Post 217
I just read a post on my local school community page that I feel I need to address. The parent was complaining that they had received a phone call about their child from a teacher about what the parent felt was a minimal transgression. In this particular case the child was “a disturbance because he used the bathroom during my class.”
(First of all, this was obviously a middle to secondary school student. Children in the primary/elementary grades, especially Kindergarten, either have a bathroom in the classroom or very close by. Teachers always let them use it when needed.) What got to me was that there were 29 other posts from parents complaining that they had been contacted over seemingly trivial disturbances their children had made in school, on line, in the lunchroom, etc. Not one person felt that maybe the teacher/aide had a good reason for messaging them.
I think the authors of these messages should realize that the majority of educators tend to downplay any communication to school families. We try to say things in a polite way that doesn’t dramatize the situation. Reading between the lines, my guess is that the above student probably made a habit of skipping that class by repeatedly using the bathroom pass. They probably interrupted lesson after lesson by asking for it in a loud way. I would also guess that the teacher had checked that the student didn’t have any medical issues and had spoken to them about interrupting their class before contacting the parent. My point is that most teachers will try to deal with a disturbance themselves. Contacting a student’s family is a last resort.
Of course, all of us educators aren’t perfect. 🤪 There can be some who are having a bad day or are just plain cranky. In any case, I would always speak to your child about any communication from their teachers. I would also urge you to contact the teacher to find out exactly what is going on. Then use your own good judgement in guiding your child on how to handle the situation.
Again, this was probably an older student. But, as I’ve said before, please contact your child’s teacher if you have any concerns. We need to work together for our children.
Take Care 🙂
kindergarten23 