Savaged By Beasts In The Blackboard Jungle
August 18, 2010
Peeved Pedagogs Who Don't Want To Be My Friend.
Went over like a fart in church – at least with professional educators – did Why You Should Ingratiate Yourself With Your Kid’s Teacher latest Pater Post on the Parenting Channel of Yahoo’s Shine online mag.
A mite mystified by the tonnage of umbrage taken. I blogged about how I always do my best to cultivate a good relationship with my kid’s teacher, with expressions of warmth and appreciation and stepping up to do stuff that needs doing and makes her (no hims yet) professional life easier. I’ve done so every year going back to Girl Child’s matriculation at preschool, age 2 1/2 , and it’s always been really rewarding.
Brightens the day, too. Our teachers, by and large, have been fascinating, entertaining individuals. One looks to be a family friend forever, but that's exceptional. It's just good and right and fun to take an extra minute and make a routine human contact more, you know, human.
There's daddy duty involved, too. I consider forging and maintaining a strong, positive relationship with my kid’s teacher part of the at-home job -- not to hook for preferential treatment, though, which does not work. Each grade's teacher is the third most important grownup in my child’s life. What kind of an idiot wouldn’t make an extra effort to get along?
The teacher-comment-writer concensus on Shine says I'm shameless, manipulative, intrusive, an unwanted burden, violator of propriety and maintaining professional distance (50 yards? 100 yards?) essential to the teaching process.
Hooey. It’s always, always worthwhile to connect, especially with people important to you and your family, but also with pretty much everybody. For Gods sake, I do it with the fence contractor and appliance guys. You can’t have enough friends, in this life, even one-off friends that you’ll never see again.
And it’s especially rewarding to be friendly, if not full-on friends, with Teacher, if she’s so inclined. Last year we had a genius teacher, Mrs. Taylor, who kept things at arm’s length. But I loved her for that and still busted my hump to be number-one class dad. Why not?
Parent-teacher has been easy, so far, because we’ve had good teachers. Sooner or later we’ll get a turd. Then I'll be begging you for advice.
Pater’s Plays
Father And Daughter by Paul Simon
Simon dead-on nails fathering a little girl. Chasing away bad dreams, standing guard as she goes back to sleep, loving everything that’s coming — “I’m gonna watch you shine/Gonna watch you grow.” Could be schlurpy, but just right.
Advertisements
Pater’s Picks
BAD KITTY Books by Nick Bruel
Bruel's brill books starring psycho cat has our seriously reluctant reader second-grader poring over the pages for half-hour stretches, even more, without threats…
October 15, 2010 | Permanent Link
Recent Blog Entries
- Roadie Leads To At-Home Daddy Guilt · September 30, 2010
- On The Road Again - Pater Has An Assignment! · September 21, 2010
- Upscale Sales Pitches That Flatter And Set You Up To Get Screwed · September 2, 2010
- Savaged By Beasts In The Blackboard Jungle · August 18, 2010
- Higher Wisdom In Low-End Washing Machine · August 5, 2010
- Gone, Gone, Gone · July 15, 2010
- Where Does Summer Go? · July 1, 2010
- Goodbye To First Grade, Deep Gratitude To Mrs. Taylor · June 24, 2010
- When Kraft Got It On With Bob Evans · June 16, 2010
- Dad Demos Slippery Slide, Spangs Back · June 2, 2010
Blog Entries by Category
Advertisement
Comments
Everyone is different, and as long as this works for you, I am saying, keep at it. As one of Girl Child’s teachers I have to say, it felt great to feel appreciated, to know that if I needed anything I had someone to call, (last minute even) and you were there to pick it up. I have had parents who would not even acknowledge I was in the room when they dropped the kiddos off, (which also taught me a lot about their family life…) do I really need to say which was more pleasant?
Girl Child received no preferential treatment from me for it, but having insight into family life even helped to teach to her specific personality type.
Now, not everyone would do this. Some people teach to a class, and not every individual child. Just as some people drop their kids off without knowing who it is their kids are spending THE MAJORITY of the day with.
I’m with you. And I know Each And Every Teacher I leave my boy with, too. They hug me when they see me. They are happy for the effort I put into their classroom. It depends on individual comfort level.
There is not right or wrong answer. And you are no Ass Kisser.
(now where is my PIE!?!!?)
Comment #1, posted by Purple Anjel on August 19, 2010 at 05:21:44 PM
Agree with Purple Anjel on everything except “there is no right or wrong answer” because I believe your approach to teachers is the right answer. I speak as a retired teacher.
A parent’s attitude towards a teacher is contagious. If you want your child to enjoy school/learning, it is essential to set the example. Nothing undermines a teacher’s efforts more than a parent who speaks in a demeaning or negative way about teachers, schools, the curriculum, etc.. Or who shows no interest at all. How can such a parent expect their child to be interested in school, enjoy learning, respect teachers, and have the motivation to attend school and to partcipate in school activities?
Comment #2, posted by Grandma B on August 20, 2010 at 10:25:04 AM
Post a Comment