[Diana H.]

I'm a teacher, and I have a suggestion about how to confront a teacher with a concern. It's always best to say, "I'd like to know what happened from your perspective." As angelic as we want to believe our kids are, they can be very good at giving parents an incomplete picture if they think they might get in trouble for something. Also, recognize the value of your child learning to get along with all different types of people, including different teaching styles. You may prefer one teacher's style over another, but your child can benefit from learning how to work in different environments. Teachers appreciate offers to do the mundane--listen to kids read, put together a bulletin board, clean the hamster cage. Field trip chaperones are great, but it's the day-to-day stuff where teachers can really use the help. Some teachers don't like parents observing them in the classroom because it makes them nervous, even if they are excellent teachers. Be respectful of that and limit those visits to shorter periods of time. Offer to help during visits so that you're not just sitting there, staring at her while she works. Offer to do work at home such as cutting things out, etc., in the evenings.