[quote=AN][quote=CA renter]In general, the parents who are most critical of the teachers are the stay-at-home moms who have no life outside of their children, and who have managed to maintain a 7th-grade emotional disposition WRT malicious gossiping, cattiness, and insecurity.
The parents who help their kids the most are the ones who work with their children when the kids are in their care, and then send well-rested, well-fed children to school who are ready, willing, and able to stay on task and not cause problems in the classroom.[/quote]Just as I expected and stated. You want parents to be involve, but only limit to the classroom door and supposed to completely trust the education of their kids to someone else. You’re hoping for an ideal that’s very rare. The parents who take an active role in their kids’ education will also be active in PTO, volunteer in the classroom, take their kids to various activities and know the life/capability of their kids. It’s very rare to have the type of parents you’re describing.
As for the stay at home moms, that’s exactly what I said. The parents who are most critical are the parents who are most involved. You can’t be that involve in your kids’ education when you’re working 10-12 hours/day. When you’re extremely involve, you’ll see the inadequacy of the teacher teaching their kids, why is why they’re critical about it. As for the traits you describe of the stay at home moms, I don’t think it has anything to do w/ stay at home mom but more about a particular type of woman.
FYI, I never imply that there are as many bad teachers as bad parents. But that has absolutely nothing to do with what I said. I said that you expect parents to be involve in their kids’ education, but suppose to listen to the teacher 100%, as if the teacher knows everything about your kids. Sorry but real life doesn’t work that way.
Just because the role of a parent is different than a teacher does not mean a parent does not know/see when their kids’ teachers are not good or are inadequate for their children. After all, as you said, a teacher have to manage a lot of kids. Some are better at it than others. But parents who are involve and know their kids will see when the kids are being taught by a good teacher and when they’re being neglected by a bad teacher. To parents have no clue of what a good teacher look like is pretty out of touch. But, that might explain your thinking.
BTW, aren’t you a stay at home mom? Aren’t all home schooling moms are stay at home moms?[/quote]
Yes, I’m currently a SAHM, and while most homeschooling parents (many are dads, BTW) are home, some work outside the home or work in a home office.
I’m not saying all SAHMs are this way, only certain ones, and they’re usually the ones who are constantly trying to force the entire class (or school, even!) to do what they want. It doesn’t matter to them whether or not these changes would benefit the students as a whole, they only care about their own child. That’s fine when you’re homeschooling, but it’s NOT okay when your child has to attend a school/class with many other children.
Our eldest attended a public school for her first year and I volunteered in the classroom on a regular basis. The teacher liked me because I was credentialed, so could help her with some of the paperwork and ongoing assessments, etc. Unfortunately, many of the other moms who volunteered in the classroom were more of a hindrance than help. They chatted with their kids and their kids’ friends (totally distracting the kids from their assignments), and chatted with other moms who might be in or near the classroom. Then, they would gather with the other hens outside of the classroom after school and make snide remarks about the teacher’s ability, etc. I’ve seen this more often than I care to admit. Sorry, but that is not helping your children.
Because schools have to deal with far more than a parent’s precious little Johnny/Susie, they will allocate resources — including teacher time and attention, etc. — in a way that some parents might not like. Sorry, but if the parents think that a teacher should spend 50% of his/her time coddling and working with little Johnny, then they are out in left field. Teachers have to deal with a lot more than a single student and his/her high-maintenance momma.
[edited to add:]
So…yes, the best way for a parent to help his/her child is to work with them at home and make sure they come to school ready and willing to work and learn.
