How Do You Want Your Child's Teacher to Feel about Your Child?

I ask because it seems like at some education blogs, depending on who is writing, I see a lot of "I want my teacher to love my child" and it always gives me pause.
Is that a correct expectation of a parent for their child's teacher?

Do you want your child to be loved?

And what does it mean when a teacher loves a child? Should a teacher love every child in their class? Is that even possible?

Is affection enough/better?

Is understanding/compassion for your child and their strengths/weaknesses/behaviors good enough?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yep, understanding, compassion, how to best work with strengths and weaknesses. Let’s be honest, humans are imperfect and annoying, and and and...It’s unrealistic (and a little weird?) to expect a teacher to “love” your child. But to truly root for their best interests and to help them find their way, that’s pretty cool.
Jet City mom said…
I want my child’s teacher to respect them.
To respect their potential as well as their accomplishments.
When you respect someone, you don’t tell them they might as well accept they will never be good at something.
Especially when it is your job to insure they learn it!

I also want the teacher to respect the class as a whole, and acknowledge that sometimes compromise is involved.
Perhaps the child with physical disabilities needs an aide to attend field trips, rather than cancel all field trips for the class for that year.
Would you want to be that kid knowing you are the reason that your class doesn’t even get to go to the zoo, when all the other 4th grade classes are?

Actually in my daughters case, it was a child whose familys religion forbade them from celebrating any holidays, birthdays, or apparently participating in field trips.

Same teacher told her she would never be good at math.

I respect the profession of educators, but some need more training, as those were mild examples.
Anonymous said…
Wow, "love" was actually the focus of some TRI training days at schools. It was almost metaphysical from what I hear. Love my kid, love my colleagues, love my parents, love, love, love, all you need is love, love, love. It's like a Beatles song.

Big Love
Lovingmom said…
Love is too broad a word to be helpful and not the teacher's job. My job is to love them.

I want teachers to be CURIOUS about my kids, about what makes them tick and what motivates them to learn.

I want teachers to see beyond any surface behaviors and assume that, given the right interventions or teaching approach, my kids can and should succeed. When things aren't working, they should always ask "why"?

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