switching teachers

[TwinsinCA]

To those of you who are teachers -- if a parent wants a child removed from your class, how much do you know about it and when?

For the first time ever I am considering trying to have my kids moved to another class. But I am afraid to even broach the subject with the principal because I realize the chances of a move are slim to none. And I don't want the teacher to know I tried to get my kids out when they will likely be in her class all year. I realize not all schools work the same way, but what is the process like from the teacher side of things?

And a question for parents -- have any of you ever been in a situation where you want your child moved but the classes are all full?

I'm going to give things more time before I decide what to do, but for now I just wanted get some thoughts from teachers or parents who have dealt with this.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I asked that my daughter be be changed in Kindergarten when i found out that I didn't get the request I asked for. They did say that parents could request and I was the first in line at registration. I thought that my reasons were good ones. The teacher she was assigned was going to be on maternity leave when school started. My daughter was shy and i didn't think a change of teacher after 2 months was good for her. I has also requested the other teacher because she used sign launguage all the time in her classroom and I felt that it would have been beneficial to my daughter since her cousin is non verbal and only signs. Whatever your reasons are, you should definately express them to the principal before school starts. It is easier to change before school starts than after.
I see that teacher all the time and she has never asked me why i did it, but i would tell her if she asked. As a parent, it is your business to do what you think is right for your child.
I don't however agree with changing a classroom because of friends. My daughter asked me last year to change her because she wasn't in her best friend's class and I refused. She had the best year ever in third grade without any friend distractions.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

I am a Kindergaten teacher here in NJ. I agree that if you do it, it is better to do it before the year starts.
But you asked if we would know about it. I know that here, I already have my class lists as I have started writing names on everything in my classroom. So if a child got switched to the other class, I would definitely know. I am not sure if I would be told it was parent request or not, since I have never had that situation. But typically, kids in my school are not switched at this point and the numbers are even, so if a kid was switched, it would probably be for that reason, if they even do it.

Good luck

 

[bicker]

I switched teachers in fourth grade -- mid-way through, even. Teachers are human, just like students, and sometimes they just don't get along well enough with each other to continue a constructive, working relationship. Everyone was a lot happier after I was switched to the new class. It put me on a completely different track. I was a pretty average student though the early part of my schooling, but that second-half of fourth grade really changed things for the better. In fifth grade, I was the best student in the class, in practically every subject, and went on from there, excelling in math and science especially, for the rest of my time in school. It can be a very good thing for students to switch to a teacher that they can more effectively learn from.

This was many decades ago, so I'm sure the logistics of it all have changed, and my memory of who knew what when is too cloudy anyway, so I'm sorry but I cannot help out with those details.

 

[mjkacmom]

I know that here, students are not switched, period. I still remember when my gf's ds8's desk was dumped, and he was humiliated, by a tenored teacher who's been there too long, and he remained in the classroom. You really need to find a very strong reason to switch. My kids have had some awesome teachers, and a couple of bad ones, and we use the bad ones as a learning experience. I don't know how old your kids are, but I'd start asking the opinions of parents with older children, to see how your district handles this.

 

[emer95]

The teacher will know that you tried to have your child removed from the class (at least, if this was my district). We get our class lists pretty early, so if the principal were to comply with you (which is questionable) the teachers would see that the child's name was removed from one list and added to another.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I see no reason why you should not switch your child if you want to request a certain teacher. As a parent I requested my children's teachers as much as I could.

As a teacher if someone switched out of my class I would feel it was a good thing because no matter what I did the parent would not be happy so we would all be better off if the student was moved to a place where the parent felt would be the best fit. I will say however, that sometimes parents are NOT the best judge of what is the best fit and find that they are sorry that they ever moved their child so beware...there is pretty much no going back.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I have tremendous respect for the job administrators have establishing classrooms and our district generally does a great job. I did pull my son from a class though. He had a teacher in first grade who I simply could not work with. DS had some needs I felt had to be addressed and she would not only not work with him, she wouldn't even answer my phone calls/emails all year. When I found out they were unexpectedly looping the class with her to second grade, I had to pull him.

I got alot of grief from the principal about it when I called. I went in with concrete examples of the problems we were having and she did finally switch him out.

The teacher had to have known (since he obviously wasn't there the second year), but I'm not sure what she was told.

 

[TAKitty]

If you are afraid that the teacher who knew about the switch would treat your children poorly because you tried to switch, put your mind at ease that that will likely NOT happen. If anything, the teacher will not want to have much contact with you, but they will not take it out on the child.

I am a teacher and I can try and try and not "hit it off" with a student or parent. Most teachers feel that a switch is good in that situation. Don't be a push over. We as tax payers pay for teachers and schools. Don't feel like you have to accept everything they throw at you!

 

[TwinsinCA]

Thanks for the replies. I should mention that school has already started here. They post the lists a few days before school starts and all 4 4th grades were already 4 kids over so I knew getting them moved before school started was pretty much not going to happen.

I figured that I'd be told to give her a chance. Which is what I'm doing. This teacher is known as 'Mrs. Furious'. I have friends and neighbors who have kids in her class and *no one* has one good thing to say about her. Before bed last night (day 2 of school) I already have one daughter in tears because she feels she can't even ask this woman a question. (she was told yesterday to go sit down before she could ask a question, people with hands raised were told to put them down, etc.) I really don't know what to do. I hate to have her feel like this all year.

I just wanted to clarify that school has already started.

 

[C.Ann]

I would ask that your request be kept confidential - just in case it's not possible - and explain why... I don't think that is an unreasonable request.. If it can't be done, there's no need for the teacher to ever have to know.. If it can be done, it won't matter because your children will no longer be in that class..

You need to do what is best for your kids and hopefully the principal will respect the need for confidentiality..

Good luck!

 

[ckay87]

Thanks for the replies. I should mention that school has already started here. They post the lists a few days before school starts and all 4 4th grades were already 4 kids over so I knew getting them moved before school started was pretty much not going to happen.

I figured that I'd be told to give her a chance. Which is what I'm doing. This teacher is known as 'Mrs. Furious'. I have friends and neighbors who have kids in her class and *no one* has one good thing to say about her. Before bed last night (day 2 of school) I already have one daughter in tears because she feels she can't even ask this woman a question. (she was told yesterday to go sit down before she could ask a question, people with hands raised were told to put them down, etc.) I really don't know what to do. I hate to have her feel like this all year.

I just wanted to clarify that school has already started.

I that case, I say request away! And do it now. If nothing else, her boss will have heard about how she is. If you and I provided such lousy customer service (whoever our customers may be) we'd be looking at hearing from our bosses as well.

It's going to be a LONG year if your kids hate school, which is inevitably going to happen. And as the year goes on, this teacher is going to get grouchier and grouchier. Consider this - she is just off of a summer vacation. How happy is she going to be feeling 2 months from now??

Go for it.

 

[MM27]

In my school, my principal has received requests for students to be moved, but he doesn't do it often. I actually got a student from another class a few years ago, but it was only after several meetings between the teacher, parent and principal. I think the principal got tired of hearing the parent complain and from what the teacher told me, the parent wouldn't even listen to anything she said at the meeting.

My principal will tell us, because he wants to know what's going on in the classroom, how the child is behaving, working, etc. My feeling is, even if I knew a parent wanted their child in another class, I wouldn't be offended. Teachers have different personalities, kids have different personalities and sometimes they don't match. Here's a little teacher secret we sometimes have kids that we want moved out of our classroom too so we're okay with you wanting to move.

I wouldn't wait too long if you do want your child moved though.

 

[jodifla]

Thanks for the replies. I should mention that school has already started here. They post the lists a few days before school starts and all 4 4th grades were already 4 kids over so I knew getting them moved before school started was pretty much not going to happen.

I figured that I'd be told to give her a chance. Which is what I'm doing. This teacher is known as 'Mrs. Furious'. I have friends and neighbors who have kids in her class and *no one* has one good thing to say about her. Before bed last night (day 2 of school) I already have one daughter in tears because she feels she can't even ask this woman a question. (she was told yesterday to go sit down before she could ask a question, people with hands raised were told to put them down, etc.) I really don't know what to do. I hate to have her feel like this all year.

I just wanted to clarify that school has already started.

If this is the case, I'd go to the principal, then I'd work my way up the ladder.

No child needs to be taught by a Mrs. Furious. She needs a good boot out the door!

 

[java]

I'm more of an in your face kind of person I guess. Because I'd be calling the teacher and setting up a meeting first. Find out her version of the story. If your daughter got up out of her seat and all the teacher did was ask her to sit back down But if there is more going on and your daughter is going to be stressed out all year I would request a change.

There is only one teacher that I will request my younger children NOT HAVE. And that is because of a situation I witnessed. She has since had a child pass out in her classroom as she was yelling at him- which supposedly has softened her. But no thanks. I've seen it in person and it's scary. She's even yelled at parents!

They looped her classroom this year- along with 4 other classes. Only 2 students chose to go with her to the next grade-everyone else opted out. The other 4 classes had no one opt out. She's tenured and my only hope is that she retires before I have to deal with it. But if I do I will.

 

[RUDisney]

My next door neighbors are teachers. He is the union contact. When I was mentioning to him that my DS's 3rd grade teacher was awful, he told me I should write to the principal and to the superintendent of schools. He told me that they have to act on any complaint that they receive about a teacher and if they get enough written complaints, it doesn't matter how long a teacher is there, s/he can still be fired... to heck with tenure.

I didn't write that letter and I'm still furious with myself because all I hear from parents are that their children are suffering by not being taught in her class and being yelled at constantly.

So, last year, I couldn't work anything out with the seventh grade SS teacher. He would out and out lie to my face to avoid any discussions with me. I wrote a letter to request that I could homeschool my DD this year so she would not have to endure the nonesense that was this teacher's class. The principal asked if he could share the letter with the teacher and the superintendent. I said, "absolutely."

It seems, from what I am told, that this teacher, with only 3 years until retirement, has received numerous complaints from parents. He had to go to a special teachers' class this summer and has to submit an updated curriculum to the principal and meet with him several times over the summer. If he doesn't show improvement by December, he will be fired.

So, my point is this... if there are problems with a teacher, report them. Fight to get your child moved into another classroom and document everything that transpires with the teacher if your child is not allowed to move. Keep after the school district if retribution is made to your child. Tenacity will get you everywhere.

BTW, my DD cannot be homeschooled in just one class, but at least I got my point across to the district.

 

[babytrees]

We had a teacher that was a yeller. It got to the point that my daughter wouldn't do her homework, "Why should I, mom, if we are going to get yelled at anyway?" So I e-mailed the principal about the situation and the teacher was going to have a meeting the next day and would I mind if they told her about my problem. I didn't have a problem but the teacher gave me a call later that day and yelled at me that she didn't yell at the students. Cassidy wasn't changed out of the teacher's classroom completely (they changed her to a smaller class and I was kept informed of some of the actions that she had to undergo....she also retired at the end of that year).

There was also a teacher that we had heard horrid things about (PE teacher who wouldn't let girls leave to go to the bathroom...laughing when they had accidents) so I went to the counselor with my trepidations...I must not have been the only one...he had to co-teach with a female teacher. I think he is still there and with the co-teacher (I also know he had to go through other things).

The bad one was when I had trouble with a teacher and the principal asked me to come into his office to talk about it, but not to talk to anybody before....by the time I got there 5 minutes later it was all over the school. That was the last straw....we went to another school the next year.


I am sorry, I didn't mean to write a novel.

Bring up your concerns, you may not be the only one.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Teachers will probably find out. Word travels very quickly.

I know I have one set of parents that is worried about me. My class is for very high needs students. The room is self contained and the students stay in the room all 6 years of elementary school. The previous teacher knew for awhile she was leaving but did not tell them until the last day and one set of parents definitely seemed upset. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there's no other room to ask to switch to. I'm just hoping they haven't already given up on me because of what happened with the previous teacher. (Who from what I understand was a wonderful teacher.)

 

[Princess Nancy]

I had a situation on 2nd grade with my dd. She was placed with the new teacher who was hired 2 days before school started. After a week, dd had a spelling test. I had gotten no note, nothing from this teacher prior to this.

I called the principal, the teacher was present at the meeting as was dd.

I was firm and stood my ground. I acknowledged that the teacher should be given fair time to develop her communications, but the parents and children needed the info.

THe teacher agreed to send something home by weeks end. When nothing came home Friday, I called the principal and my dd was in a new room by Mon AM. It was a great decision on our part, but tough since the teacher knew exactly what was happening.

 

[jodifla]

I don't understand why parents are so afraid of teachers and schools. Really, you have a lot of rights.

And I agree that really bad teachers should be called out. Don't let them get away with it! They are RUINING children's school experience.

Now, that's not to say that a teacher shouldn't allowed to be strict or quirky or whatever. Kids need to learn to deal with different types of leadership.

But teachers should never be abusive!