Three Things Your Child's Elementary School Teacher Will Never Tell You (But She IS Thinking It!)

You're finally sitting face-to-face with your child's teacher, ready to discuss his reading and math performance or perhaps his playground conduct grade.
You met her at the school's first parent night, you've read the class newsletter, you've even exchanged emails that day he stayed home sick with a tummy ache.
Behind that bubbly personality and that professional demeanor, you'll be shocked to know what she's really thinking about you: 1) You are in the classroom too much.

It's called "helicopter mom" syndrome.

One teacher recalls a contest she hosted to reward students with perfect attendance by letting them be "teachers for the day.

" When it was one student's turn to pretend to be the teacher for that day, the mother stayed in the classroom the entire day--not participating in the class activities--but just sort of staring from ten feet away.

The teacher and students felt like ants in an observation jar. Also, students sometimes display undesirable behaviors when their parents are in the room that they don't otherwise display. Some children are noticeably more aggressive or less productive.

While most teachers sincerely appreciate volunteers, make sure that your presence is purposeful and wanted. 2) Remember last winter break when you called the school just as the teachers were leaving to ask her to wait for you to get back to the school to retrieve your child's left behind cap? Well, the teacher hasn't forgotten being the last teacher to leave the school that day. Nor did the custodian or the assistant principal, all of whom had to wait around-without extra compensation-on you.

Sometimes parents forget that teachers have lives outside of their classrooms.

Many are willing to grade papers or write lesson plan after hours.
However, at the end of the work day, most teachers' attention spans for the day have been spent already. That includes parents who are late to pick up their children from after school events as well! 3) Your child would be better off with another teacher.

Like students, teachers have unique personalities and specialized skills sets.

Some teachers are better with students who have disabilities, some are better at drawing out shy personalities in students. Where a strict disciplinarian might be just the trick for a student who warrants structure, that same teacher might stifle or even frighten another student.
Principals place different combinations of teachers in the same grade level for a reason, and not always because one teacher is more talented than another. So why wouldn't your teacher just recommend a teacher change? Her colleagues might likely consider the suggestion her way of getting rid of a difficult student.

Even worse, she doesn't want you to assume she doesn't want to deal with your child just because of her deficiencies; often this is considered a violation of a student's federally sanctioned rights (read: lawsuit). Also, the school may have a policy against student class changes.

Either way, approach the subject delicately if you believe your child might benefit from being in a different teacher's class.
Find out what the school policy says, and consider going to the school's principal directly.

Be sure to emphasize the reason your child needs a different kind of teacher. This is not the time for personal attacks or accusations.