OT: Undesirable Teacher Assignment-What Would You Do?

[trip]

My DD's elementary school didn't post classroom assignments until two days before school started. I liked it that way.

 

[RADOPT]

Yesterday DD9 was assigned her teacher for 4th grade next year, and she was assigned the one teacher (out of 8) that she really didn't want. She's heard from other kids that this teacher is mean and strict. I've also heard from other parents that she's difficult to deal with and odd. Our neighbor is a teacher in the school and has said this particular teacher should have retired years ago, and that she wouldn't want her son assigned to her (her son is the same age as DD - I don't know who he has been assigned to yet).

I am not going to give an opinion but this happened to my sister years ago in 6th grade. The teacher was very strict and difficult BUT to this day my sister says that she is one the the best teachers she every have. Just a thought.

 

[Debbie]

Ahhhh. I strive to be the MEANest teacher on staff!
A MEAN teacher insists that each student do the best s/he is capable of doing.

A MEAN teacher insists that students hand in their assignments on time and takes off points for late assignments.

A MEAN teacher does not accept incomplete assignments.

A MEAN teacher requires each student to think carefully and to make her/his own decisions.

A MEAN teacher holds each student responsible for her/his own behaviour.

A MEAN teacher makes students keep the classroom, themselves, and their belongings neat and clean.

A MEAN teacher does not allow free time in class until all classwork is done.

A MEAN teacher gives homework regularly, sometimes even on weekends.

A MEAN teacher calls on students who don't raise their hands to answer questions.

A MEAN teacher requires all students to treat each other with respect.

A MEAN teacher makes life miserable for students by insisting that they always tell the truth.

A MEAN teacher produces students who are respectful, responsible, and successful.

*(MEAN = Making Excellence A Necessity)

 

[gottaluvdis]

My DD's elementary school didn't post classroom assignments until two days before school started. I liked it that way.

This isn't a bad way to do it, especially if the child(ren) will be anxious all summer worrying about it. My DD already seems OK with it - a classroom friend called her today to see who she had, and even though the friend didn't get the same teacher, she told her about another friend who did. DD called that friend and feels better that she has at least one friend assigned to that class as well.

It will probably all work out fine, but I'm with the other poster who said it's disturbing if someone is tenured and not good at their job, but nothing can be done about it (I'm not saying that's the situation with this teacher). I certainly don't have that kind of job security! We have a friend who was recently elected to the school board, so I plan to ask him about this next time I see him.

 

[jpmandan]

Kudos to Debbie from another MEAN teacher!!

 

[luvsgrumpy]

Thank You to all the MEAN teachers out there!! DS9's third grade teacher was an experienced teacher but new to his building and I was unsure after they got their homeroom assignments. She turned out to be a truely MEAN teacher (and one of the coolest at that).

BTW, the one teacher I remember to this day seemed to be the nastiest I had ever had but I have given her credit for the last 20+ years as the teacher I learned the most from.

I have a feeling that DD's teacher will work out just fine. As well as meeting her before the year starts (great idea), how about volunteering at the school if possible. That is a great way in our kids school to meet and get to know the whole staff.

Good Luck

 

[AussieAngel]

Gottaluvdis, you mentioned you'd go into school when the teachers will be there, to get a feel for the teacher yourself...

Augh!

As a teacher, may I say please make sure you do this at an appropriate time, if at all!

Teachers need their holidays too. And they need their organising days.

The days when students aren't at school, but teachers are, are usually dedicated to staff meetings, setting up the classroom, and planning for the school year - not for parents to come in and check up on you!

That might be a really good way to start off on the wrong foot with this teacher!

 

[hambirg]

As a public school teacher turned SAHM, I think the best person to talk to about this is you DD's current teacher. She/he knows your daughter well and probably knows a fair amount about the assigned teacher. When I was teaching, the teachers from each grade would meet and do initial class assignments for their students. I think what would happen most is that we would try to match learning styles to teaching styles. I HTHs.

 

[Mskanga]

I would wait and see what happens after school starts , for all you know it could be a blessing in disguise for your daughter.
Last year I wasn't happy with the teachers that DD2 got but I didn't do anything , it turned out to be one of the best years in school.
Next year she can get one teacher that I absolutely do not want her to get and IF for some reason she does , I will have her changed , this woman made a big mistake with my oldest and told me to my face that she's just working there for the paycheck and if the kids don't want to do well it's not her problem. DD1 had her for math and she admitted that she never noticed her in class ( because she was always quiet ) and didn't think that going from all A's to a D was a problem. Hello???
No I do not want her again and I will switch DD2 if she gets her.

 

[daksmom11]

Our system doesn't post which class your kids in till about 2 weeks before school. This year my DS11 will be moving up to middle school and was very excited -untill we got a call that he will not be able to go to the school that he was supposed to due to budget cuts. We have 2 middle schools in town and they can't afford to have his special needs class in both(not enough kids to justify it) so there shipping all kids with this special need to one school. I was givin a choice-he can go to school with kids he knows and stuggle or he can get the help he needs. At first he was devestated but now that the shock has worn off he's kind of excited again.

 

[daisyduck123]

Gottaluvdis, you mentioned you'd go into school when the teachers will be there, to get a feel for the teacher yourself...

Augh!

As a teacher, may I say please make sure you do this at an appropriate time, if at all!

Teachers need their holidays too. And they need their organising days.

The days when students aren't at school, but teachers are, are usually dedicated to staff meetings, setting up the classroom, and planning for the school year - not for parents to come in and check up on you!

That might be a really good way to start off on the wrong foot with this teacher!

From one teacher to another...
I've been thinking the exact same thing since the beginning of this thread but didn't want to say it. Thanks!

 

[RoseNJ]

As a third/fourth grade teacher with 25 years experience, I had to chime in on this topic. I agree that talking to your child's current teacher is an excellent idea. I totally disagree as a parent, however, that your child should "tough it out" and learn an early life lesson about dealing with difficult people. A child in a self-contained, elementary classroom spends more waking hours with their teachers than their parents. I personally want someone who respects that responsibility and treats each and every child accordingly. I always tell my students that I am trusted by their parents to take the best care of them while they are with me. Yes, being strict and making sure your child learns is important, but so is their emotional well-being. As a parent, I feel you need to do your homework about the real story of this teacher, and act in the best interest of your child.

 

[DsnyDrmr]

we learn how to deal with people we may not like when we are forced to deal with people we may not like. IF you feel your child is not learning in the environment then you would have the recourse to request a change.

I totally agree. When my son was in 2nd grade he had a teacher that I absolutely felt sick about after meeting her at open house and the first teacher conf. We had a rough year, and after talking to parents found out that this teacher had a reputation for being the way she was, and it wasn't just us getting bad vibes. One thing I did was to call every other teacher my son had that year to get their view on his behavior, as this teacher was making a case out of my son's behavior. Everything was so negative, there were no positives in her class. This teacher's personality was just not kid-friendly. I also spoke to my son's teacher from the year before to see if there had been any issues in her class, because this was the first time we were being told about it. We never did speak to the principal about her because we figured it would do more harm to switch our son after he had been in that class for 10 wks and basically would have to start over again with another teacher. It was a rough year to say the least, we couldn't wait until it was over. There are people in life like that that you cannot avoid, and we all must learn to deal with them. The teacher left that year or the next, but I swore if my other son had been assigned her I would have went straight to the principal. She should not have been in teaching. We so appreciate the good ones we get now!

I would let your daughter start in the class, see how it goes, and if she is not learning then I would see the principal.

 

[vellamint]

One of my sons was assigned a 1st grade teacher that had the reputation of being mean. My neighbor went so far as to say that she would take her daughter out of the school and pay for private schooling if her daughter got her. I was very concerned and upset but there was nothing I could do and hoped for the best.

Well my sunny, happy little boy went from LOVING school to hating it in the space of a year. I overheard the class mothers talking about things but they would not tell me what went on in the class (unfortunately). This teacher favored girls over boys and used humiliation as a teaching tool. This saddens me to this day.

The next year she was assigned a 5th grade class (the highest level in the school) and I think the administration did it on purpose knowing that the 5th grade students AND parents would not put up with her tactics. She retired before the next school year started.

Well, same son (poor child), had a 3rd grade teacher that had the same teaching style. I made myself seen alot in the class and went on field trips. I TRIED my best to make myself aware of what went on. I dont think he was treated as badly as the 1st grade teacher treated him but it was still no picnic and I had no recourse.

Our school district does not allow switching teachers unless there is a specific reason and it goes before the school board.

One of my daughters received this teacher as well....you KNOW I wrote a letter to the district and got her out of that class. I was able to tell them exactly why and quote statements from son and reasons why it would be detrimental for my daughter to be in there.

Tenure is not a good thing in these cases. Even if they know there is a teacher with problem it is heck to remove them.

 

[gottaluvdis]

Wow, thanks again for all the great posts! I certainly have a lot to think about. Thanks to those who mentioned that meeting the teacher on workshop or moving days wouldn't be a good idea. I would certainly make an appointment beforehand, and only go if the teacher had time. Right now the building is in literal upheaval because we are moving our 5th grade from middle to elementary, and the new wing just opened and all classrooms have to move by tomorrow. There's no way I'd request a meeting anytime soon. I thought maybe in August before school starts, but I'll check with friends who work there as to how tight their schedules are etc. I agree about not wanting to start out on the wrong foot. DD doesn't want me to meet her before school begins at all, so that's something else to consider. I definitely plan to meet her early in the school year if I don't go during the summer though.

Volunteering in the class is also a great idea, but unfortunately I work every day during school hours. I may just take a day off early on to volunteer, especially if I'm getting vibes from DD.

Yes, I have thought about contacting DD's 3rd grade teacher. She definitely had a lot of say in the placement of DD into this class. The computer initially places all children, then the teachers sit down and individually discuss and move kids around to the place they feel is the best fit. Unfortunately we lost a class next year (8 4th grade classrooms next year as opposed to 9 third grade classrooms this year) due to juggling the new 5th graders coming in. The classes are going to be large next year, which doesn't help the situation. I think DD's 3rd grade teacher purposely placed her in that class because of her personality - I'm sure her 3rd grade teacher figured she could handle the new teacher.

I'll take everyone's advice to heart and see what happens. I plan to leave her in the class and see how it goes once school starts, but I also plan to collect as much information on this teacher as possible before-hand to know what we're up against, if for no other reason than to be prepared.

I loved the MEAN teacher statements and agree with all of them. If that's all we have to worry about, then it's not a problem. Hopefully that's what MEAN means to this teacher.

 

[cats mom]

This is a tough one.

If it's just a matter of a strict teacher who may not be well-liked, sticking it out may not be all bad.

When my DD was going into 1st grade the most popular, well liked teacher at the school taught 1st and every parent I talked to (read: ALL of DD's friends) had requested him. But I had a good friend who did her student teaching at our school and she shared the fact that while kids undoubtedly had a great time in "Mr. Popular's" class, their test scores coming out were dismal in comparison to the kids in any other 1st grade class and it was a serious concern for the administration.
I bucked the trend and requested a not so popular teacher (easy to fill request) and DD had a great year.

However in your case I think I'd try to get some more details.
Unfortunately there are a few teachers out there who can really do some damage and can influence the way kids feel about school long after they are out of that particular class. I'd fight with everything I had to keep my child out of one of those classrooms and I'm thinking it would be best for everyone to make any changes before school starts if it's necessary.

The new official policy at our school is that you may only request a teaching style, in writing, through the administration office and may not request a particular teacher. In practice though several of my kids' teachers have asked if I had a teacher request for the next year before they sat down to do placements. I hope that trend continues next year as the only teacher I know of that fits the above description will be coming up for DS.


Good Luck - I hope it all works out for your DD and she had a great year!

 

[juligrl]

My 4th grade teacher was one of those purportedly "mean and strict" teachers that I dreaded having. Thank God my parents didn't interfere because she turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened in my educational experience at that age.
What mean and strict boiled dow to was that she expected you to behave in class (shocking I know), be a good person (WHAT?), and do your best in everything you do (how dare she).
I wouldn't interfere with it, likely the teacher just expects the students to work and not coast as too many students get away with doing.
If something is truly wrong once the school year begins, then you make the change.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Wow, my situation doesn't seem nearly this bad. I did have one parent tell me this teacher asked her "what's wrong with your son" when he couldn't sit still in class. She told the parent that he must be ADHD, but he was tested and found not to be ADHD although he does have a learning disability. Her son had this teacher for 2nd grade and he just ended 6th grade and is apparently still jaded by this teacher. It's that kind of thing I'm hoping to avoid with DD, but then again she's not in the same situation as the other boy. I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open for inappropriate or unprofessional comments. If she's just strict and runs a tight ship, I'm all for it!

ETA: It is my understanding that this teacher is tenured as well, and despite complaints in the past, the administration's hands are tied until she decides to retire.

As a special educator, I have to wonder about this. It sounds to me like the teacher raised concerns about a child, the parents got the child tested and it turned out the teacher's concerns were valid, and because she raised the concerns he was able to get the testing and help he needed. Now, I'll grant that the teacher shouldn't have raised a specific diagnosis, but it can be really hard to tell the difference between a child who is unable to sit still or pay attention because the material is too challenging for them, or not presented in the right way, and the child who is behind academically because they can't sit still and pay attention. It is really common for families of children with learning issues to want to "shoot the messenger" that is, to have lingering anger at the person who first brought the isseus to their attention.

My other thought is that parents can have very different opinions about the same teacher. DS's kindergarten teacher was an awful match for him -- he learned very little that year, and went into first grade very unprepared, but I know other parents who were thrilled with her. On the other hand, his first grade teacher was perfect for him, and I know other parents who really don't like her. The other day I had two parents talk to me about the same fourth grade teacher -- one told me how wonderful she was, and how her daughter "blossomed" in her class. The other parent told me that she was awful, she couldn't control the class and she "gave up" on paying attention to anyone who wasn't a trouble maker boy (BTW the first parent has a very well behaved, academically talented girl). I would give this teacher a chance, and then if you still have concerns a month or two into the school year go in and make an observation and maybe request to have her moved. Of course if you hear anything that makes you think she's cruel or dangerous then I'd suggest you act faster, but there's a big difference between a "mean" teacher (i.e. one who gives a lot of homework and expects you to do it -- at recess if need be) and a cruel one (i.e. one who belittles children or expects them to do things they simply aren't capable of, and then punished them for failing).

 

[Zim]

Hi! I feel what you're going through. To make a long story slightly less long, a little hands on early in the year seems to help more than anything IMHO.

Volunteering even just one day early on tells a teacher that you're interested in your child and his or her environment. I've had at least one issue each year... okay I tried to write them out but it got too long... Basically, we've had issues every year from teachers leaving mid-year to my daughter being repeatedly placed next to troublemakers because she kept them in line (and was miserable for it!).

I've managed to develop some rapport as an interested, but not annoying, parent - to make sure my daughter is not lost in the shuffle. Even the principal knows which students I don't want sitting next to my daughter now.

Next year I managed to get the most desirable teacher (not as far as the students are concerned) - my DD8 came home depressed because she didn't get the cute male teacher, she got the strict male teacher. But he's so engaging and works several extra-cirricular challenges on top of school work. I told her a strict environment might not be so bad - he might be able to control the bad kids - she liked that, now she's looking forward to it! And I'll still volunteer early on, it's worth a vacation day or two to witness the environment my daughter is in most of her weekdays!

 

[StephMK]

I've been through this several years w/my 12 yo & now 6yo in the school system. Typically I have always been a "well you need to learn from different personality types" not involved in placement kind of parent. Based on the reactions you've heard from several sources, I'd say trust those sources!! It's one thing to get a "mean" teacher but another to get one known as mean, should have retired & odd. That big of a reaction is now a red flag to me.

Last year my DD got a teacher in her second year of teaching. The first 5th grade class despised her so much that she did not loop up to 6th grade w/them. While I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, after a few weeks, it was just awful. She ended up quitting in Feb & the long term sub was awesome but had tons of work to make up w/them. Our school unfortunately has several to avoid & most of the opinions are accurate. That same year, the first grade teacher that used a whistle was moved up to 5th grade. She got her for the last quarter of math (they switch for math) and her grades went down. The teacher is a yeller & doesn't teach the material. She also has an awful reputation.

I think your situation goes past just a mean teacher from what you've heard. Don't wait, act now. When they get a reputation as you described, it's usually with cause. Good luck in your decision.