As parents, we are constantly striving to make the lives of our children a great experience. Whether this is in their home life or school life, we want to make things easier and more engaging, letting them have fun with their younger years. School can always throw a curve ball in this mindsight, and of course there is only so much you can do to help them out. But when your kid is having a hard time with their teacher, it can feel difficult navigating the road ahead.
Figure Out the Viewpoint
The first thing you should do when your kid is having a hard time with a teacher is getting to the root of the issue, and confirming that it is a valid issue. If the teacher is a little more strict and hands out more homework, this may be an issue that your child is going to have to deal with on their own. Make sure your child understands that every teacher is going to teach differently, especially as they get older and enter high school (if they are not in there already!).
If it is truly a small issue with their teacher that they will have to deal with, make sure to still discuss the matter with them and see why it bothers them. Discuss how they can approach the issues and work with the teacher even if they are very demanding. Be sure to check back in with them often so they feel supported, and if it does get to be a bigger issue (such as the homework increase really is too much of a burden), then see if you can sit down and chat with the teacher and see where they are coming from.
More Serious Matters
If you discover that your child’s teacher may be a little too much, there are multiple ways to go about helping your kid. If the teacher is being rude or disrespectful to children, that would need to go up to the principal right away for them to intervene. The same can go for if a teacher is using their platform as a soap box, whether it is about values or ideals that do not belong in the classroom or teaching methods that may be outdated. These would need to go directly to the principal so they can follow up with the teacher and discuss how the classroom should be conducted. The same can be said if a teacher may be targeting certain kids for religious or other cultural beliefs, and may be grading them differently because of this.
There can be a few bad apples here and there, but remember that most teachers are trying their best to give your child the best education possible!
Katie Kyzivat