Teacher to Parents: About THAT Kid (the One Who Hits…

…Disrupts and Influences YOUR Kid)

Teaching in today’s classrooms

One of the hardest jobs to do well is teach in our schools.  Increasingly, teachers are being asked to do more with less. They also must navigate multi-dimensional issues they face in early childhood centers, elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.

No matter what the social and economic environment:  urban, suburban or rural, there are many challenges dealing with students who have different needs and issues.  Teachers are expected to manage classrooms, help students with knowledge retention, prepare lessons for each day, be creative, and deal with the expectations of their leadership as well as the parents of their children.

Every classroom I have ever been in has at least a few students that are quite challenging from a variety of perspectives

Whether academic performance, difficult-to-manage behaviors, relational problems with other students, developmental issues, or just being extremely introverted and quiet, a teacher is expected to teach…and to be the first point of contact in dealing with all these issues. Particularly when there are limited resources as there are in many schools today, this can be almost impossible to manage. All of us who are in education realize that the job itself is overwhelming, and teachers do so much more than just teach.

I was just made aware of this blog post published by the Washington Post.  It is written by Amy Murray, director of early childhood education at the Calgary French & International School in Canada. She writes an authentic, compassionate letter to a parent who may be concerned about “that kid” who may be impacting their child at school.

For anyone who is a teacher, administrator or parent, I think Murray’s article is well worth reading. 

It surfaces the fact we really have so much to appreciate about each of our teachers.

I know this from my experience of leading an organization that has a group of teachers who do so much more than they are asked each day as they meet the challenges of our students at Lakeside.

Here is the link to this heartfelt article by a professional who is dedicated to those in her care: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/11/14/teacher-to-parents-about-that-kid-the-one-who-hits-disrupts-and-influences-your-kid/

Gerry Vassar, President/CEO, Lakeside Educational Network