Not Liking Preschool Teacher

I would say wait and see, because part of learning about going to school for the kids is being able to deal with the teacher. In elementary school it might not be as easy to make that kind of switch, and this would be good practice for him. Also, your son might respond very positively to this teacher, despite other people's experiences. Good luck!

Preschool is your child's first experience with a learning environment, if the experience is poor it can and often will influence a child's attitude and behavior in and toward school for their entire school career.
Academics are great BUT they should be SECONDARY in a preschool -I say this from experience and I know that many parents have been coerced into thinking that their child will do poorly in regular school if they don't learn a lot and "get ahead" in preschool. This is a misrepresentation of the purpose of preschool. YES children do better in regular school if they have had a positive experience in a QUALITY preschool program. A quality preschool program stresses building up a child's self-value, self-confidence and develops a child's natural sense of curiosity about the world. IT DOES NOT stress academics, sitting for extended periods of time, raising hands, names on the board, shame tactics, a quiet environment, or perfect behavior. Sometimes a stern voice is needed to maintain order, but I don't think that it what you are sensing-I think you have found yourself faced with a preschool teacher that doesn't allow preschoolers to be preschoolers. Preschoolers are not Kindergardeners, first graders or college students!

According to DCFS standards preschoolers should NEVER be shamed, forced to sit for more that 10 minutes unless by their choice, and the environment should be play-based and inviting. In my professional opinion preschool teachers should be happy, confident, warm, and gentle and understand some basic preschool behaviors and attitudes, if this teacher doesn't then why would anyone send their child to her class?!

If you have any doubts and you can change the teacher do it NOW. Never apologize for your feelings or parental intuition. You are paying for this service and it is your right to expect your child to be in an environment that will best suit their needs. Remember once you get into public school it will be MUCH harder to make any changes (as I am learning already only a month into Kindergarten).

FYI I ran a preschool and have taught for over 10 years so I know it can feel awkward to request a change, but a good director will understand and oblige you. Just don't be confrontational simply tell the director in confidence that you are concerned that there may be a personality conflict between your son and the teacher and you prefer a switch. When she encourages you to try the class politely refuse and insist that your child be switched to a different class. Tell her that it makes you more comfortable and since you pay the tuition you'd like your request honored. (Bring your husband if you can and have him back you up). Apologize for any inconvenience but remain firm. BUT if the director is really good she will have a valid reason to back up her staff members-if she doesn't I would be leery of keeping your child enrolled. A weak director will make excuses for a staff members attitude but good director won't and will instead tell you why that teacher is employed and why she believes in her abilities. So, take that into consideration too-if you end up feeling comfortable with the director's reasoning you may want to concede, if you aren't satisfied DON'T BACK DOWN.

Preschool should be fun and hands on and exciting, if it isn't then it is definitely NOT a quality preschool program.

Unlike 1st-12th grade, pre-school is a choice you make for your child. It is not required...and it certainly is not free, as you are paying for your son to attend. If you are unhappy with the teacher or the school, by all means you should switch! There is no reason for you or your son to be miserable in any optional activity. Further, there is no need to teach a child in preschool how to deal with teacher conflicts -- this will be lost on a 3 or 4 year old! Preschool should be a fun, nurturing experience in which your son can practice independence away from the home and begin to socialize. Best of luck to both of you!

I would switch, if possible. I agree with the other comments - preschool should be about social skills and learning about school and learning through play and activity. It should be positive and warm and welcoming.

My kids are older, and I've learned a lot about compromising my perfect ideals in the real world. But I haven't given up on preschool yet :-) Why compromise when you don't have to?

B.,

I definitely agree with Jenni L. We had a very similar situation with my son when he was in preschool. I had a very (very!) bad feeling about a certain teacher and she was not good with the kids, condescending and almost exactly as you described.

Do speak with the director. A bad seed can influence your child. My son STILL talks about this particular teacher (she was actually removed from his classroom and eventually left the school before the school year was over).

I wish you best of luck when you speak with the director.
B.

Put your son in another class or remove him all together if you can.

I'm having a similar problem with my daughter's kindergarten teacher (only a week in) and the bad thing is she's now attending a half day at a public school and so I don't know that I would have the option to switch her. It's a shame because her preschool teacher was the best ever.