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My child hates her teacher
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Syndicated column from The Parent
Institute
[SEPT. 9, 2005]
Q: My child has
been coming home from school for the past month announcing, "I hate
my teacher. He's so mean!" What do I tell her? What do I do? Should
I have her moved to a different class?
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A:
Often, early in the year, children
tell parents that they don't like their teachers. They may miss
their teacher from last year. Or, they may be worried about fitting
in to a new class. But, if your daughter still has a problem with
the teacher after the first month of school, you need to take some
action. Here are some steps you can take:
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Talk with your daughter.
Say, "I know you keep telling me you don't like Mr. Jones. Can
you tell me some of the things he does that you don't like?"
Then listen very carefully. It's important to acknowledge her
feelings, but don't assume everything your child tells you is
right -- or wrong.
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Ask for a meeting with your
daughter's teacher. Often, you can solve the problem just by
opening the lines of communication and then working together.
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During the meeting, be open
and honest. Be supportive of your child, but also understand
the teacher's responsibility for helping all children learn. You
might learn that your daughter needs some extra help, or you
might learn that she finds the work too easy and gets bored. See
if together you can find some ways to help your daughter. If she
gets easily distracted by the classmates around her, ask if the
teacher could reassign desks. Or perhaps the teacher can give
her a little more warning that it's time to finish a project.
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After the meeting, write a
note to the teacher. Thank him for his time. Then outline
what was decided at the meeting so there are no
misunderstandings. And tell your daughter what you and the
teacher have talked about -- and what you plan to do.
Listen carefully for the next few days. Just a few changes may
help your daughter start to feel better about school and the
teacher.
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 In the best of all worlds, every child would love every teacher
-- and vice versa. But in reality, sometimes a child and a teacher
just don't click. If the problem continues for another week or two,
talk with someone else from the school -- perhaps a counselor or the
principal.
At home, give your daughter lots of support. Keep sending the
message that you know she is capable of working things out. The key
is to build understanding and communication among everyone involved.
[The Parent
Institute]
For more information about helping
children learn or to submit your own question, go to
http://advisor.parent-institute.com. All questions will receive
a prompt answer by e-mail.
"Ask the Learning Advisor -- Ideas for Raising Successful
Children" is a free, syndicated column from the Parent Institute.
Copyright © 2005, The Parent
Institute.
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