Trust Yourself

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2004 : November : 13

Trust Yourself
By Just Hired

I too know how difficult it can be to work in affluent communities with entitled students and parents who are unsupportive. Fortunately, for every class where there are parents who make your job difficult, there are those
who are abundantly supportive and realistic.
You have to remember, that although these parents are well educated and influential, you are the professional. You have the training and specialized education that deem you an educator. When working in a community like yours, remind yourself that although they may know more about their child, you know more about education and teaching.

Students will be disrespectful and irresponsible. It is part of their learning. Some parents will make excuses for their children, and this will be a big part of their learning. Part of your job as a teacher is to teach parents appropriate boundries and send a consistent message about appropriate behavior for school.

I had one parent who was so inappropriate. I dreaded my job because she would arrive at school for impromptu meetings. She would call me when there was a substitute to express concern for the number of times I was absent when in fact I was at school or at district meetings. Her mo was "the parents are talking, and I just thought you should know."

There are always going to be parents who make your job difficult. It helps when you realize that these parents have their own issues and it is NOT you. Whatever consistent message you send to this parent this year, will only HELP the next year's teacher.

You are the adult. Communicate to the parent that her child's "perceptions" of what happen at school are inaccurate. Somehow you want to communicate the message with a soft blow that the child is manipulating the truth and taking advantage of the fact that the two of you are not on the same page.

Trust yourself, even if this parent doesn't trust you. After a few years of getting the same message from each teacher she will realize that she was wrong, not the teacher. When she has a teenager who is giving her a run for her money, she may look back and respect the fact that you held your ground and communicated a concern for her child, even when she didn't like the message she was receiving.

Don't let strong willed parents undermine your self esteem or derail you from the calling you were ment to persue. Trust yourself!