Anonymous
Post 02/15/2021 14:30     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:I have never been best friends with my kids’ teachers or anything, but I always felt that I knew them by this time of the school year. I would see them in person at conferences, chat during class parties, stop in to say hi after school if DC wanted to show me something in his classroom, maybe share a seat on the bus during a school field trip. I definitely felt like I knew them.
This year, nearly all of my communication with them is through email, and none of its personal. Sending my third grader’s teacher an email asking her how old he children are and if she has seen any good movies lately seems a little inappropriate. I really miss sharing smiles, words, jokes, and exchanges with the people who spend their time teaching my children. I’m really sorry to have missed that this year.

I know it’s a small thing on top of many bigger ones, but just the same, I wanted to say it.




What? I have listened to hours of the teachers teaching, which I don’t normally do. How do you not even know what they look like?!?
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2021 14:27     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Y'all must be stay at home moms. Moms with jobs don't have time to want to be BFF with their kids' teachers.


So what aspect are you bagging on? Being a stay at home mom or the ability to have a relationship with your child’s teacher? At my workplace we are given volunteer hours so I’m able to do both.


I'm not ragging on anybody, I'm just saying I don't have time to be friends with my child's teacher and clearly you do.

I’m not friends with my kids’ teachers, but as a full-time professional with vacation time, I always made sure to go on at least one field trip per year per kid and also accept an occasional volunteer opportunity. The school would also have evening activities that the teachers attended. So, yeah, I’d say friendly acquaintances for sure. Everything I’ve read and experienced indicates that parental involvement is important for kids’ success, so I consider it part of my job as a parent, which is just as important to me as my legal, paying job.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2021 14:13     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Y'all must be stay at home moms. Moms with jobs don't have time to want to be BFF with their kids' teachers.


So what aspect are you bagging on? Being a stay at home mom or the ability to have a relationship with your child’s teacher? At my workplace we are given volunteer hours so I’m able to do both.


I'm not ragging on anybody, I'm just saying I don't have time to be friends with my child's teacher and clearly you do.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2021 12:18     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:I feel like I know them better than ever, since now I can’t help but hear them teaching. I know what you mean, though, OP.


I agree with this. What I really miss is volunteering at school and getting to know the kids.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2021 11:41     Subject: Re:I miss getting to know my kids teachers
I miss getting to know everyone in the class! The teachers, and the other kids and parents that we'd see at class events or birthday parties. There is a certain sense of community made through these things, and there is none of that this year. Everyone is disconnected, and I'm not sure why everyone is piling on OP like she's desperate to be BFFs with her kids teacher. Weak social links -- like the casual chats with othe parents or teachers -- matter too for our well-being.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/01/pandemic-goodbye-casual-friends/617839/

Anonymous
Post 02/15/2021 09:00     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Not me! I am delighted to have the burden of awkward chitchat and pretend interest taken away. I used to be very involved and now I’m like- wheeeeee! Who cares? It’s freeing.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 23:38     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Teacher here. I miss getting to know parents! I think I get a fuller picture of my students when I'm able to become familiar with parents of my students. I have no desire to become best friends with parents, but knowing more than just their names is helpful.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 16:36     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
I know what you mean, OP. Ignore the bitchy harpies on here.

I drop off and pick up my kid outside her preschool. I used to have more conversations with her teachers. Nothing long — maybe 2-3 minutes while I was putting her stuff away in the morning or helping her get ready to go in the afternoon.

Now, she’ll be brought in/out by whatever teacher is helping that day. Of course I’ve met her teacher but it isn’t quite the same.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 16:29     Subject: Re:I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:
I have never been best friends with my kids’ teachers


This made me cringe. Then I gave you the benefit of the doubt and thought, yes, it's hard if you have no idea who the teache is. Then, you totally lost me when you talked about feeling a loss at not knowing them the way you describe. That is not appropriate Op though you have a lot of company. It's a huge headache to other parents that some parents (and teachers!) don't keep the relationship on a professional level. It was one of the worse things we experienced concerning the educational experience of our children in our area.


OP here. When you pulled that comment out, it made me look kind of crazy, like I really wanted to be best friends. I can see why I was getting this kind of reaction!

What I meant to say was that, while I am not friends without my kids teachers, I am typically acquainted with them, and by February I have had 4-5 brief interactions as described in the OP. It’s weird not to know them at all this year, and I am sad for it.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 14:59     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:I feel like I know them better than ever, since now I can’t help but hear them teaching. I know what you mean, though, OP.


+1
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 13:05     Subject: Re:I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:
I have never been best friends with my kids’ teachers


This made me cringe. Then I gave you the benefit of the doubt and thought, yes, it's hard if you have no idea who the teache is. Then, you totally lost me when you talked about feeling a loss at not knowing them the way you describe. That is not appropriate Op though you have a lot of company. It's a huge headache to other parents that some parents (and teachers!) don't keep the relationship on a professional level. It was one of the worse things we experienced concerning the educational experience of our children in our area.


+1
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 12:59     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
I feel like o know them MUCH better this year than normal.
1. I get to watch the videos to see how they teach.
2. I overhear class sometimes
3. They email back - and quickly!
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 12:15     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:Y'all must be stay at home moms. Moms with jobs don't have time to want to be BFF with their kids' teachers.


You are reading the room wrong
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 12:12     Subject: Re:I miss getting to know my kids teachers
I have never been best friends with my kids’ teachers


This made me cringe. Then I gave you the benefit of the doubt and thought, yes, it's hard if you have no idea who the teache is. Then, you totally lost me when you talked about feeling a loss at not knowing them the way you describe. That is not appropriate Op though you have a lot of company. It's a huge headache to other parents that some parents (and teachers!) don't keep the relationship on a professional level. It was one of the worse things we experienced concerning the educational experience of our children in our area.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2021 11:08     Subject: I miss getting to know my kids teachers
Anonymous wrote:Y'all must be stay at home moms. Moms with jobs don't have time to want to be BFF with their kids' teachers.


So what aspect are you bagging on? Being a stay at home mom or the ability to have a relationship with your child’s teacher? At my workplace we are given volunteer hours so I’m able to do both.