The Dawning of a New School Year...

[sandimas]

Every year, it's the same: Day before school year starts, and I start worrying about the first day of school. It's a pretty sleepless night the night before, I get in there, close the door, and everything snaps right into place. It's like after being away from school for a lengthy period of time, I forget what I do for a living, then freak out

Comments

[krisstudly]

Good luck, Mike. Sounds like you could have used a vote of confidence from your principal and you got a kick in the head instead. Not cool. I don't know what the deal is with parents these days. My parents were always glad when I had a teacher who challenged the classes. There's a difference between being challenging to help kids grow and being a jerk because you're just a jerk. I know the latter isn't true of you, so I believe in you and your methods. Maybe this year will be better. :)

[kj415]

Aw, good luck, Michael. Starting the school year sick has got to suck. Like Kristen already said, I can't picture you as being an "evil" teacher. Parents are way too crazy these days. From my elementary student teaching it appears that many kids believe they're entitled to getting the best or getting a reward, even if they didn't do the best or didn't win the raffle, etc.

Yeah, the State Testing speaks for itself. Although I don't agree with all aspects of state testing, at least you gotta be able to point out to the parents, hey, you want your kids to be able to pass through all the hoops in order to graduate? Then they unfortunately gotta do the work. You can thank me later when your child can successfully write a college application essay that doesn't have txt speak and is grammatically correct. ;)

[dawezl]

Per's teacher last year was a-FUCKING-mazing, and yet I heard bitching from a few of the parents I spoke to. I seriously think parents are insane, because I spent time in the class and I can tell you there was nothing I would have asked her to change. However...having been in the position of being told I was perceived in a certain unflattering light at work, I can tell you that you will still want to address the perceptions headon. As I once read "If you don't provide information the rumor mill steps in and creates their own". You have a group of parents who are a little apprehensive because they don't know you and there was some bitching last year. I don't think the issue is truly your teaching because I know you and your style, and I think the majority of parents want their kids to be challenged. So I don't think you need to change *how* you teach. I think you just need to put a little extra effort into winning over this batch of parents. For example, I think the parents who didn't like P's teacher didn't talk with her

[dawezl]

And 32 kids?!!

I swear I'm going to keep sending you links to Simsbury until you take a job out here and come work in an AWESOME school system!!! ;-P

[sandimas]

Thanks folks! I think the numbers and the foreshadowings kind of got to me. Interestingly enough, some familiar last names I recognize from students' in years' past came up on my class list this year, so that was a good turn of events.

I didn't get to read any of this at the start of today, but I must have been channeling you, Nancy, because when I saw all the parents standing around outside when the kids trooped in, I immediately seized the opportunity and invited them in to hang out for awhile as the kids did their word searches to begin the day. Hopefully, this won some over.

The principal finally let me in on who wants to change their kid out of my classroom - turns out, it was just 2 parents. Wished I would have known this number before I got all stressed and sick about it.

[jlh1026]

Ugh boo to the undue stress and glad it's only two but really - hey parents of those two kids.... how about challenge them? I don't get that thinking - it's like they are also selling their kids short before they even start. Not a great message to the kids.

I hope the seas become smoother sailing for this year!