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Whats your opinion on principals and teachers telling the next year teacher about the students??
I really think it’s not fair mayb this person wants to change and doesn’t want the teacher thinking anything or when something happens the teacher is probaley tthinking oh this is what I was warned about let me take matters into my hands already before etc. I really feel strongly about this I have had experiences and I’m positive if they weren’t told it would have been different!
Teaching over 25 years…never ever asked! Something serious – that MUST be known – should be discussed in advance,probably initiated by principal.Halochos of Shmiras Haloshon must be strictly adhered. PARENTS ARE ENTRUSTING YOU WITH THEIR KIDS’ SOULS!AND THEIR REPUTATIONS – AS WELL AS THEIR KIDS- IS NOT “UP FOR GRABS”.
superme:”right on”!:)
I agree with both of you, superme and eclipse. I feel very strongly about this too. I think it should be illegal. Seriously!
(Except of course in an extreme case or urgent matter.)
i think nothing other than family situations should be told. and not like, her parents really dont get along, i mean like mom dead or parents divorced or sibling in prison kind of thing.
i had a teacher who on the first day of class took out a blank peice of paper and said “this is what i know about you- nothing”. she then tore up the peice of paper and said “from now on you each have a clean slate for anyone who wants to start anew.”
I want to offer a take on the other side of the story. As a teacher for quite a few years, I have always asked the previous teacher to tell me about the students- of course listening to the laws of lashon hara. I think it really gave me insight into who needed the extra attention especially at the beginning and who needed a bit of a firmer hand. I think i can honestly say that I never came in with a bad attitude toward a student based on previous reports. I just used the reports to make sure that everyone was getting the most out of the year- including the first few days that are oh so important to the years success!
I am the type of teacher who loves the challenging students who keep life exciting and are active and energetic in class, even if at times they go a bit beyond the limit of what is expected in a typical classroom.
I taught the last few years but its under ten years since I was in elementary school myself and I remember being a student quite well. Of course a teacher must keep a clear mind cuz kids can make major strides over the summer months, but I still feel that knowing the basics is important.
Boro Park Girl:
During The first few crucial days of school, a good teacher will give ALL students an equal amount of extra attention.
After that, a really great teacher would have already figured out on their own how to deal with whom. I.e. who she needs to be a bit firm with, or where she needs to be soft, and who can use a bit of tlc, and where to turn a blind eye, etc… If a teacher can’t figure out that much on her/his own, then A, s/he probably shouldn’t be teaching in the first place. And B, all the prep in the world will do more harm than good, which brings us back to A.
sharp,that’s sharp:)
Important things SHOULD be told; the nuances,etc. are up to teacher’s insight and perceptiveness….and a huge dose of siyata dishmaya to get it all down pat, and only help not hurt anyone.
I had a frightening thought before.
Since teachers are human and do make mistakes sometimes, imagine a case where a teacher read a student wrong all year and treated him/her according to that. And then goes on to give the next teacher a “report” to help out. The poor student doesn’t stand a chance and gets the same wrong treatment again for another full year and nobody can figure out why they can’t connect to this student. Said student struggles for no good reason.
But that’s of course besides the point….
I say, a new year, a new chance.
I never taught and don’t plan on starting. However, from a student’s perspective, I can say I strongly disagree with giving over any info past basic family situations (dead parent etc.).
When I was in 9th grade, I was an (almost) failing (read: low 70’s) student. My teachers treated me as a dumb kid, which I’m not. By the time I reached 10th grade, I became much more serious about school, and became a high 90’s student. Had my teachers asked in advance, and heard that I was a dumb, failing student, I would not have had the motivation to try and would have remained a failing student through high school.
For those who do ask, please do your students a favor and NEVER show them that you know ANYTHING. Treat them all equally. Give them a chance!
I thought it was funny that they didn’t make explicit the obvious distinction between telling the teachers “this kid is a terrible troublemaker”, and, “this kid’s mother is sick”.
pba- agreed. There is a huge difference. When I taught, I wasn’t told anything about my students in advance. I gave each student a few minutes to talk about themselves, and each told me about her family situation. This was for whoever wants other girls to know as well. Any student who wanted to tell me anything privately did so after the first class, or a bit later on in the year. The only things I would have liked to know in advance were 1) One of my students was a chronic liar in the past, and tends to slip back into that. 2) A different student was always top of the class, and performs best when she knows someone else might top her.
There are only a few things that teachers DO need to know in advance of the school year: 1) If there is a personal issue at home that upsets the family dynamic and can affect the student, i.e. death or divorce, illness, etc., 2)If the child has any food allergies and how to use an epi-pen in an emergency, if the allergy is life-threatening 3) if there are SEVERE behavioral issues. Nothing else should bias the teacher’s thinking IMO.
I don’t know if chronic lying would be classified as a behavior issue, but it’s important for a teacher to know. For example, the first time I caught her cheating, and she swore that she didn’t cheat, I figured I had just been seeing things. It took until the third time that I knew for certain that I had not been seeing things, and had seen her cheat. She’s an excellent liar, and it’s hard not to trust her. A few days into school, someone else who worked in the school that was never her teacher warned me that she’s a chronic liar, but I didn’t believe her. Would I have believed it if a teacher had told me? I don’t know. Probably not. But the first time I saw her cheat I probably would have trusted my eyes.
Here’s my perspective as a mother.
I’d like to share things with the teacher that will help my child.
She’s a very, sweet cooperative girl, but has difficulty with a lot her school work. (It’s not really an option to leave her back, because she’s already been left back once.) It takes her longer to absorb new ideas and concepts. She is really working very hard with her tutors. As much attention and encouragement as you can give her is really appreciated.
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