When Your Child Has A "Bad" Teacher

Teachers can make all the difference in how your child performs at school. A teacher can foster a love of learning, they can create an environment of success and they can teach with passion and a respect for all of their students. Teachers can also make a school year miserable. They may expect too much from their students, or be too rigid in their rules. Sometimes, personality clashes will hinder a child's learning. All of us have had experiences with a teacher that we just didn't get along with or we just didn't seem to learn much from. For children with ADHD, the teacher can increase their chances for success during the school year or create tension and stress throughout the year.

Sometimes, however, as parents we don't know exactly what the problem is. We may see grades drop or our children may begin to develop headaches or stomach aches, asking to stay home from school. Our children may come home and tell us they don't like the teacher or that the teacher is mean.

As parents, our first reaction may be to lash out at the teacher. Before jumping to conclusions, take some time to find out exactly what is going on.

• Keep in mind a child's perspective is not always accurate. When your child comes home and states their teacher is mean, see if you can find out more specific information. Was the teacher mean or did the teacher correct your child's behavior? Keep in mind that it is a child telling what has happened and there is always a second side to the story.

• Ask your child specific questions and get in the habit of taking time each day to talk about what went on in school. Rather than discussing the teacher in a negative way and thereby tainting your child's view of their teacher, ask questions about what they learned, about projects they are working on, about their friends. Talk about teachers in a general way and give your child ample opportunity to expand on each teacher. The teacher that is "mean" may simply be stricter than other teachers. Possibly, your child had a favorite teacher last year and they are not satisfied with anyone else.

• If possible, offer to volunteer in the classroom so that you can see first hand how the teacher interacts with the students. If it is not possible, you should still be able to request to sit in the classroom (although for an older child, this might be terribly embarrassing and for a child with ADHD this might be extremely distracting.)

• If you feel there is a definite problem, set up a meeting with the teacher to discuss your concerns. Go into the meeting with the attitude that you are partners with the teacher in providing the best education for your child. Let the teacher know that you are concerned about your child's response to school and give examples. If your child has suddenly developed stomachaches in the morning, let the teacher know and explain that this has not happened in the past. Let them know that you are there to find a solution and are looking for their perspective on the situation. Don't go into the meeting ready to attack the teacher.