The utter relief and happiness at getting a kind teacher

[Wannachangemyclothesmahairmaface]

Not a teacher bashing thread…I’m one myself.
However, I feel differently now I have a dc, than I did before.
Dd had a not very kind teacher for the last two years for Pre school.
Her teacher now is like a dream, one of those people you meet and just know they are kind immediately, she’s very relaxed, speaks respectfully to the little ones, understanding and open and just seems wonderful.
Dd is 6 and undergoing testing for special
needs.
A good, kind teacher can have such an important impact on a child’s life, they’re worth their weight in gold.

*Of getting

I know exactly what you mean - very happy for you. I remember the teachers you could always trust to be kind, and I learned most from them. I'm glad you have this for your DC.

@Oftenaddled Yes, it makes kids want to learn and come to school…makes such a difference

Totally agree

I remember the relief.

Good for you!

My daughter didn't really click with her teacher last year and I wasn't the only parent who wasn't keen on that teacher but so far she seems to have clicked with her new one. Such a relief!

I understand this so much. My child is ADHD / Autistic and a natural reaction for some is just visceral dislike. That includes teachers.
One amazing year 6 teacher last year changed everything; enjoy school, brimming with confidence, achieving great academic results.

So grateful he also adores his kind, accomodating, secondary school tutor already! The difference attitudes make is profound. ( I know teaching is not easy)

It's only week one. See how kind she is in June.

@Stichintime 😔

I think you can tell straight away

@Stichintime 🤣 I have to laugh as there may be alot of truth in that.

I only found 1 teacher went from amazing to dragon over the course of the year. 😬🤞

I get it
The ones who've stood out were the ones she had in reception, year one and year 5 and now year 6. But ESPECIALLY year 5 and 6.(By the grace of god she's kept the same teacher). I can absolutely see the difference in how she feels about the teacher and to be honest when I met I felt the same too.
Makes such a difference

@Oftenaddled 100%

I’ve known a few meanies and you have to wonder why they went into the job…

This one I could tell the minute I saw her at the front of the assembly, the way she interacted etc

@purpleme12 Its quite scary how it can make or break a child’s confidence

@Pantaloons99 So true, you can just see the kind, accepting, understanding ones

That’s so lovely for your son 💓

I definitely understand why this would be a relief (my ds has started preschool and has a lovely key worker, i think - its early days!)
...but I don't think my parents ever had an opinion on any of my teachers. They definitely didn't care enough to be relieved if they thought they were nice, and neither did my friend's mums as far as I was aware. When did we start getting anxious about this sort of thing? I can now add it to my things-to-be-anxious-about list

When your child has additional needs (SEN), it's a completely different story. They're up against it along with us parents. I learnt this quickly. You can become desperate for any morsel of kindness and compassion when you see they are standing out.

Teachers can make out they care about their pupils and treat them all the same. I don't buy it. They're human after all and SEN kids can create extra work.

@Pantaloons99 Very true

Totally agree. Some teachers just radiate warmth/kindness. Poles apart from the tough love ones (though that is great for some kids!) think it all depends on the child too!

I taught in a special school, and for some years taught new entrants to the school, usually aged about 7, so they'd started in mainstream, but they or the mainstream school just couldn't cope any more.

The big buzz for me was being 'that' teacher. Not because I was anything special, but because being in the right setting made all the difference to how I could interact with the parents.
So many of them said that they couldn't believe that I greeted them with a smile at the end of the day, and with something positive about their child's day. They used to dread pick up time before, because they were invariably met with the problem or the behaviour of the day.

I was really lucky to be the recipient of the parental happiness and gratitude, simply by being the first teacher their child had in a setting that was right for them.

(My post isn't remotely implying any criticism of l mainstream teachers btw. I don't know how I'd have coped with some of my pupils in a mainstream setting, with the class numbers, the pressures, the breadth of abilities and the targets that those teachers have to manage every day)

I was a teacher (year 5 and 6).

Scary how many adults there are in a school (some teachers included sadly) who were just totally not cut out for working with children.

So yanbu

Absolutely agree. I’m a teacher and I know I am that kind and caring teacher for loads of my (secondary school) students. My dc have been fortunate to have amazing teachers at primary and I totally agree. It makes such a huge difference.

@ZippyDenimBear For sure, I think I’ve seen too much too…

@saraclara What a great job to have and for the parents and kids to have you 💓

It was a huge privilege. I'm retired now, but there are so many children and parents that I will remember forever. The relationship is so very different in that setting.