Your Child’s Teacher Needs You
We are about a month into school in most parishes in Louisiana. Students are settling in. Teachers are getting to know their students. Lessons are in full swing.
Also in full swing are meetings, behaviors, parent phone calls, grade issues, and plenty more that most people don’t see happening behind the scenes.
I’ve been seeing many parents complaining on social media about their child’s teacher and school. Hiding behind the “anonymous” posting option, these people are saying horrible things about the person/people with whom their child spends the bulk of their day.
As a teacher, I believe some clarification should be made.
First of all, there are proper channels to go through to air frustration.
Social media isn’t the place. These awful words regularly get back to the subject of the post. It is hurtful and degrading. There is a massive teacher shortage across the country, and part of the reason is because of this. If you have a complaint, please go to your child’s teacher. Most of the time, they are willing to work with you to get things back on track. After that, follow it up the chain of command.
Next, support your child’s teacher when your child can hear.
Bashing a teacher in front of a child only gives that child a reason to be disrespectful. I don’t believe my children should hear me speak negatively about their dad, so why should they hear me speak negatively about their teacher? Again, your teachers are typically very happy to work together toward a resolution. We work for your child, and we want them to be happy and successful.
Additionally, please take what your child says with a grain of salt.
When I taught younger children, I used to open the year by telling parents, “If you believe half of what they come home and tell you, I’ll believe half of what they come to school and tell me.” That always garnered a chuckle, but it’s true. Even into middle and high school, students tell their teachers some outlandish tales. We understand that their word is not gospel, and we hope you do, too.
I’d also like to point out that teachers are human.
We get tired. We get stressed. We get run down. We make mistakes. The little things are what reenergize us. If your child is doing well, send your teacher an email. If you are working on something, let your teacher know so you can celebrate accomplishments together. Work with us to correct problems. Social media goes both ways. You can acknowledge the good, too.
Lastly, please be our partner in your child’s education.
No one person can do it alone. Your child will have many teachers throughout his/her life. They only have one you. You are their rock. You are their safe place. We need you! We need you to help us while advocating for your child. We need to work together.
