Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Pet Peeve Confession

Confession Time.

I love teaching kindergarten.

Okay, you already knew that.

But just because I spend much of my time shaking my sillies out, creating rainbow magic with finger paint and learning the latest and greatest bristle block spaceship building techniques with five and six year old engineers ~doesn't~ mean I'm all sweetness and light.

Oh no.

I've got a dark side.

A sarcastic side.

A sassy side.

I'm letting her out for just a second here... maybe some of you will be able to relate.

Ahem.  Cough.

Dear Parents,
I understand that you might be curious as to what kinds of learning tools and materials I have stockpiled for your children to use over the course of this special year. I must insist however, that you ~ASK FIRST~ before you enter my classroom (as I'm dismissing students outside) and start throwing open the doors that protect MY classroom library, MY teaching tools, MY equipment, MY learning props, and my STUDENTS' personal belongings. 
And *should* I feel inclined to allow you to peruse these personal belongings (no, they're NOT all supplied by the school district for your child's use, **I** purchased them with my own money, thank-you-very-much), you will kindly close the cabinetry doors after you've gone snooping.
Okie dokie artichokie?


Boundaries people, boundaries. Not just for kindergarten mastery, you know?

Photobucket

16 comments:

  1. I don't know what I would do if I ever caught any of my parents doing that. Aye, aye, aye!

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  2. Oh my gosh, I would blow a gasket if that happened in my room! Our parents aren't allowed to walk the building during dismissal.

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  3. I lock my classroom door occasionally...if nobody's in my room, parents are in the building, and I have to be somewhere else in the building. Things have a way of "walking off".

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  4. ...by the way, nice picture. I have felt like that before.

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  5. Great photo! I am always shocked by parents...being one myself too. I would never dream of snooping. Maybe they're just so excited that their child is in Kindy? As you share manners & rules with the kids, hopefully they'll go home & share that with their folks too ;-)

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  6. Anonymous10:14 PM

    Awesome post...I try very hard to hide my sarcasm and snarkiness, but..it often comes out when people least expect it!

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  7. oops...i just commented with my son's gmail account...yikes...as if my 10 year old is visiting a kindergarten site...giggle :)

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  8. OH MY !!! I do not know what I would have done! No wonder why we all teach manners in school....

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  9. Anonymous12:17 AM

    Thank you for posting what many of us think quietly in our heads.

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  10. Seriously? I can't believe someone would actually DO something like this!! :-0 I hope that parent's child's social skills are more well-developed.

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  11. Anonymous11:31 AM

    In my case...I love it when parents allow their children on registration days to get into my teaching materials...or personal stuff...or turn on computers...or request markers and paper for their kids...
    mary c.

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  12. Its funny there are a few things that every man remembers...and one of them is there Kindergarten teacher. Mine was Ms Parsons and that was 34 yrs ago. It shows you the imprint that your first teacher leaves on you...your an angel.....zman sends

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  13. Anonymous7:58 AM

    I'm with Gumbiecat...During registration or kindergarten orientation, I have parents pulling books and games off my personal bookshelves. It gives me a good idea on what students don't have any boundaries or manners. I never say anything because I don't want that first meeting to be negative. So when the kids come in I really let them know that those shelves are for my things and let them know where their things are.

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  14. I wish I was shocked but this happens to me all the time. Just last week I caught a parent looking in my friends classroom and I went in. The mom was like, oh are you "mrs. so and so" I was like nope, just coming in to say hi and GET YOU OUT OF HERE. One of these days I'm going to their offices...

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  15. One year during parent night I actually found a parent sitting at my computer and clicking and opening files on my desktop! Unbelievable.

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  16. Anonymous11:11 PM

    Thank you for posting this, wonderful picture...its worth a 1000 words. I had a 'helicopter parent' who felt that she had the power to DO ANYTHING in my classroom before asking. She would come in and close all of the windows in my 95 degree sauna room without asking me first. Parent's response, 'its too cold..cough, cough..my boy will get sick." Well, the boy will get sick in a sauna classroom with no ventilation too.

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As always, thank you for your comments, tips, suggestions and questions!