other posters have said, the focus of schools is not to teach children compensating strategies.

Schools are large institutions and students are moved around everyday. Teachers are not insulted when students are transferred. It's only natural that principals desire harmony in their schools. If a family desires a small scheduling change as you describe there is no reason a principal would not willing make that accommodation.

Just ask.

I wish this were true at my school. Getting a child moved to another classroom is nearly impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is for home room? Does anything of substance even happen in home room?

In elementary school, or at least early elementary, almost all the core subjects are usually taught in home room. Reading, math, writing, social studies, and usually science. I'd consider those things to be "of substance".

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing that bit of wisdom with us. We thank your dad for fighting for our freedom against the expanding communist threat and presumably saving lives in Vietnam. Unfortunately you and he differ in the sense that you never served, you would deny a person's freedoms to speak freely, and you are threatening. It really makes you wonder if Vietnam was worth it after all?

The OP about the helicopter gave you good advice. Why are you posting on here if you don't want to hear other opinions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you for sharing that bit of wisdom with us. We thank your dad for fighting for our freedom against the expanding communist threat and presumably saving lives in Vietnam. Unfortunately you and he differ in the sense that you never served, you would deny a person's freedoms to speak freely, and you are threatening. It really makes you wonder if Vietnam was worth it after all?

The OP about the helicopter gave you good advice. Why are you posting on here if you don't want to hear other opinions?

[Anonymous]

I agree with those saying to let it go. Learning opportunities come in different forms. Sometimes it's about academics, sometimes it's about resilience and adapting. Hovering over ever aspect of your child's school life isn't going to be very helpful to your child in the long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Demand a change. Do whatever it takes,

Don't worry about what others think or say if you really believe if will impact your child's year in school. There are plenty of parents before you who have done the same and there will be plenty who come after you who do it to.

What will you do if you that doesn't work? Are prepared to pull your DC out and homeschool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you for sharing that bit of wisdom with us. We thank your dad for fighting for our freedom against the expanding communist threat and presumably saving lives in Vietnam. Unfortunately you and he differ in the sense that you never served, you would deny a person's freedoms to speak freely, and you are threatening. It really makes you wonder if Vietnam was worth it after all?

The OP about the helicopter gave you good advice. Why are you posting on here if you don't want to hear other opinions?

1. An honest person would not feel the need to delete half the quote as you have done.

2. Your usage of the phrase "helicopter parent" is insulting and not used to help the OP.

3. Helicopter blades have the potential of cutting people into pieces.

4. Your suggestion is that involved (helicopter) parents run the risk of teachers retaliating against their children cutting them to shreds academically and socially. Your post is not kind or helpful; it is menacing.

5. I still respect your father, but his wisdom is misplaced in this instance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with those saying to let it go. Learning opportunities come in different forms. Sometimes it's about academics, sometimes it's about resilience and adapting. Hovering over ever aspect of your child's school life isn't going to be very helpful to your child in the long term.

Children in schools are virtually powerless. The words resilience and adpating suggest children individually have the rights and powers to negotiate mutually satisfying solutions with their teachers. This is untrue, teachers hold all the cards and have all the power. Since time and memoriam teachers have had their pets/favorites and they have had their goats/the unflavored whom they periodically give a good kick.

Telling a kid to adapt to an unsuitable learning environment is nothing more than telling them they have no power and no control over their lives during that potion of every school day. Children who are out-of-favor with their teachers are much more likely to bullies by other students who feel they are protecting the teacher or that the teacher has simply declared open-season on the out-of-favor student.

The idea of a powerless student adapting or developing resiliency by withstanding an unpleasant environment with an all-powerful teacher is pure nonsense and it also has the potential for long range disastrous results.

Any principal worth their salt would willingly make this small adjustment and at the same time put this kid on their radar screen as individual who may need a little more personalized care. Why not these are school designed to teach and nurture the growth of children, not factories stamping out uniform aluminum cans.

College kids add and drop classes all the time. Adults change jobs several times during their working careers. They all have reasons for choices they make and the do so without being told they need to adapt or be resilient enough to suffer through unpleasant situations. If you live your life making choices and making changes, why would you deny thiese rights to a powerless child?