Requesting a teacher for K

Hi all, I need some advice/reassurance/reality check from moms and mom/teachers. My girls are just finishing up pre-k now and will start full day k in the fall. Their pre-k is in their elementary school so their pre-k teachers will participate in recommending which k classes they should be placed.

They have been separated this year and that was wonderful for them. DD1 had the more experienced teacher and she did beautifully (academically and socially). Unfortunately DD2 had a younger teacher (lets call her Miss L) who was a leave-replacement; and while academically DD2 is fine, she's had some behavioral issues. My little social butterfly would much rather talk to her friends and 'make the rounds' than do the 'boring' pre-k work assigned to her. While I empathize that circling letters on a page is boring when you can read, the point of school is to learn how to act in a classroom environment.

We've been working with DD2 and communicating with Miss L to try to address these issues. Unfortunately Miss L is a little defensive, and I feel bad about that but feel like it is because she is young.

After talking to some other moms (including our sitter who has older children), I think there is one K teacher who would be great for DD2. He challenges the kids, but can be silly too. He has very high standards for the students, but they rise to the challenge. I think both my DDs would be great in his class, but I still want them to be separated. Our school has a policy of not allowing parents to request teachers and while I understand this, is there a way I can or should communicate with Miss L or the principal about DD2 so that she is placed in a classroom with a more experienced teacher? I don't want Miss L to be defensive, so I don't know if I should talk to her when we meet next week, or if I should send an email to the principal (I also don't want Miss L to think we went "over her head"). Or should we just wait and hope that the teacher selection process will work for both my girls?

Sorry the novel. I'm so sad that DD2 leaves school most days upset because she had a rough day. I know she is no angel (heck DH and I know all too well how challenging she can be!), but I also think that with the right teacher who can give her the boundaries she needs and challenge her a bit she would be so much happier. Thanks for reading.

 

I would write /talk to the principal explain that you want a teacher who will give her the boundaries she needs. I know from my girls school if you ask for a teacher by name, there is no way you will get them, But if you go through how your child needs a teacher who does X and Y which would be perfect for you child you send a good chance of getting what you need.

I'm trying to decide if I want to write a note about my girls placement next year. This year one of my girls has a teacher who does not really work with the other 1st grade teachers. She has assigned book reports, kids have to copy homework from the board. Started spelling test about 3 months before the rest of the grade. Those aren't bad thinks, just different from the other 3 first grade teachers. Takes snack away from kids for not finish up classwork including class work they missed since they where reading to the teacher in the back, or takes away recess if they don't do the homework. She dislikes the school's math program that ehy started last year. I don't feel that she does a good job explaining it, and was following it exactly. She grades everything, so one girl come home with marked papers every day. Other one comes home with kid checked papers.

 

Leighann,

I would absolutely take your concerns to the principal, and maybe the teacher first if you think it might help. Your reasoning is well thought out and not predicated on wanting the cool teacher or the easy teacher. You obviously know your child's strengths and weaknesses and are aware how different teacher types could help or hurt. Even if you don't ask for the teacher by name, you can explain how this year went and detail the type of teacher you think would work best for DD2.

Good luck!

 

In our school district requesting a kindergarten teacher is not done. We can request blue or red days (we are full days, every other day) but not who the teacher is. I was fairly satisfied with the twins' placements but I KNOW for a fact that Audrey's kindergarten teacher would NOT be a good match for my youngest. I work with the special ed team with my older son. I am really encouraging her to become involved in my youngest son's kindergarten placement. Her child, who will be entering kindergarten this coming fall, would not do well with this same teacher. She will be working with my youngest in the program. It sounds as if she will try to help me out when the time comes. I would be as active with the teachers as possible and express your concerns. Good luck! The right teacher is a godsend. Not all teachers will interact with kids the same. One teacher who interacts with one child very well may not be a good fit for another.

 

I agree with the others, you can make requests for a type of teacher or placement, but not specifics. When Jon entered K, he came from self-contained special ed preschool--8 kids, 1 teacher, 2 aides. So, I did request that he be in the inclusion class due so there would be another adult available if he needed that support--he no longer received any special ed services. I have over time requested not to have a teacher due to a personality issue, and that is usually OK, if you can put the onus on your child,not the teacher. For example, I requested that Jon not have a teacher because at the time, she tended to do whole class discipline, and he wasn't at that point able to handle it. But I set it up as Jon's issue, not the a problem with the teacher--does that make sense?

Good luck!

 

Thanks everyone. I'm going to work on a letter to the principal and also talk to her teacher next week about what she thinks dd2 needs to succeed in k.

 

After having a nightmare year this year with one of my sons teachers in King., I am not an advocate for talking with the principal about who my child will fit best with the following year rather than hoping for the best.

 

I would do this as well.

DD's school news letter said that parents could write in a letter about what type of learner their child is & any child's personality traits they thought should be considered for placement for next year but no specific teacher requests woul be considered.

 

I would also talk to the teacher and the principal. We are lucky at our school. We have requested teachers since K. So far every year we get the teachers we want. We are not allowed to ask not to have a specific teacher.

 

I agree with the others, if you request a more experienced teacher, but not a specific teacher, I think you will come closer to getting something that fits DD2. Talk to the principal, usually a simple email will do. Good luck!

 

We have a letter to fill in each year that the principal takes into account . I think if you wrote what you wrote in your original post, they will understand that the teacher you want would be a good fit.

 

One thing you may also want to keep in mind when thinking of requesting a teacher...I once spoke to a friend of mine who is/was a popular teacher, and many parents would request her when it was allowed. What happened was that kids would then get placed in her class without looking at the make up of the entire group. She said that many years that made for a tough class. When creating classes for the next year, teachers of a grade level get together and create class "groups" which best benefit the whole group, so accommodating many parent requests through that grouping out of whack. That is a huge reason why many schools no longer take requests.

I did ask the teachers this year if I should request the same "team" of teachers for my boys next year (one request that is allowed). The response was to trust that they would place each child in the class that is best for them, and that is what I decided to do.

 

In our school district, the official policy is that a parent can not request that a child have a particular teacher. But I know quite a few parents who have successfully requested particular teachers for their kids. The open secret around here is that the current teacher can recommend what teacher a student will have next year and that recommendation will usually hold, unless the principal makes an adjustment based on boy/girl ratio or some other balancing criteria. If you have a similar situation in your school, maybe you should tell Miss L that you want your daughter to have Mrs.X because you have heard such great things about her from other parents. (And don't make Miss L defensive by mentioning that you prefer Mrs. X because she is more experienced.) Definitely butter up to Miss L at your next meeting! Maybe I'm terrible for saying this, but giving her a nice letter of appreciation and a teacher gift at the end of the school year can't hurt either. That's just how thing work in the real world.

 

Thought I would give you all a quick update. We met with both girls' teachers and DD2's teacher had the school psychologist observe her during class. We met with the school psychologist who then met with the principal to advocate for us for DD2s K teacher. She will be placed in the class we wanted her in. DD1 (my more flexible, people-pleaser child) will not be in the same class, but we'll find out her teacher next week. After talking to the teachers and the school psychologist I feel so much more relieved. I think DD2 will have a good year in K and everyone is on board to make that happen. The K teacher is aware of her abilities, and the school told us they can pull her out and put her into a 1st grade reading group if necessary. And they can absolutely supplement her work tasks to keep her engaged and enjoying school.

 

Leighann - that is great news. Kudos to you for advocating for your daughter and making sure she was placed appropriately!

 

I'm so glad it worked out! What a huge sense of relief you must feel.

 

I am glad it worked out!!

My girls were also reading in preK and found some activities review , DD1 then would socialize. We had a great teacher that challenged them and kept them learning.

I am glad your school is behind your DDs! School support is really important and can make a big difference. Both DD are kept challenged at school (for the most part- reading was the biggest challenge) and have had a great teacher that made sure they were moving forward. I am impressed that the school was so proactive, hopefully that is something you will see in the years to come.

You may be pleasantly surprised at the variety of abilities in K. Most kids wont be reading, but some will!!

In my kiddos 1st grade class there were kids that started the year at preprimer level to reading 3rd grade level. No one left 1st grade for groups, they just mixed them up with other 1st grades that had like kiddos. My girls group was made up of kids from all three 1st grade classes. It was nice because them no one felt singled out to move up/down a grade. This happened for reading, spelling,and math groups (they did have direct math instruction daily- the groups were Mon & Fri as sort of remedial or enrichment depending on the kid).

I hope you and your DDs have a great year!