Heartbroken about DS's teacher

[Bluetie]

DS is a great kid. He's smart, funny, musical and sporty. He is also incredibly polite and has a caring nature. He is always winning awards at school, and is liked by all. DS attends a lovely small school with only 2 year-groups.

His previous teachers were OK but in year 3, he's had the most wonderful teacher, Mr T. Mr T is DS's first male teacher and they also share a hobby. Mr T has really helped DS develop his confidence, pushing him more in academics. DS has had a great year.

DS is now moving to year 4. Mr T is also moving to year 4. But they won't be together. All the classes have been mixed to mix abilities, sexes and SEN.

One morning this week, I went to ask Mr T if this class allocation was final. The head came to join our conversation, and he said he will only move DS for an exceptional reason. The head added that the new teacher has made the best progress in her year group across the whole school. I really want DS to stay with Mr T.

Can anyone think of something?

Then choose a small school where teachers stay with the children through KS1 or KS2. Your school does not have e that policy. Mine doesn't either, sometimes it happens when teachers are moved around, but in my experience the transition after having the same teacher for 2 years is much harder.

I’m going to try and be as polite as possible here OP. I am also a teacher and I’ve moved up a year group before and been extremely lucky to have some of my previous class move up with me. I have however, gone to my head and requested not to have a child in my class the following year. Not because of the child, but because of the parent. Have you considered that Mr T doesn’t want to have your DS in his class again?
Give the other teacher a chance. Your DS will be in exactly the same boat as the other children in his class, plus he’ll have the benefit of being taught by an experienced year 4 teacher.
Please don’t suggest that Mr T runs an extra curricular class either. The poor man may very well be spending more time getting to grips with the year 4 curriculum, organising his classroom, extra staff meetings, etc.
I hope everything works out with DS and I’m sure he will be absolutely fine in his new class, with his new teacher.

Good luck choosing your child's teacher at a private school.

This is the reason I feel as bad for teachers in the private sector as I do the state, the sense that parents can dictate school policies or planning.

Teach your kid to be robust, find the best in all circumstances and you will be setting them up for success.

Bit late for that it seems

Another thing about private school OP is that when my child was at one, the form groups were mixed up at the start of each new term so pupils got used to making new friends, talking to new people and having a new teacher. It was a really good idea.

Variety is good for children, he’ll be fine. What would you be doing if the teacher was moving school? Would you want to swap schools to go with him? Relax and welcome the change or your DS may pick up on your anxiety and then you’ve really got a problem.

Well, suppose we at least now know why only your son's desires matter out of the 60 children moving into year 4 😂

Or...

Maybe Mr T had brought your child out of himself and he is now ready to flourish with his next teacher.

And now another child who perhaps didn't have Mr T this year now gets that same opportunity.

Have a word with yourself before you totally embarrass your child. You are unbelievably entitled.

I understand your concern, OP. As parents, we want what is best for our children, and I understand that you feel this teacher is the best for your child at the moment. But think back to before your son met Mr T. You didn't know that he would get such a great teacher whom he would get along with so well, and you don't know that the next teacher won't also be exceptional.

Also, as a parent, you will need to support your son and help him to adapt to a new teacher, you can't do that if you are feeling 'heartbroken' over him having to leave Mr T, so my advice would be to try and mentally prepare your son and remind him that no matter what sort of teacher he has, ultimately his success will come from his own efforts and hardwork.

Wishing you and your son all the best x

Genuinely OP. You are doing your kid a massive disservice by assuming he needs his Mr T shaped crutch next year.

Why not turn it around and be proud that he has the resilience to move on.

Heartbroken is a strong word for having a different teacher ......

Then employ Mr T. as a personal one-on-one teacher for your precious FB. Or perhaps accept that your son is not going to regress to a 6 mo with a change in teacher. FFS, in secondary school, they’ll have many different teachers in one year and it is highly likely he’ll not have most of them the year after. Thank God you aren’t a parent of someone I teach!

'Heartbroken'? I really thought you were going to tell us the teacher was dying.

You need to give your head a wobble.

Whilst I agree that the OPis a little unreasonable… you don’t think a child is ‘important enough to be considered during class allocation’?? 😮

Punished for being good?
Heart broken?
you’re being dramatic and absolutely ridiculous. He’s moving to a different class, with a different teacher which is what normally happens.

That’s going too far. It’s sad when they move on from a great teacher, but that’s life. My daughter was bereft when she moved on from her favourite teacher, but she soon got on with it and he was still around school and showed an interest in how she was doing.

You do realise that even if you go private, you don’t get a say in which teacher your child has? The school make those decisions, not the parents 😂

So would every other child!

Absolutely this. It is pushy, entitled parents that cause good teachers to leave. I feel sorry for the next year teacher.

How does MrT feel about accompanying your son to secondary school and university?

Aw it’s hard, great that your child has flourished. All good things come to an end, Mr T won’t be coming to secondary with him or
college. Your son will have hundreds of different teachers and will have to get used to that. It sounds like a small school, same as my son however ours feeds into a huge over 1000’ pupils (93 where he is now). Spoiler…Some of the teachers you will dislike.

This year was harder for me as I realised my son’s teacher doesn’t really adore my son. You know what though, it’s ok. Shes
never rude and very tolerant but she doesn’t put him on a pedestal like teachers of previous years
who fussed over him. Done him the world of good as he’s become
less attention seeking and more aware of others around him. He’s become one of the class rather than pet in the class.

Does the school have clubs? Mabye encourage the teacher to start a club for the instrest and help your sob make more freinds his age w the instrest while still bonding w teacher

@JennyWI
Perhaps MrT doesn't WANT to bond!