Management Issues: Classrooms, Parents, Anxiety

Just read an interesting post on classroom management techniques. I'm amazed at how well these ideas could work not all ages and across the learning spectrum (pun intended).

And they really are pretty basic. Would love to see them used particularly in Nest middle-school environment, where so many things change about school. In addition to whatever strategies are already working of course; I'm not trying to diss the current 6-8 program, just acknowledge that already the moms of second-graders at our school are starting to worry about middle school!

One of the strategies is to make sure the classroom and principal send the same message. Ideally that should be true for parents as well as the kids, but it's nice for parents to have the principal able to see both sides and mediate when necessary. Of course she (or he) will have a bent toward the teachers, after all that's her team, but I appreciate one who's willing to hear us out. I'd hope that would be true for the kids as well. (I know it is at our school.)

That said, though, I was listening to a conversation yesterday about one of my fellow moms who'd had a situation with her child resolved to her satisfaction by involving the principal. There are a lot of engaged, hands-on parents in this program. At times I try to take a page from their playbook and get more involved in what's being done for DuckyBoy.

But overall I think I'm pretty low-key about it. I ask, I send notes when I think there's something to be dealt with, but try to keep the tone of, this isn't life-or-death.

I feel like DB gets a lot of attention and services and my comments are taken seriously. And I wonder if it's because I don't have to resolve every little thing. There are certainly more things I let slide than I'd like, but after all, I'm not homeschooling and I've got to start letting go a little.

Truth be told, I'm anxious when I don't say anything.

Like today. It's Twin Day -- when kids pick a friend and dress alike. Last year was easy, I made identical T-shirts for DB and his best girlfriend. This year, his two girlfriends had already picked each other. And he didn't like the "triplets" idea --"It's Twin Day," he stressed. So I sent an email; then anyway the first-grade the teachers sent home a note suggesting that, if people didn't have one twin in mind, boys could wear blue shirt and girls, pink. I think that's a nice way to handle it.

DB didn't love it. "Why do the boys get stuck with blue?" But he agreed to wear blue anyway. Unbeknowst to him, I emailed the moms of 2 of his buddies from gymnastics to say he'd be wearing his PGI shirt. So he may have a real twin after all.

He was cranky this morning. My imagination wonders if Twin Day was already on his mind. (He got mad when I mentioned it.) I hope the day goes OK, and I wonder if I could have managed it more.

I'll know later!

In the meantime, I do know he has a caring team of adults nearby.