New Teacher Concerns

[DarcyLongfellow]

I feel your pain!! Elementary teacher assignments were always super stressful for me because you know your child will be with that one person for so many hours of the day, and you just really want it to be a good fit.

I would consider the 2 things you know about this teacher to be anecdotal. I wouldn't ask for a change based on what you've heard. I mean, I'm not even sure how you would phrase a request for a change.

I'd go into the school year hoping/expecting the best. Just be aware of how things are going. If after a month, the teacher is a really bad fit for your son, then consider if you need to step in.

[stemmie]

I'd give the situation a trial and see how it goes.

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the opinion friend-of-a-friend coworker. Teachers are people, too. They probably have more workplace drama than a lot of professions based on my observations of my parents and MIL across 3 different subjects and grades levels. I actually attended the school at which dad taught and had a tight little social group. His opinions of who were great teachers rarely aligned with mine-- he was judging them on the basis of their teacher's lounge/happy hour personalities whereas I was focused on how they taught.

Your older son may be somewhat swayed by the groupthink of his peers who universally declared this person "strict". I would ask him to give you an example of her being strict in the classroom. Maybe it's just a matter of clear expectations.

The TOTY accolades are hard to ignore but any teacher can have an off year. DS's kindie teacher was highly recommended but her deployed to Afghanistan most of the year and she was terribly distracted. He got TOTY for 5th, but the man was retiring and already checked out.

It could be the class performance is a reflection of being assigned higher need students. DS's school used to have one inclusion class per grade that included 3-6 kids who had reading or math learning disabilities and took those subjects with a resource teacher-- those classrooms tended to have lower test scores as an average.

I hope it's a great year for your son. If he's not on track by Halloween, you can ask for an evaluation.

[sunshineandpinot]

Aug 7, 2024 7:33:56 GMT -5 abs said:

Let it play out.

Everytime we’ve had the “strict” teacher that “no one likes” DD has thrived. If it turns out that it’s a bad fit you can reassess later.

+1

We were in this nearly exact situation and my heart sank when dd's teacher was assigned. I said nothing and dd excelled and this teacher became her all time fav. Ironically also 2nd grade. 

I really hope your son has an amazing year!! Hugs, this is tough! 

[osulori]

Aug 7, 2024 7:33:56 GMT -5 abs said:

Let it play out.

Everytime we’ve had the “strict” teacher that “no one likes” DD has thrived. If it turns out that it’s a bad fit you can reassess later.

This was us for 3rd grade. Kid #1 was very dramatic about the fact that he got the "strict" teacher and while they had their moments as they were figuring each other out (she and I had our moments too, until we also figured each other out) he ended up loving her by the end of the year!

[polarbearfans]

My daughter got the strict teacher everyone thought they didn’t want last year. It turned out to be the best match. She thrived in that class, and loved her teacher. I worried more the year before when she got the fun teacher, because I felt their personalities were too similar, and would feed off each others high energy. It turned out to be ok, but I do feel the other more strict teacher would have been a better match that year.

[meanie]

I have found that what is good for one student may not work for another and vice versa, so it's hard to go by what other parents think. I would give the teacher a try, be up front with your concerns, and use whatever resources are available beyond the classroom for extra help.

Sorry your kid had such a roller coaster year, DS had the same with 3 different teachers last year and it was rough.

IMO strict = has their shit together and has high expectations, definitely not a bad thing!