Should You Request a Teacher for Your Child? Education Families.com

The schools in my district have very different policies on requesting teachers. My school takes open requests from anyone for any teacher. Some schools only take requests under certain circumstances while others take requests under no circumstances. The principal has the ultimate say in whether requests are taken or not. So should you request a specific teacher for your child? Before you do, please consider the following thoughts below.

Ask yourself why you are requesting the teacher. Few parents that make requests have actually been into the teachers’ classrooms and have made an educated decision. Most parents that I have had encounters with are simply requesting based on the opinions of others. While it is important to gather the opinions of others, is their child the same as yours? As the saying goes “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. Other parents make requests based on a name. They know the teacher’s family or the teacher’s family is considered to be prominent in the community. While knowing the teacher does offer some comfort to a parent, does that mean that the teacher is right for the child. I know some teaching coworkers very well. I have built friendships with them. But let’s face it not everyone is meant to be a teacher even if they are a good person.

Next take into consideration that often times class lists are not randomly put together. The principal and previous year’s teacher have input. No one knows all of the students like the faculty. Teachers and administration work hard to create a balanced classroom. If one class is full of children that requested the class, it is very hard to create balance. A teacher may find herself in a room full of lively children, or timid. The personality of the class could be very overwhelming for the teacher, no matter how good she is.

Finally, try to avoid making requests for your child to be with specific children. It is true that your sweet little girl may cry less and be happier if she is with her best friend, but are the two compatible in a working environment? School is not all about socializing. Will the children end-up being separated and make the class difficult to manage?

Try this instead…

Before making a request for a specific teacher try requesting a specific personality. For example if your child has her feelings hurt easily, explain this in writing and ask for a teacher that has a mild manner and is soft spoken (but do not ask for a specific name). If your child can be unruly, ask for a more structured teacher. The administration will handle determining which teacher will work best, after all they want a smooth year also.