JoyG said:
You've mentioned how the other parents feel quite a bit in this thread and the other one which makes it seem like you've had lots of discussions about this teacher with other parents. Any way the teacher might have picked up on this? Do you think that might be hindering your communication with her?
Here's another perspective about the recess issue: in my district, kindergarteners don't have recess every day. It is a full day program and they get a 30 minute special every day like art, music, gym...but it's not always recess.
Also, here Kindergarten is like the new first grade...very academic these days. Not at all like when I was in kindergarten (in the late 70's). If I was a kindergarten teacher and only had the kids for a half day, I'm not sure I would put as much emphasis on recess either.
Also, in many Kindergartens children learn while moving around. They can be doing reading and math in learning centers which requires movement and interaction. So it is possible to have social interaction and movement in the classroom without actually having recess.
Yes, I have talked with other parents about her--or really listened. I asked the question more like, "What was your impression?" or "Am I expecting something just a little too intense, what did you get when...?" Kind of thing. Or in a few cases, I just said nothing and paid attention to the conversation around me. I really have been trying to find the positive, be open minded and have been hoping the issue has really been with ME. That would actually be a lot easier to deal with. And most of these conversations have happened after the fact.
I've been through meet-n-greets in preschool. I was expecting one thing and was shocked when it didn't happen. AS I met with friends and talked with people, I simply asked how their meet-n-greet went because it just wasn't what I was expecting. I was really assuming it was a preschool v. elementary school thing. Well, the more I asked this question, the more I realized that everyone else did in fact get what I was expecting. I asked the mom of multiples how the other meet-n-greets went because ours just wasn't what I was expecting and I've heard what other friends had--was it our school or the teacher. She looked at me and said they were all very different, but this teachers meet-n-greet really wasn't on par with the others although one of the other teachers is also very reserved.
What I was told at registration was the meet-n-greet would be a chance for parents to pick up information on the teacher, the kids to meet the teacher and look around the room and a tour of the school. When we got to our meet-n-greet, I couldn't figure out who she was. There were seven other parents standing around trying to figure out who the teacher was also. Finally, someone asked. She looked at us and said "oh, put your school supplies over there, sign here that you brought them & sign up for an assessment". She was not at all interested in the kids. No tours of school. No showing them around the room. A small autobio. on herself handout.
I had to wait 10 minutes to get her attention and introduce my son to her. I said this X, he'll be in your class. X this is your teacher--how do you pronounce your name? With great annoyance she told me (not him) and said, he'll have plenty of time to meet me later after school starts. These kids are 5. And not all have had preschool. And this is the first time to be in such a big school. And she wants them to walk in cold the first day and that's that. Even the district doesn't want that.
Show up at the assessment. She still didn't introduce herself to him. Or even say hello. It was Ok, sit here and lets get started. These assessments are supposed to take 20 minutes. He was out in seven. Yes, he knows the entire K curriculum, but how can she figure that out in seven minutes? When it was over she just said, that's it and left. No good byes. No good jobs. nothing. And, yes the other teachers did go at least 15 minutes per up to 25 minutes. I hung around and timed them.
Then comes Open House. It wasn't Open House. It was a parental informational meeting--what we were supposed to get at the meet-n-greet. Here we get information. Here I come loaded with tons of questions. Of course, I only need to ask two, and they were more like part A & part B, because all the other parents are asking the same questions. The answers we are getting aren't really answers. THAT is a lot of where the other parents said this & that come from. How she answered them. If multiple people are asking you the same question, wouldn't you think that parents might have a concern? Would you shut them down or would you try and ease their fears?
We aren't allowed in the school building past the front office without an appointment. We are to drop them off at the front of the school between a certain time where they are hearded together and then walked into the school at the same time and are expected to find their room on their own. We pick them up at one of two places you are assigned (depending on the method of transportation used to get home--car, walk, bike). There is no way she could be knowing anything about what is said about her. She doesn't live in our subdivision and she just moved here.
Research shows over and over that kids learn better (faster with better retention) when they have recess. There is a ton of research & studies on this. Plus, they are 5!! Yes, K is what 1st grade was when I was little too, but they are still 5. Five year olds still need age appropriate activities regardless of whether or not they are learning to read. Plus these kids are losing their preschool friends with some being in AM K, some in PM K, some in private K and some in public full day K. It is very hard to schedule things. Without the socialization, they can't make friends. They feel lonely & isolated. It helps them hate school. It makes them depressed. Yes, small children can suffer from depression. There is other repercussions also. Which all in turn hinders their learning process.
And, no, they don't move around much. They can go to centers one at a time. "No talking without raising your hand. They better learn that now." They sit on the floor, assigned spots, for part of the day, then onto their assigned seat at the table. I'm talking truly, NO SOCIALIZATION. Not just no outside recess. There is not even inside play time. Other schools in the district require it 2-3 times per week. They do go 5 days. The other teachers in our school give playtime almost daily; occassionaly, if they are behind or have a celebration (birthday), they'll miss it. It is
just THIS teacher. But yet, last week she left 15 minutes early so she could go to a Dr.s appointment.
As far as full day K goes, they have lunch (w/ recess) and a morning recess & an afternoon recess. At 1st grade on, they have morning recess & lunch & recess. More socialization when research has proven the younger you are the more important it is. Studies have also proven you can learn to read later & be on par with other students as if you learned to read younger. Academic skills can be learned & mastered at any time. But if you miss social skills, they are forever lost. People can't learn that at a later age. That is why it is more important to have a social preschool than to have your child learn to read at age 3. And the more academic skills you are learning, the less social skills you learn. What is more important? Recess or an extra 10 minutes of writing your name? And heck, my kid already knows all that stuff by being self taught, so I am MUCH more concerned about the socialization learning--that the other teachers are all giving.
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I could never tell the parent that they had sabotaged their child's year by complaining about teachers. We had to stick with the stinky remedial math teacher all year.
