Imagine receiving your daughterâs midterm report complete with impeccable grades, only to realize that thereâs a note attached to the bottom from her teacher telling you that your always well-behaved, rule-following, never-been-in-trouble child is suddenly talking too much in class (not that sheâs that well-behaved or out of trouble at home or anythingâŚ). Suddenly, your worst fears are realized. Your smart, sweet, well-behaved child is a menace (at least thatâs what you think). Perhaps you jump to conclusions like my husband and I did when our kindergartener brought this home earlier in the week.
Is she spending time with bad influences? Have you done something wrong? Is she upset about something at home and taking it out on her behavior at school? You fail to realize that sheâs not actually performing poorly or behaving horribly, sheâs suddenly just talking too much in class and the teacher is letting you know. You schedule a conference. However, there are a few things you need to do if you want your conference to go well.
Donât Make Assumptions
My assumption was naturally to assume that my bed rest in the last few weeks of my twin pregnancy is to blame. Sheâs not getting enough attention at home and sheâs acting out at school. Either that or someone is bullying her or sheâs going through some sort of horrible phase or, I know, itâs her new seating arrangement. Sheâs sitting next to talkers and theyâre corrupting our sweet little girl. Itâs easy to make assumptions; but youâre probably wrong.
Ask Your Child Whatâs Going On
Believe it or not, your child can tell you exactly whatâs going on and it makes things far easier to understand. Once Iâd calmed down and stopped blaming myself for something horrible that wasnât actually to blame, I asked my daughter why sheâs suddenly talking in class. Her response? Sheâs bored. She reads and writes well above the kindergarten level (chapter booksâŚsays this proud, book-loving mommy). The bulk of her class, however, doesnât. Sheâs bored reading and writing sentences such as, âSam sees the cat,â. It doesnât challenge her and sheâs bored. So she talks to her friends.
Listen to the Teacher
Finally, listen to your childâs teacher. When you go in for your conference, take an open mind and listen. You might think you know whatâs going on, but you need to hear her teacher first and foremost. Sheâs the one in the room with your child day in a day out and she might have a different perspective. Or, she might just validate your suspicions and provide you with an opportunity to work together to figure out how to solve the problem.
Teachers have a tough job, and parents make that job tougher by making assumptions, not listening and going into conferences and discussions with a defensive attitude. Your child might not always be wrong, but she might not always be right, either. Just keep that in mind.
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