[Miss Information]

So...

My dd1 (first grade) does good work in school. She's doing really well, gets good grades, reads a lot (she's reading Harry Potter book3 - a 6th grade book), and has good writing skills (we just got her second journal book home from school and I can tell she really likes to write). Anytime I've had an issue with the teacher, I've been able to call the school and talk with her. Teacher seems really nice and genuinely caring for the kids. As far as I can tell, dd is a model student - the kind of student any teacher would like to have.

Today, in dd's backpack, she gets a note to have with teacher's email address on it and says " Mrs. C, Please email me - I like to keep in touch".

I'm freaking out. Mostly because up until now, she never gave me her email address. I know third term report cards are coming due soon, and so maybe that's what it's about. But dd said she didn't think anyone else got one. And this is a handwritten note, not form letter or anything.

What could the teacher possibly want to keep in touch about that a phone call couldn't cover? I'm curious.

Anyone want to speculate? Should I worry?

 

[CarrieMF]

I'd relax. I'd bet the entire class got it. The teacher would have more time to sit down & write an email, or get updates from you through email than to do phone calls.

 

[Miss Information]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarrieMF I'd relax. I'd bet the entire class got it. The teacher would have more time to sit down & write an email, or get updates from you through email than to do phone calls.

But that's just it. Why do this now, as the third term is over and school would be over in two and a half months? Wouldn't you want updates from the beginning of the year (they only get 1 conference a year)? Wouldn't you give out the email address at the start of the year, not the end? Even dd1s kindergarten teacher never gave out the email address or asked for updates. She did however, in the last week of school give the kids her home address so the kids to write to her themselves over the summer.

Maybe it's for updates after she leaves first grade, I don't know. Maybe she wants to do it now instead of when it gets too busy at the end of the year.

Hmm... guess I'll just have to wait until the teacher replies.

 

[EFmom]

I wouldn't worry about it.

Not all teachers use email all the time. Maybe this teacher is just getting started using it as a routine method of communication.

I've gotten email about upcoming field trips, shortages of pencils, the class play and all manner of non-urgent stuff.

 

[lauren]

It's becoming more of a norm for time stretched teachers to communicate by email. Just send her a note and wait to hear back! I'm sure it's just to touch base.

 

[SunshineJ]

If it were something really bad she'd be asking you to call her or schedule an appointment to come in and meet with her, so I think you can relax some. She may just want to e-mail you something cute your DD did or tell you how much she's enjoyed having her in class this year.

 

[CarrieMF]

Quote:

Why do this now, as the third term is over and school would be over in two and a half months? Wouldn't you want updates from the beginning of the year (they only get 1 conference a year)?

not necessarily. She may not have had one set up, or didn't use it often enough. They may have installed a new program & she's getting everyone onto it.

She also may be reaching out to the parents who she hasn't had contact with but instead of singling them out she sent it to everyone.

 

[*Erin*]

sounds sort of generic and casual to me, and i'm a leap-to-negative-conclusions type of person, myself. i would drop her a line, something nice about the year, what fun dd has had doing "...", and don't worry about it

 

[supervee]

Beware of email with teachers... as you know "tone" doesn't come through and things can be taken the wrong way. I'd respond to it, but then respond further with in-person conversations.

 

[Miss Information]

I thought it could be anything of the above.

This is what it turned out to be:

She's recommended dd for as on of a list of "high achievers" to the principal for second grade. She's not sure what that entails, but that might mean for grouping purposes.

I emailed her back this morning and told her I thought that would turn out to be a good thing for her as she's a very hard worker and she likes to keep challenged.

She emailed back and agreed. She also said she'd probably be in the merit program. She told me that they recommend and test in third grade for placement into 4th. She also said dd is so relaxed in her classroom that she's being suckered into being chatty by classmates so I have to remind her about maintaining self control. Apparently, while dd doesn't initiate conversations, she also doesn't stop from responding when other kids talk to her. The teacher will do her part in school, but I have to reinforce it at home as well.

So, yeah, I thought there was a reason, not just idle chit-chat. Guess I'm going to have to figure out how to tell dd she's got to tell her friends to not disturb her while she's working.

 

[Miss Information]

Quote:

Originally Posted by supervee Beware of email with teachers... as you know "tone" doesn't come through and things can be taken the wrong way. I'd respond to it, but then respond further with in-person conversations.

If dd doesn't stop the chattiness in school, I will be going to have an in-person chat with the teacher. But it's really the friends fault, not dd's.

 

[CarrieMF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Information If dd doesn't stop the chattiness in school, I will be going to have an in-person chat with the teacher. But it's really the friends fault, not dd's.

I disagree that it's the friend's fault for your dd talking. Your dd is old enough to take responsbility for it. She doesn't HAVE to respond, she chooses to.

 

[Miss Information]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarrieMF I disagree that it's the friend's fault for your dd talking. Your dd is old enough to take responsbility for it. She doesn't HAVE to respond, she chooses to.

Be that as it may, the teacher ought to have come to me sooner that it was an on-going problem and not wait until report cards came out.

It went on her report card today instead of being brought to my attention sooner - even after I asked the teacher after the second quarter report card chat I had with her a few months ago to keep me informed of it. Teacher did not tell me that there was more problems so I assumed it was resolved.

My dh asked dd about why it was on her report card that she was chatty and she started to sob. When I asked about it, she told me that her friends talk to her and I said to tell them to stop talking during work time she said that they won't stop talking to her even when she tells them to stop. So I did tell her that she needs to ignore them. She said she tries, but they keep doing it. I told her to tell the teacher if they continue to bother her. That's when she said she didn't want to be a tattle tale.

The teacher moved dd to the back of the classroom some time ago. I e-mailed the teacher to request she be put back to the front. The way I feel about it, is that she ought to be set up for success. Other kids would be less likely to distract her if she was close to the teacher.

I think it's mostly the boys that talk with her. She's got strawberry blond hair and blue eyes and she's a cute girl. She also hangs out with them more, plays basketball with them at recess and likes to talk boy stuff (Star Wars, legos and stuff). I think all those things make the boys want to talk with her.

My daughter is very naive. The teacher knows that she is a little bit. What the teacher doesn't know is HOW naive dd is. She doesn't know that one boy in her class also sold dd a 25 cent bag of day-old popcorn for $1. I was livid, but dd begged me not to tell on him. She'd rather get herself into trouble than have someone be mad at her for getting them into trouble.

I know she needs to exert control, but really, the other kids need to be in control as well. The teacher is the one who told me she's being suckered into it, which tells me they are the problem, not her. They need to leave her alone. If they won't listen, it no longer becomes her problem to deal with on her own, it becomes the teacher's problem to help her get heard.