My daughter is in sixth grade and will definitely have a memorable year because her Class adviser is her Math, science, art and computer teacher. Is this acceptable? Is it healthy for my daughter to be taught 4 subjects by one teacher in one school year not to mention she does not like the teacher at all. When she was in grade 5 this teacher was also her class adviser, math and art teacher. What should I do if you think this is unacceptable? I should be careful with my actions too since she is in sixth grade and grades are a big deal at this stage. Thanks everyone.
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cd
18 yrs ago
If your child is in ESF then it is normal in Primary to have your form teacher to teach you all subjects apart from Music and Mandarin, where they have a specialist teacher.
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I gather this is common practice in Hong Kong for international and local schools. Where I come from we have different teachers for all subjects, maybe schools here tend to cut cost thats why they use one teacher for all subjects.
Aspect, yes it will make a BIG difference when my daughter likes the teacher then you would like to go to school and learn more.
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hkkm
18 yrs ago
It's not just in Hong Kong that it's common practice - Australia has this system too. Nothing to do with cutting costs (that I know of).
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Also same frt the US in many school districts but depends. In the US, if you teach kindergarten to 6th grade (or 5th grade depending on the district) you will get an "elementary - multiple subject credential, and from the 6th, or 7th grade onwards to thr 12th grade you will get a "single subject credential."
I am a former HS teacher from the US - and the bottom line is that you have to teach your child how to deal with a difficult situation that she will probably face more than a few times in her life. She has to learn to be with people she does not like, and yet has to achieve and succeed. I used to have SO MANY students come and complain to me about how much they hated so and so teacher for whatever reason - sometimes the reasons were really lame and unreasonable (he smells like coffee) and other times more valid (He speaks too fast and I can not understand him).
Students find it very easy to blame their achievement on their teachers - I do not like him or her therefore I cannot achieve. More and more they are willing to blame EVERYONE but themselves and we as parents enable them to do it. Provided that this teacher is a decent human being, qualified to teach what he does, I think a better approach is to teach your child how to cope with the fact that sometimes you do not get what you like and you have to live with it. In the future she may not like whom she has to work with, or live with or sit with. And yet, she will have to survive it somehow.
Middleschoolers are very emotional and so a lot of their actions are colored by emotions. It is normal and she can adjust.
It is hard, and you are right to be very careful in how to react. Be sympathetic yet remind her of the overall lesson that she has to learn regardless of circumstances. She ultimately is the maker of her own situation at school.
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petit
18 yrs ago
hkchoichoi,
Very good advise, I completelly agree with you.
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I do agree with you strongly, hkchoichoi and I get your point. You are looking at it at the teachers viewpoint and I am looking at it from a Mothers view point. I just wish that a teacher teaching so many subjects would swap classes with another teacher and that way students get to meet teachers with different views and styles.
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ranjv
18 yrs ago
Hi,We are fairly new to HK.My son currently does the Canadian curriculum where the same teacher teaches him almost everthing.He was in the CBSE which is a tough Indian curriculum .Here we had different teachers for different subjects.As a teacher in the same school with Grade 2 I was given class charge and 2 subjects only.But in the last past 8 months I have realised that as long as your child is fine with the academics and the teacher's approach you need not get hazzled by that.Keep monitoring the child's progress/interest.
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Highdesertnow -
It would be great if students loved all their teachers, wouldn't it? And you would feel good about sending your kids to school knowing that they enjoyed their classes and teachers. It's a hard world of education these days.
In middle school she'll start having a variety of teachers so not to worry. Right now she's building her foundations so it is important for her to learn good study habits, figure out how to learn from someone she doesn't like, and work hard . I've seen too often kids who don't get their acts together in middle school often drowning in high school because they are expected to already know how to perform and achieve.
Good luck! It'll be fine. Provide lots of emotional support and care for your child at home, and she'll do well regardless. In my experience, the students that generally had a great track record at school were those whose parents paid attention to what was going on in their school work and encouraged and helped them when necessary.
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Thank you for your advice, hkchoichoi. Very much aprreciated. Will print this page and keep it, you are like Maya Angelo.
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Sorry, it should be Maya Angelou.
By the way, hkchoichoi, any suggestions on books to read about raising children? Thanks.
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No no - not Maya Angelou. I LOVE her - and wouldn't dare compare myself to her. Thank you though for the high compliment.
For girls - adolescent.
Raising Ophelia - by Mary Pipher. it's a good look and insight into the difficulties faced by adolescents - it's a bit older - but I think many of the issues still apply to do.
I love books by Mel Levine. He has a keen insight into children - has mostly focused on those children with learning disabilities but he has a great book about how current childrearing pracitices (lots of praise, continual feedback, lots of support) has actually raised a generation of people that are almost unfit for our modern work force. It's called Ready or Not, Here Life Comes.
How was your daughter today? Did she complain about her teacher again? Hear her complaints and then support and encourage her. Middleschoolers are resilient with the right support.
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etnad
18 yrs ago
How did your daughter perform in school the past years? Did she make it to the top 5, ten, average, or below average performance? In general, pupils and students who usually show dislike on their teacher(s), their subjects, their classmates; show disinterest in school activities are those who are slow and have difficulty catching up with the flow of lessons. That's why they get bored, loose interest, and look forward to changes (new teahcers, new faces, new teaching approaches). Observe your daughter's learning capabilities. If it is necessary for her to have a tutor, get her one. It will help.
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