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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on June 11, 2005, at 10:42:46
Was about my son's placement in school next year. I must be more worried about the big move to higher elementary school than I thought. I dreamed he got a teacher that just didn't "get" him and consequently didn't like him. I was going to the principal's office and demanding a room change. :(
It's not totally unlikely. My son is one of those kids who many grownups just love. But if you get a gregarious teacher without a lot of sensitivity, they find my son annoying and baffling. I know they work hard on placement, and the counselor who understands my son was in on the placement. I was also honest with the school that I did not want him in a class like one I knew of in his last year's grade that was extremely competitive. One parent said that if you survived, you got the best education you could get anywhere. I don't want that.
You aren't allowed to say which class you do want. But his last year's teacher asked and I answered. However it's the class that everyone wants, and I just don't contribute enough to the school, timewise or moneywise, to get into the class that everyone wants.
Argggh. I'm probably worrying a lot more than he is.
Posted by annierose on June 12, 2005, at 7:13:11
In reply to My dream last night, posted by Dinah on June 11, 2005, at 10:42:46
Ditto! I know exactly what you're discribing. We have the same problem for 2nd grade in our school. Three classrooms, only ONE solid teacher (the only two are just babysitting the children until the get to retire ... the checked out on teaching 3 or 4 years ago).
My husband and I had 3 chats with the principal regarding next year, hoping and praying to get my little guy the good teacher, especially since his 1st grade teacher and him didn't get along AT ALL, and guess what .... the principal got a promotion and has moved on.
Didn't mean to talk about ME, ME, ME, but I read your post and BANG ... this is a senistive topic for me right now.
When do you find about next year's placement? We don't get assignments until 3 days before school starts. And like you, I am not in the "power mom" group at school. The "power mom" group controls so much in the school. I despise them.
Let's cross our fingers and toes!!
Annierose
Posted by cricket on June 13, 2005, at 13:17:33
In reply to My dream last night, posted by Dinah on June 11, 2005, at 10:42:46
I've been having a lot of anxiety over school placement as well.
My son is older - just finished 7th grade. Next year starts the placement process for high school. In private schools in my area, this is incredibly stressful. Interviews, essays, entrance exams, recommendation forms. His current school recommends applying to 6 schools, including at least 2 safety schools. It's just like college, except a 13 year old, with all his middle school year social and hormonal issues, is going through this.
I went to a parents' meeting about this a couple of weeks ago and the level of anxiety in the room was so high that I almost threw up.
On top of that, this kid is so incredibly different from me that I am constantly checking myself to make sure that I am doing what's right for him and not what's comfortable for me.
Sorry, I just needed to vent a little. But I do agree with you Dinah that the most competitive class or school is not necessarily the best (that's one thing that my son and I agree on).
I hope you do get the class you want. The teacher must have some say in the process too, right? They do in my son's school. From what you've said about your son, I think that would be a plus because I am sure the teacher is voting for him.
Let us know how it goes.
Posted by Dinah on June 13, 2005, at 18:10:10
In reply to Re: My dream last night » Dinah, posted by annierose on June 12, 2005, at 7:13:11
I'm relatively sure none of the teachers are awful. The parents are too powerful to allow that to happen. My son's teacher last year was new, and the parents set her straight on school policy in public on Open House night.
I imagine the parents in the competitive class feel that it's good for their kids. :) Truth be told, I'd have loved it as a kid.
But I've got my fingers and toes crossed that he doesn't end up in the overly tidy class. Whose third grade students are doing art and writing projects that wouldn't be out of place in high school. :) I just don't trust an overly tidy classroom, especially in elementary school.
I didn't have a strong opinion about one of the other ones one way or the other, and the last one will be brand new so I don't know her.
I'm sure it will be fine, even if he ends up in the tidy class. He's more flexible than I credit him with.
Good luck with your little one! I'll let you know mid August. :))
Posted by Dinah on June 13, 2005, at 18:20:15
In reply to Re: My dream last night » Dinah, posted by cricket on June 13, 2005, at 13:17:33
Wow. That's hard on a middle schooler. I thought the kindergarten placement process was bad enough, and fortunately my son didn't know what was going on. Well, not much. He liked the school he ended up in based on the snack they served at the open house. lol.
Fortunately this is a K-12 school, so hopefully we won't have to worry about anything till college. Although my husband balks at the cost. And the principal did tell us at the first welcoming dinner not to get to comfortable. That kids were frequently outplaced, if they weren't a good match with the school. He didn't use those exact words of course, but close enough.
It's incredible out there, isn't it?
My husband doesn't think this school matches up well in competitiveness with other schools in the area, and that's true in terms of National Merit Scholars. But I thought that was the whole point.
My son is a lot like me, and I worry that I extrapolate from that to thinking he's *just* like me. You just can't win in parenting. :)
I do know this. My son would rather be in a class with a teacher he hates and good friends, than in a class with a great teacher and kids he doesn't care for. So I think most of the anxiety is on my part.
Posted by annierose on June 13, 2005, at 19:57:26
In reply to Re: My dream last night » annierose, posted by Dinah on June 13, 2005, at 18:10:10
Problem with public schools, you can't kick out teachers with tenure. In our state, our local school system is probably one the top three districts. That's why we stick it out. Excellent schools. But in our particular elementary school, 2nd grade is the pitts. I am friendly with one of the 1st grade teachers, and she said she was going to try her best to make sure my son got the only solid choice. I'll let you know in late August.
I agree about teacher vs. friends. A classroom filled with nice children can out weigh a bad teacher situation (some of the time).
Good Luck.
Posted by Dinah on June 15, 2005, at 10:53:24
In reply to Re: My dream last night » Dinah, posted by annierose on June 13, 2005, at 19:57:26
Posted by Dinah on August 18, 2005, at 9:16:07
In reply to Re: My dream last night » Dinah, posted by annierose on June 13, 2005, at 19:57:26
My son ended up with several friends in his room. His new teacher seems to have a terrific sense of humor and to be very child centered and respectful of children. Her teaching philosophy seems to mesh well with mine.
And, while this is not the most important point by a long shot, several of the kids who ended up in the class are ones I know to be academically advanced, so my son will have to keep on his toes. I was a bit afraid that when I put my emphasis on placement where I put it, my son would end up with an "easy" teacher.
Yesterday was the meet and greet, and I came away so excited that I could barely settle down. :)
We didn't get the teacher I wanted, and we didn't get the teacher I didn't want, but by getting the unknown factor (new teacher to the school), I think we did very well indeed.
Posted by annierose on August 18, 2005, at 22:13:52
In reply to We won the jackpot in class assignment » annierose, posted by Dinah on August 18, 2005, at 9:16:07
So here's the thread! I couldn't remember what board, just remembered the conversation.
It's always such a guessing game. My daughter always got, by chance, the teacher I wanted for her. My son started off with a great kindergarten teacher, and the total pitts for first grade. He was completely, utterly bored. She needed to retire in 2000 already.
I have my fingers crossed. I got the strongest teacher academically. Be careful what I wish for. And I smiled seeing the class list. I have so few adult friends in this school (place is chuck full of sorority sisters, country club folk and the like) that I'm happy to have my few friends in the same class to commiserate with at class functions. Luckily, my daughter has moved onto Middle School where parent interaction is null (yippee do da de).
I think your take is right. The unknown teacher is usually a good thing. And lots of positives are pointing in her direction. Does your son start son now? He sounds like a neat kid, very mature for his age. Proably annoys adults who can't relate to his maturity level since your son is ages ahead of them :)
Normally we would start school next week. But due to construction issues district wide we start August 29th. Happy to have the extra week, I think. I lost my babysitter to her teaching job so it's been tricky piecing together babysitters (especially with therapy times thrown in).
Let me know how things are going once the school year gets underway.
Annierose
Posted by Dinah on August 18, 2005, at 22:47:55
In reply to Re: We won the jackpot in class assignment » Dinah, posted by annierose on August 18, 2005, at 22:13:52
> So here's the thread! I couldn't remember what board, just remembered the conversation.
>
> It's always such a guessing game. My daughter always got, by chance, the teacher I wanted for her. My son started off with a great kindergarten teacher, and the total pitts for first grade. He was completely, utterly bored. She needed to retire in 2000 already.Sigh. That was the old teacher for this class. At the open house last year, she was visibly burned out. My husband would have had a fit had we landed her. We were relieved to hear she was retiring.
>
> I have my fingers crossed. I got the strongest teacher academically. Be careful what I wish for. And I smiled seeing the class list. I have so few adult friends in this school (place is chuck full of sorority sisters, country club folk and the like) that I'm happy to have my few friends in the same class to commiserate with at class functions. Luckily, my daughter has moved onto Middle School where parent interaction is null (yippee do da de).Sounds like our school. I feel like the parents of my son's friends tolerate me and maybe even like me, but there's a whole dress code and language that I just don't speak. I never feel really like I belong there.
> I think your take is right. The unknown teacher is usually a good thing. And lots of positives are pointing in her direction. Does your son start son now? He sounds like a neat kid, very mature for his age. Proably annoys adults who can't relate to his maturity level since your son is ages ahead of them :)
That's more or less what his therapist says. Or at least she says that about his peers. That he just doesn't understand kids his age (and vice versa). She has to kind of translate for him. So he is very mature, and has an eerily precocious sense of morality and right and wrong. It's also a bit idiosyncratic. (Like mine. Except mine has a completely different idiosyncratic set of rules.)
It's funny. We went to a parenting class on difficult children once. But there was no-one there who could relate to this particular type of difficult. Your son's too good? Oh, big deal. People don't understand that too good, too smart, and too sensitive can also be difficult.
>
> Normally we would start school next week. But due to construction issues district wide we start August 29th. Happy to have the extra week, I think. I lost my babysitter to her teaching job so it's been tricky piecing together babysitters (especially with therapy times thrown in).I'm almost sorry to see school start. The house seems rather empty. (Although it shouldn't since we have my mother's dogs at the moment, while she goes on vacation.)
>
> Let me know how things are going once the school year gets underway.
>
> AnnieroseI will. You too. Your daughter is all set, classroom wise?
Posted by annierose on August 19, 2005, at 6:59:34
In reply to Re: We won the jackpot in class assignment » Dinah, posted by annierose on August 18, 2005, at 22:13:52
Posted by Dinah on August 19, 2005, at 8:07:26
In reply to Is it my computer but your post is blank above? D (nm), posted by annierose on August 19, 2005, at 6:59:34
Posted by annierose on August 20, 2005, at 17:44:03
In reply to Your computer? Try refreshing. (nm) » annierose, posted by Dinah on August 19, 2005, at 8:07:26
Hi again,
My daughter's homeroom teacher (I think it's for 2 1/2 hours) is a team teaching situation. One teacher is new and the other has moved from 7th to 6th grade. All the teachers are unknown factors to me. And I try not to ask too many parents about middle school. I found it just muddled my brain and I can't do anything to change her situation.
She is so ready for a change of schools. I am thrilled for her. She endured a lot of pain in elementary school. I think the worse must be behind her now (at least I'm hoping). I'll let you know.
Posted by Dinah on August 22, 2005, at 18:05:37
In reply to Re:I opened it! » Dinah, posted by annierose on August 20, 2005, at 17:44:03
I'll cross my fingers for you. I didn't have the best experience in middle school, but then I didn't have a great middle school, or schools rather.
If it's a good district with good resources, she should do fine.
This is the end of the thread.
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