Class Act     

Class Act

Shona Kaisman-Schwartz

Few things unsettle parents more than hearing their child is having difficulty in the classroom while the teacher maintains radio silence. It’s a situation that demands careful navigation.

First, if this happens to you, let me validate your concern and worry. Hearing that your child is being removed from class or struggling — especially without any communication from the teacher — would worry any parent. I’ve been there and I know how unnerving it can feel. But as parental involvement is a delicate dance, more information might be helpful to consider the best next steps.

Kids are notorious for being unreliable reporters. One of my own children used to walk in the door, regularly reporting that he’d had a terrible day. When I checked in with the teachers, they reported that he’d actually had a great day — he just didn’t enjoy the last subject of the day so he went home feeling it was all terrible. What a child perceives as “getting kicked out” might be something entirely different — like a teacher’s supportive strategy of taking a quick break.

Here’s a measured approach I suggest:

First, become a curious investigator. Ask your child specific, open-ended questions: What happens before you leave the classroom? Where are you sent when this happens? Do you know what you did to prompt the rebbi to ask you to leave?