preschool teacher is comming to my house!!

[beachgrl001]

Hi all, I could use some opinions.
It's been 9yrs since I've done the preschool thing,so maybe I'm not familiar with what is done now. I took my son to a pre 3 class(6 week class) at a small baptist preschool in our area. He had a good time at the class and so I enrolled him in the preschool program (by then he will be 3) SO today I get a letter from them in the mail and It starts off with your basic info. (Thank you for enrolling your son...verifing the days I picked ect.) then It goes on to say "All back to school info will be mailed two weeks prior to school. Also, in late August, your childs teacher will be contacting you to set up a 15 minute home visit." I have NEVER heard of ANYTHING like this before. Is this normal now? Why would they want to come to my house? I just think it's kind of weird. Am I being paranoid? My dh's reaction was "so what? we have a nice house, let them come then" That is totally NOT the point. I just don't see why they wouldn't set up a parent /teacher meeting at the school. My mom asked her freind at work(who's dd is in daycare) she was like"WHAT?" she said she would tell them that she was not comfortable with that.

sorry for the long post
btw, we will probably be in wdw at the end of August anyway

 

[kevschickee]

I have never heard of this before. Its so odd hmmm

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

My DD started preschool this past September and the teacherdidnt come to our house. I have never heard of that either.

 

[jenm913]

My son is starting Kindergarten in August and his teacher is doing the same thing. It's more so your child can get familiar with the teacher on their level in their territory. It's mostly to make the child comfortable with a change that will be coming.

 

[ilovejack02]

We have several Preschools here in B.R. that the teacher comes to the house if it is the child's first time at school. Several of my friends have experienced it and all seemed pleased and didnt think it was weird at all and that the kids were really happy meeting their teachers at their house for the first time.

 

[Luvin*Livvy]

Hmmm....I was a PS teacher for 9 years, my last year was 2005 and I NEVER heard of that. Could it be that YOU VISIT with him to the school? Sometimes they call classrooms, "homebases" or "homes".

I worked for a Bright Horizon's for a few years and they called the rooms, "homebases"???!!??

Other then that I HAVE NO IDEA!

 

[disneypearl]

I believe it it so your child will feel more comfortable by meeting the teacher before school. It is probably also an opportunity for you to ask the teacher questions about the preschool, fill out paperwork, and/or get to know eachother better. They are probably thinking that if the parents know the teacher personally, parents will feel more comfortable and feel more encouraged to participate in school events. I would not worry about it at all.

 

[DizneeMommy]

Some of the kindergarten teachers at the public school I teach at have started this tradition. The children get to know their teacher on their own "turf" so to speak. They also take a photo of the child and have these up in some sort of cute bulletin board display in the hallway by the night of open house, which the students LOVE. (another great ice-breaker) I'd actually love to do this with my first graders, but with 2 kids of my own and being a pastor's wife as well, I can't seem to find the time!!

 

[emma'smom]

I can see the value it in this, but i can also see why the OP might not be totally comfortable with it. Related-I know that the policy in our town hospital is that a visiting nurse does a well-baby follow up at the baby's house three days after they send any baby home. On the surface, this seems like a good idea (chance ot ask questions on home turf, nurse can check for any concerns, etc). However, I spent the first day home with a new baby cleaning, cleaning cleaning (from having left my dh, dparents, and dd3 home for 4 days while I was in the hospital)

If my dd's preschool teacher were to come over....I would be paranoid about what to serve as a refreshment, whether our playroom was developmentally appropriate enough, what would she think about DVD's stacked near TV, enough books easily accessible, etc. Truth- the teacher probably wouldn't even notice....but i would be thinking about it!!

We did have dd's preschool teacher from last year come by to drop her daughter off for a party---even that freaked me out a bit.

 

[Ilovemyprincesses]

My DD is in preschool and I know lots of other moms and I have never heard of this.

 

[MinnieGi]

While I have never known any preschools around here that do that. Neither of my kid' preschools did that, I actually think it is a nice idea especially for kids so young. I'm sure the teacher is not coming to judge you and your family but to meet your son and introduce herself and I'm sure to` answer any questions or concerns you have about the school and your son starting. How nice to be able to do this in a home setting. For a young child I'm sure it makes then greeting the teacher on the first day of school a little bit easier.

 

[Merriwind]

My DD9 went to a Montessori preschool and a home visit was standard procedure there. It actually was about a one hour visit. It was very nice. It gave DD's teacher a chance to see her in her own environment. DD showed the teacher some toys and her room. They played for a while and then we visited. It was a delightful visit. I think it helped DD that for her first day of school it wasn't a huge unknown. Her teacher was a lady who came to her house to play one day.

Just relax... This is a chance for your child's teacher to see him in a comfortable, familiar setting--and a chance for your child to get to know his new teacher on his own turf. I assure you that she is not there to judge you. It is really just to help with your child's acclimation to school.

 

[DizneeMommy]

Most of us teachers are busy moms ourselves--please don't ever obsess about your home if we come over!! We TOTALLY understand! I'd really rather see a "lived in" home where it's obvious the children are allowed to play and have fun than a home where there are no signs of the children whatsoever! Don't stress!
(Living in the parsonage, we ALWAYS have folks drop by--they are used to seeing toys, art supplies, etc. scattered around in my house! Teachers and preachers are normal folks, too!)

 

[wehavesix]

I've been teaching pre-k in a ps for 19 years and have done home visits many of those years. It's not required by my district so it's something I have to do on my own time therefore there are some years I do it and others that time just doesn't allow. I'm not there to see your housekeeping and I don't expect or even want a refreshment. After all, I'm trying to do several home visits in one day, imagine if I took a refreshment at all of them! When I do a home visit, it isn't to visit with the parents so much as to visit with the child on his/her own turf. Usually the child wants to show me his/her room or favorite things or places in the house. I like to take a picture of the child and his/her family for a bulletin board at school and often parents want to take a picture of me and their child at that time too. Usually I will leave a nametag for the child to wear on the first day of school and some kind of little gift such as a party favor size box of crayons. Don't let it freak you out. If your little one's teacher is like me, he/she is more than accustomed to a lived in home! My home is certainly very lived in with my own houseful of kids and pets.

 

[flying_babyb]

OUR district does home visits. Its to help the child get to know there teacher and feel more at ease about the classroom.

 

[Whosemom]

I think its pretty common now.

It freaked my SIL out. THey moved from Washington State to WV just before my nephew started K. They didn't have any nice stuff, and left most of it. They were dealing with folding chairs and boxes as tables for their visit. LOL.

 

[tammy1210]

My son's Kindergarten teacher and asst. came for a visit the week before he started K - I had never heard of it either, but he loved it - they spent some time with him in his room, chatted with us a while and that was it. I've never heard of preschool doing it, but I could see where meeting the kids first in their home may make them feel more comfortable.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I work in a special ed preschool and one of our teachers likes to do home visits sometimes. It's mostly because kids tend to act differently at home than they do at school and it give the teacher another perspective on how to work with the child.

I haven't heard of this being done in regular-ed schools, but it doesn't surprise me. I think it's good for a teacher to see the home environment to get a better sense of the child.

I'm sure she won't be judging you and how you live. She just wants to really get to know the family and the child.

 

[labst60]

I think it would be a great idea - DD2 acts MUCH more like "herself" when someone new comes to the house as opposed to when she meets someone new in an unfamilar setting. It would be great for the teacher to get a sense of her "true" personality early on!

 

[beachgrl001]

My son is starting Kindergarten in August and his teacher is doing the same thing. It's more so your child can get familiar with the teacher on their level in their territory. It's mostly to make the child comfortable with a change that will be coming.

I had thought that was what the pre-3 class I enrolled him in was for He got pretty familiar with the school while he was there. I really dont mind if she wants to come to our house, But I honestly will be very busy Packing for disney and before that we are at the beach house most of the summer. If she is willing to work with my schedual I think it will be fine. I kind of think that they should have put more than one scentence in the letter, maybe explaining what to expect on this home visit, or when the pre-3 class ended the teacher could have told us something, they just said ok see you in the fall.
Oh and I wasn't even thinking about all the movies next to the tv! But now I am thinking of the tv itself, uh oh there is NO WAY to hide it, it takes up 1/2 a wall I am not embarrassed I love my tv. Seriously though, thanks for the replies it really makes me feel more comfortable with the situation.