Observing elementary classrooms unannounced

[Tinijocaro]

Just wondering, based on a current thread, are you allowed to enter your child's classroom unannounced? At my kid's school, you must have permission from the teacher, sign in to the office and at the school I teach at, you must also sign a form that says what you see in the classroom may not be gossiped about (basically).

I personally do not want parents entering the classroom any old time they please. If there is a legitimate concern, the teacher should be notified that the parent would like to observe.

Please tell us which state you are in and public or private school.

 

[Pastamom]

Wisconsin - public school - we must sign in always

only for a quick drop in - otherwise we must schedule to stay longer (that wasn't an option)

 

[C.Ann]

In the 3 schools that DGD has attended in NY, I don't believe it's allowed.. Actually it's like Fort Knox just trying to get from the front doors to the office window! Not necessarily a bad thing these days..

 

[ColinCodyMom]

Parents are encouraged to come in anytime, but we do have to sign in and get a visitor's pass. I still put yes though because we can come anytime.

 

[LuvOrlando]

No unannounced walk ins but before my kids started school I met with the Principal and asked for a tour of the facility and she escorted me everywhere, it was very nice. She took me around the classes and i had a chance to see the teachers teach without them knowing i was there. If you really want to know what is going on at your kids school talk to the other parents especially the ones with some older kids further along in age, they'll tell you everything you need to know.

 

[gina2000]

I'm not sure I understand why anyone thinks they should be allowed to enter a classroom. It's disruptive. Students need the class time to learn, not to be distracted by unexpected visitors who mean well, but end up being a nuisance.

I'm sure I'll get my butt kicked from here to eternity on this one but I really have to ask...WHY? What do you think is going on in a classroom?

Now I did ask for a tour of the facility before my son attended elementary school but that was conducted by the principal and I did not interfere with any learning going on in any classroom.

 

[Rora]

I am a public school 3rd grade teacher in the state of Florida. Parents are NOT allowed to drop into a classroom unannounced.

You must:
1. Set up/confirm an observation with the teacher.
2. When the parent arrives at the school they must obtain a Visitor Badge.
3. The teacher is paged when the parent arrives in the office.
4. A school official must escort the parent to the classroom.

As a teacher, I never mind observations unless I know they're truly going to disrupt our lesson (please don't come observe when I'm trying to teach a classroom of 3rd graders about fractions.. come an hour earlier or after. PLEASE!). I'm always happy to meet with parents as long as the above procedure is followed. In addition, I always encourage my parents to schedule a meeting outside of the classroom first to truly decide if an in-class observation is necessary.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

We must sign in, but can do so at any time with no appointment or notice. We do not need the teachers permission. So I put yes. It is a public school.

 

[MushyMushy]

I had to put other. I know that legally we're allowed to go visit at least the elementary school as long as we sign in to the office first, but I bet they do put controls in place. I mean, I doubt just anyone could walk in and chat it up with the teacher.

That's just not something that's done here. We have tons of volunteers at the elementary level, and of course there are always education students doing observations and volunteering. I don't think there are parents just wandering around observing. I was in the school several times a week and never saw parents doing that.

 

[Dancemom03]

Maryland - we have an open door policy for parents but you have to sign in at the office upon entering the building.

Last year they abolished the scheduled hours for classroom visitations during american education week at our school (not all public schools in the county, just ours as far as I know) saying that teachers thought they were too distracting and since there was an open door policy in place there was no need to schedule amer ed week parent visitations any longer.

Personally I liked the way it's always been done in the past. I want a schedule and I want to know other parents will be visiting during my time in the classroom so I don't feel like the over-protetcive mom with three heads as the students all turn to watch me watching them - and so I know I won't be interrupting anything really important.

Last year, I stopped in unannounced a handful of times for 10-15-20 mins each while in the building for other things. The teachers were very welcoming and DD9 was thrilled to have me there. I will say that, by not having scheduled days & times, I was able to spend much less time cooling my heels in the classroom b/c I didn't feel the need to sit thru a whole subject. We go in unannounced and quietly take a seat on the side or in the back and leave just as quietly. It isn't like anyone announces our presence or anything but of course everyone knows a parent is there when you slip into the classroom anyway. Many parents I talked to decided not to take off from work at all to visit the classrooms anymore.

I can imagine it must be a bit unsettling not to know who will pop in when but, if the experiences at our school hold true at yours, you may only see a handful of parents for a much shorter amount of time unless you specifically invite them in. Sadly, there just aren't that many parents interested - or available - to visit classrooms randomly these days without a reason to be there...

 

[Magpie]

I put "other", as well.

I think it's allowed, but I've never put it to the test. You would have to sign in at the front desk, though.

 

[krcit]

We must sign in, leave ID and they will call the classroom teacher to ask if we can go up. I don't know if you can go observe without prior consent. I have never done that at my kids school. One year my dd was having a really hard time with a teacher and that is so out of character that I did ask another teacher about it. She did a bit of observing for me(we're pretty friendly and she knows all my kids) and it turned out that my dd has a motor mouth combined with a teacher who just didn't mesh with her. I don't think observing the class myself would have done anything because #1, my dd would have been on her best behaviour and #2 so would the teacher, lol. This way I was able to approach the teacher and we figured out how we could salvage the year.

I also volunteer up at school and see a whole lot of what goes on.

 

[SaraJayne]

Wisconsin ~ public school

We are supposed to sign in (I never do though) and then we are allowed to go to the classroom. No appt or advance notice necessary.

 

[bethy]

We have an open door policy but the key is that the parents don't abuse that privilege. The school is flooded all day every day with parents volunteering in many different capacities in the school and so it would be hard to manage it any other way.

We do have to sign in and wear a visitor's pass. And to officially volunteer you have to have a criminal back-ground check done.

 

[mhsjax]

Wisconsin ~ public school

We are supposed to sign in (I never do though) and then we are allowed to go to the classroom. No appt or advance notice necessary.

WE have to sign in also to get a badge, and if you don't have a bad, then any teacher or school employee you see will stop you and ask you who you are and where is your badge.

 

[mamacatnv]

Parents are encouraged to come in anytime, but we do have to sign in and get a visitor's pass. I still put yes though because we can come anytime.

We don't have to get the pass, just sign the book at the front desk - I too voted yes.

This is in N. Nevada.
When the kids were in public school we didn't even have to sign in. Now that DD attends a charter school we do.

 

[palavra]

We have an open door policy but the key is that the parents don't abuse that privilege. The school is flooded all day every day with parents volunteering in many different capacities in the school and so it would be hard to manage it any other way.

We do have to sign in and wear a visitor's pass. And to officially volunteer you have to have a criminal back-ground check done.

This isn't my definition for an open door policy. To me, that would mean that you could roam the school freely at any time without signing in or otherwise acknowledging that you are present.

I'm surprised that there are schools where parents can come and go as they please. It just seems dangerous to me. I teach at a small private school where, truly, almost everyone knows everyone, and we still have a strict policy about visitors. And, since I've been teaching there (8 years), we have had a couple of visitors who were escorted off campus because they were not related to any student and had no clear reason fo being on campus. It was more than a little scary to us.

 

[palavra]

The poll asks if you are allowed to come in anytime unannounced. To me, signing in at an office or wearing a nametag/badge is announcing your presence.

 

[Dancemom03]

This isn't my definition for an open door policy. To me, that would mean that you could roa the school freely at any time without signing in or otherwise acknowledging that you are present.

I'm surprised that there are schools where parents can come and go as they please. It just seems dangerous to me. I teach at a small private school where, truly, almost everyone knows everyone, and we still have a strict policy about visitors. And, since I've been teaching there (8 years), we have had a couple of visitors who were escorted off campus because they were not related to any student and had no clear reason fo being on campus. It was more than a little scary to us.

The teachers don't know we're there until we walk thru the classroom door. Not b/c there's anything to worry about but b/c the office doesn't normally interrupt the lesson by calling down to the classroom.
All visitors must sign in at the office upon entering the building for any reason. It's a security measure to presumably stop strangers from roaming the halls and snatching a child, but probably just more of a formality as you have to pass the office to go down any of the halls towards classrooms anyway.

 

[madmom1030]

We can go and eat lunch at school whenever we want but to get to the classrooms you must be there to volunteer. If you aren't there to volunteer you won't get pass the office. To volunteer you have to have a full criminal background check by the state patrol. You must wear a name tag in the building at all times. Two years ago the school went on lock down a couple of times because several moms thought they didn't need to wear their name tag in the building now all the doors are locked and we have to be ring the door bell to get into the building.