Changing teachers mid year
 

Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge
population growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers
(taking the school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly
chose the students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from
current teachers, routines, friends.

No, we're not happy. Any suggestions on how to get through it?

Thanks-
Lesley

Changing teachers mid year
 

Hi --

If it's TRULY a random switch, then complain. But you may find that
they switched kids around with various criteria in mind. Ask what those
criteria are, then discuss it with your daughter.

Next, discuss the entire change with your daughter as being an
adventure. It's kind of like starting a whole new school year, but in
October! Remind her that the kids who are still in the old classes are
stuck in the same old grind, but SHE gets to do something new.

Not sure if that will work, but a good attitude on your part should do a
lot to help your daughter think more positively of the change.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

Changing teachers mid year
 

Lesley wrote:
Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge
population growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers
(taking the school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly
chose the students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from
current teachers, routines, friends.

No, we're not happy. Any suggestions on how to get through it?

Thanks-
Lesley


I don't mean to be sarcastic but what's there "to get through"?
She's about 13 yo and should be able to handle minor changes
in her life. Treat it as a new school year - new friends,
new teachers, etc. With 12-14 homerooms she should be used to
this every Sept.

/dan

Changing teachers mid year
 

Lesley wrote:
Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge
population growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers
(taking the school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly
chose the students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from
current teachers, routines, friends.

No, we're not happy. Any suggestions on how to get through it?



When I started 6th grade I went through a similar experience.Due to
redistricting all of the kids from my elementary school's 5th grade
went to one middle school--except for 6 of us who were sent to a
different school. I did not want to go, hated the idea of it, thought
it was unfair, etc. I even went with my mom to the school
superintendent's office to complain. In the end, I went and it all
worked out fine. I ended up with a much wider group of friends, had
great teachers, and suffered no visible harm. Kids will adapt, they
will take their cues from you, too, so present this as an adventure, a
chance to be with new kids, the school year is only 1/4 or so over, so
there is a lot of time left to develop new relationships. If the
school district is smart the new teachers will be sensitive to the
changes and make efforts to really get the new class bonding.

chris

Changing teachers mid year
 

"Lesley" wrote in message
.net...
Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge population
growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers (taking the
school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly chose the
students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from current
teachers, routines, friends.

No, we're not happy. Any suggestions on how to get through it?


Have her look at it as an opportunity, and with a positive attitude. If you
react negatively to the change, she will probably pick up on that and react
similarly.

Besides, its not like they pulled (only) her out of a class and placed her
into an already established class group. They have rearranged a number of
students, who are all dealing with the change together. I'd expect the
transition to be much easier because of that.

Changing teachers mid year
 

Lesley wrote:
Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge
population growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers
(taking the school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly
chose the students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from
current teachers, routines, friends.

No, we're not happy. Any suggestions on how to get through it?

Thanks-
Lesley


I would emphasize the positives. New friends and new possibilities.
Also, put things into prospective. It's only a disaster if you let it
be one.

If your school year started in late August/ early September, it's still
early in the school year. Your daughter has been assigned to a different
team, not a new school. So, she'll see her old teachers (some may even
be on the new team) and old friends (some may be reassigned).

Change isn't easy but it's not necessarily bad.

Changing teachers mid year
 

Jeanne wrote:
Lesley wrote:

Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge
population growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers
(taking the school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly
chose the students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from
current teachers, routines, friends.

No, we're not happy. Any suggestions on how to get through it?

Thanks-
Lesley


I would emphasize the positives. New friends and new possibilities.
Also, put things into prospective. It's only a disaster if you let it
be one.

If your school year started in late August/ early September, it's still
early in the school year. Your daughter has been assigned to a different
team, not a new school. So, she'll see her old teachers (some may even
be on the new team) and old friends (some may be reassigned).

Change isn't easy but it's not necessarily bad.


Everyone has made good points. But it's fair to ask
the kid: What have you lost in making this change for
the good. In almost every change, something is lost
as something else is gained. This could be a good
teaching opportunity on analyzing pros and cons of
change.

FWIW, such a change would not phase my DD at all. It
would take quite a lot more prep time to get DS to
roll with the punch, however. YMMV.


Scott DD 12 and DS 9

Changing teachers mid year
 

Everyone's saying be positive about it, which of course I know. But
first days of school can be tough, and she just went through one nine
weeks ago. It would've been nice if she had seen an old friend at the
meeting where they told these kids they've been moved, but she didn't.
And none of her pals from this year's team got switched with her.

So I'm not telling her by any stretch that this is the worst thing
that's ever happened, but she's already tired of hearing "it's a chance
to make new friends!" Apparently that one got overused at school
yesterday. The good news is she still gets to go on the zoo field trip
with her old team next month; having to back out of that would have
really ticked her off.

Lesley

Changing teachers mid year
 

In article ,
Lesley wrote:


Anyone been through this? My seventh grader found out yesterday that
she's been assigned to a new teaching team. Our area has huge
population growth, and they've hired two new seventh grade teachers
(taking the school from 12 to 14 7th grade homerooms). They randomly
chose the students to be assigned to the new team, uprooting them from
current teachers, routines, friends.


Do they normally form teams randomly? It seems to me that most schools
form teams with some thought for balance of abilities, or keeping
incompatible kids apart, or making sure everyone has a friend, or other
criteria. If your school does not normally form teams randomly, then
it seems odd to be doing so in this case. I expect they were trying to
be "fair" by randomizing who would be "uprooted", but it seems *un*fair
that this team is random if the other teams were developed with more
thought.

I'm sure it's too late to do anything about this factor at this time,
and perhaps I'm way off and all the teams are random, but if I were to
complain, this is what I would be complaining about.

As to your daughter, I suspect she is settling in well now, and hopefully
has found at least some benefit to the new team. If she's still miserable,
see if you can find out what specifically she misses from the old setup,
and see if there's some way that loss can be mitigated for her.

Take care,
--Robyn
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