I know we are on assessment this week, but I have to vent about a little situation that occured between my son and his teacher today. First of all, I can say that it is so difficult being a parent!! Anyway, I was at work today and I got a phone call from my son’s teacher. She said that he was “out of control and bouncing off the walls!” Well, I quickly began trying to figure out what the problem could be. I immediately asked her, “Is he excited about anything today?” And she replied with, “No, I just can’t do anything with him!”–Let’s keep in mind that my son turned 4 in July. So after she insisted that I talk with him, I asked her to put him on the phone. I talked with him a second and explained to him about respect and we get excited but we need to sit……..bla-bla.” So I thought everything was ok–but continued to be bothered by the fact that she had called me and voiced all of those problems about my son in front of the class. I am probably over reacting!

Anyway, a couple hours later–I get another phone call and it is the teacher again. So I am thinking, “Ok, she has thought about the sitation and called to applogize or something.” No, this time she said my son had hit her and tried to trip her. Well by this time I am just about irrate, but being in the education field–I am holding myself together and trying to see the two sides here. I asked her if there was anything that may have caused him to react in such a way and she said no, but I needed to talk to him. So when he got on the phone, he just started crying and kept repeating, “I don’t like school mommy–I just want to stay home.” At this point I proceed to explain how fun school is and that mommy is still going to school, etc. etc. I told him that we would talk about it at home and that he wasn’t in any trouble I just wanted to talk and try to figure out what is going on. So his teacher gets back on the phone and tells me thanks for talking to him–end of conversation. Once again, I am a little bothered that she would allow all of this to go on in front of the class–I may be over reacting, but I know self esteem plays a big part in young children’s lives.

I have talked to my son this evening and all he told me was that he was misbehaving and he had to put his chair in time out and stand at his desk. I have never heard this discipline approach before–I have heard of time out before, but I always have my son sit in the chair for an X amount of time. My son has never acted like this before–I am trying so desperately to sort this out in my head and figure out what the problem could be. I don’t know what advice to offer her and I am trying to keep a good attitude in this situation. I remember a conference that she and I had a few weeks back and I asked her how my son was behaving in school (it is part of a parent’s concern) and she said he was wonderful. She said that she tells the students that she will sit on them and squash them if they don’t mind (she is a rather large lady)–this has played on my mind now in effort to figure out this situation. Is this something you should tell three and four year olds? Is that professional? Maybe, there has been something said that has bothered him. I wish I could observe the class with a hidden camera and figure out what is going on. I feel like I am missing something here–and that is something that a parent doesn’t want. I don’t want to take him out of headstart because I am afraid that will send a message that it’s ok to just “QUIT.” That isn’t an alternative in my book–so that can’t be in this situation either. I hope this all sorts out. I am longing for an answer at this point!