Mharms

wow, that’s a very long comment and i thank you for spending the time in writing it. i didn’t know you also have teaching background…

so anyway, i just can’t send the mommies out just like in your case because the principles of the learning center include that parents should be inside the class too (in classes with pupils from 2 to 4 years old). i don’t know if that is good or bad… i will have to see, then i’ll let the world know..

about you using your comment as an entry in your blog…SURE. I am surprised that you asked for my permission. It’s your thoughts so it’s yours and you can do anything with it. cheers!

i can relate.

i used to teach in a prep school (my first job – i don’t consider working in fastfood chains as a real job). I had 19 students, mostly 3-4 years old, and there was also a 2-year old girl who was a “saling pusa”. almost half of the children wouldn’t let their parents leave during classes hours. they’d cry, throw things, escape, lock themselves on the CR, hide under the table, etc (but my students weren’t brats, just too young. still wearing diapers and sucking pacifiers haha!). so, i allowed the parents to stay inside the classroom for just one week. but we had an agreement that after that period, they will have to wait outside. besides, it’s in the school policy. parents/guardians are strictly not allowed inside the classroom premises. I don’t know why … but they were so stubborn. Two months later, they still couldn’t leave their kids alone which made me feel uncomfortable. Imagine teaching while the nanays and yayas are gossiping or coaching their kids during recitation or doing the activities for their kids. I told them like a million times to let the child draw the flower or answer the quiz by herself but they wouldn’t listen. what bothered me most was the fact that my students treated me more like a playmate than a teacher. They felt like they can do anything just because their parents were there. also, I didn’t want to appear to my superiors that I was tolerating their attitude. so, when I couldn’t take it anymore, I scheduled a meeting with the legal guardians (and declared war – joke), yayas are out, and then I told them in a polite yet firm tone “i don’t want to see mothers and nannies inside my class starting tomorrow. if i’d see one, she’ll be going out with her child and i’ll be deleting the student’s name in the master list. i’ve already given you two months and that’s more than enough” the next afternoon … surprise! it’s just me and the tods! my co-teacher was right, i just needed to show them i have authority. but the real challenge has just began. next step was to show the children that we can be friends, we can play, we can joke, but you know, still have that respect.

so there, my story is not inspiring haha! but have to say those two years are one of the highlights of my life. teaching is very challenging and exciting. I could have stayed but then I had a lot of “buts and what ifs” add the fact that I am not an education grad.

good luck to your teaching career and happy blogging!

PS. pahiram ako ng comment ko ha? wala kasi ako update sa blog ko eh. re rewrite ko naman ang title “Sterndal: the terror teacher” nyahaha!