I don't need a play-by-play, but a little feedback would be nice ...
I'd love to hear from parents about their preschool experiences and the level of feedback that they get.
Because while my son is not technically in preschool yet, he has spent the last several weeks in a part-time summer camp program that has a great reputation and is quite popular in the Boynton area.
He's quite tall and he'll be four in September, so he's probably bigger and a little more mature than most of the kids in his class. Yet, he has been a stay-at-home kid for most of his life and being dropped off at school has been a huge adjustment for him.
To that end, I've been a little inquisitive of his teacher. How'd he do, I ask. Fine, she says. Ohhh. Fine, huh? You know, I understand that she has 16 kids in her classroom, but she's got two other teachers there as well. Going to school is huge for Evan, and short of surreptitiously installing a nanny-cam in a cubby to spy on my son, I'm depending on her to let me know how my son is doing. Is he interacting with the kids? Is he hanging out by himself? Does he sing along with the other kids? Is he going potty while he's there? Things like that.
I try to ask specific questions but I get this vague answer about how he's doing just great. So I'm wondering if the lack of feedback is because this is considered summer camp? For his part, Evan says his time there is sometimes fun, sometimes just okay, and sometimes he only likes it "a little bit."
Comments
I often find myself in the same situation. Last week in particular, my daughter had been out of day care for over a week (sick a few days then we were on vacation). When I picked her up one teacher said she was good, no problems but when I asked another out of her ear shot she said she had a rough day...I was confused and a little upset about the two different stories. We do get report cards to tell us what she ate and how much she napped and her bathroom activity but sometimes I need more and I also feel like its a big hassle.
Posted by: Ashley | July 16, 2007 1:28 PM
Having gone through the pre-school experience enough times myself, I understand what you mean about needing feedback. Asking open-ended questions that can't be answered with yes or no might be helpful. One other thing I found was trying to ask questions when picking up a child is usually a hectic time. Try finding out when would be a good time for them to get a call from you on the phone, perhaps once a week. It sounds like socialization is your main concern, as was mine. Keep at it until you get the info you need.
Posted by: Mom of 4 | July 16, 2007 4:04 PM
During the school year, my son was apparently a different kid in before and after care than he was in his regular class. I got two completely different stories on his behavior.
Now that it's camp, I don't get any reports at all. The only thing I can suggest is to try to observe the class to get an idea of what's going on. While you'd think the teach will be on her best behavior, they forget you're there after awhile. I was amazed at what I saw when I sent into my son's class.
All that being said, my son is very happy where he is. He loves his friends and enjoys going to school. While I had some issues with the teacher, what mattered was he didn't.
Posted by: Sara | July 16, 2007 6:12 PM
Your feedback makes me feel better, at a time when I've been hungry for some! I think you're definitely right about asking questions at a time other than pick-up time, and I appreciate all of the suggestions and comments. Keep 'em coming.
Posted by: Nancy Othon | July 16, 2007 10:49 PM
I work with preschool children with special needs. Pick up time is definitely a hectic time. For my part, I try to offer one "nugget" of good info daily e.g., "He really loved playdoh today" when parents pick up their kids. For more info, I'd suggest asking the teacher for a good time that you can call her to ask more detailed questions.
Posted by: Amy | July 18, 2007 5:52 PM