It's Always Something
Our weekend was fabulous. We had lots of great family time, lots of good food and conversation, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
Which is why it was so surprising when I woke Annika up for school on Monday morning and she started to cry, then sob, that her stomach hurt and she didn't want to go.
Long story short, it seems her new first grade teacher is a screamer.
She'd mentioned this in passing in the middle of last week, but in a lighthearted way, and I thought, "Hm, it's odd that she'd mention something like that so flippantly." But I figured maybe the teacher is just ... loud. As long as it didn't seem to bother her, I wouldn't worry about it.
Well, now I'm worrying about it. I kept her home yesterday because she was such a wreck, and we talked about it all day long. I provided her with lots of suggestions -- mostly subversive and antiauthoritarian -- to cope with her feelings about the yelling. She came home today saying she was okay, but that she "had a belly ache all day long." She also said her teacher "screamed" during math and would I please "send a note to tell her to give us the directions BEFORE we do something, not after?"
Dude.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this pisses me off. The kid is SIX. They've been in school SEVEN DAYS. I should not be hearing about this. It's especially hilarious in light of the school wide "no put downs" policy they're always bragging about, one of the critical bullet points of which is, "stay cool." Only applicable to kids, I guess; adults can do whatever the eff they want, huh?
So now I get to write a note. (That worked wonders for me last year with even less troublesome issues [not.]) I'm very curious to see how the heck a teacher justifies yelling at six year olds several times daily. Or whether she'll just deny it, which -- I'm going to believe my kid. She's sensitive, but she's not the type to sob over fabrications.
Whee. Welcome to another school year.
Which is why it was so surprising when I woke Annika up for school on Monday morning and she started to cry, then sob, that her stomach hurt and she didn't want to go.
Long story short, it seems her new first grade teacher is a screamer.
She'd mentioned this in passing in the middle of last week, but in a lighthearted way, and I thought, "Hm, it's odd that she'd mention something like that so flippantly." But I figured maybe the teacher is just ... loud. As long as it didn't seem to bother her, I wouldn't worry about it.
Well, now I'm worrying about it. I kept her home yesterday because she was such a wreck, and we talked about it all day long. I provided her with lots of suggestions -- mostly subversive and antiauthoritarian -- to cope with her feelings about the yelling. She came home today saying she was okay, but that she "had a belly ache all day long." She also said her teacher "screamed" during math and would I please "send a note to tell her to give us the directions BEFORE we do something, not after?"
Dude.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this pisses me off. The kid is SIX. They've been in school SEVEN DAYS. I should not be hearing about this. It's especially hilarious in light of the school wide "no put downs" policy they're always bragging about, one of the critical bullet points of which is, "stay cool." Only applicable to kids, I guess; adults can do whatever the eff they want, huh?
So now I get to write a note. (That worked wonders for me last year with even less troublesome issues [not.]) I'm very curious to see how the heck a teacher justifies yelling at six year olds several times daily. Or whether she'll just deny it, which -- I'm going to believe my kid. She's sensitive, but she's not the type to sob over fabrications.
Whee. Welcome to another school year.
posted by bizarrogirl at
12:16 PM
5 Comments:
"Dear Teacher,
I have given my daughter permission to scream back at whoever chooses to yell at her. It's going to be a loud year.
Love, Me"
First of all, that first comment made me laugh. I love that!
Second - UGH. Teachers who scream aren't very good at teaching what with all the, you know, screaming getting in the way of learning, but ESPECIALLY in elementary school.
I've always thought that if you have zero patience and it makes you scream regularly then you have no business teaching a bunch of young kids.
I hope it goes well. Having gone through two years of hellish beginnings with Hayley having belly aches because of not wanting to go to school (this year is great so far but it's only been two days so I'm only cheering cautiously and quietly), I don't envy either you or Ani.
*hugs*
Yeah, I wouldn't deal with that too well, either. Have you met the teacher? A child should not have those kind of anxieties at 6 years old, for Pete's sake - 1st grade teachers are supposed to be sweet, dammit!
UGH! That is not good.
My boy had the very good luck of having a teacher that, with her tone of voice, told the children that she expected great things of them. She NEVER raised her voice. However, I did see other 1st grade teachers there who did.
I do not envy someone hanging with 20 6 year olds all day, but there is a better way.
Go visit the classroom and watch her, seriously. Sooner the better.
You ARE alive. I was getting a little worried. Check your email often? :)
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