Practicum student Mom wants to come into her son's classroom

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Preschool

MEMBERS

16 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Preschool Teachers Chatboard

Practicum student Mom wants to come into her son's classroom

by Lorraine

Sep 14, 2014

Hi! I am writing from British Columbia, Canada. I believe that my question is one that could affect everyone so i hope I can get suggestions from this board. (I believe in you) I work in a daycare (with a preschool component) We have a child that is on the Autism spectrum and has some supported care. His mom has just begun taking her E.C.E. online and asked our director if she could do her first practicum at our location. We just opened up on september 2nd 2014, so we have not been open long. When the director said yes, she thought the enrolment would have been bigger and that we would have had two "pre-school" rooms. Instead we have only the one. The one that her child is in. We do not believe that she should be allowed to be in the same room as her child. We have seen the results while she was doing an observation outside in the yard. Her son sat on her lap most of the time while outside and hardly played with any of the children. When he did play, if there was an issue, he would run...See MoreHi! I am writing from British Columbia, Canada. I believe that my question is one that could affect everyone so i hope I can get suggestions from this board. (I believe in you) I work in a daycare (with a preschool component) We have a child that is on the Autism spectrum and has some supported care. His mom has just begun taking her E.C.E. online and asked our director if she could do her first practicum at our location. We just opened up on september 2nd 2014, so we have not been open long. When the director said yes, she thought the enrolment would have been bigger and that we would have had two "pre-school" rooms. Instead we have only the one. The one that her child is in. We do not believe that she should be allowed to be in the same room as her child. We have seen the results while she was doing an observation outside in the yard. Her son sat on her lap most of the time while outside and hardly played with any of the children. When he did play, if there was an issue, he would run over to mom and hug her leg. I would go over to try and get him to come with me so we could problem solve with the other child. He wouldn't even look at me. I asked him numerous times, with hand outreached and he ignored me. Mom did nothing.

I plan on talking to the director AGAIN tomorrow. I talked with her on Friday and she said she would talk to the mom. We have been going back and forth with the director for over 3 weeks about this issue. The mom starts her practicum on this Wednesday (3 days away) and her and her son will not be here on tuesday due to a dental appointment. I told the director that when she is in her son's environment at school, she changes who he is. He will neither talk to the teachers or friends in the centre. He ends up not participating. I know the enrolment of the centre is low and the director is afraid that if she tells the mom its not in her or her son's best interest for her to do her practicum in her son;s classroom that the mom will pull the boy from the program…….money lost! I think that its come down to the almighty buck! My other problem is that I can't let this go. This is about what is best for the child. I know that if (theres really no if about it) I pursue this, its very possible that my job is on the line. I talked to my husband and he said that if you don't stand up for something, then you stand for nothing. I know in my heart since this has begun that I will not let this go……Im hoping that you could give me some needed ammunition to go into the fight with. Your help would be appreciated. Im going to work tomorrow, before going there I will be calling this mom;s college (its online) to see if they condone this.

Comment

(1)

report post

Cheryl H. Wow Lorraine, You are in a tough position here. I just joined this group today so I was not here in September. How did things work out? What was the final decision?

I think part of the problem is the procrastination on the director's of not communicating the concerns to the parent. As soon as it was clear there was to be only 1 classroom, ...See MoreWow Lorraine, You are in a tough position here. I just joined this group today so I was not here in September. How did things work out? What was the final decision?

I think part of the problem is the procrastination on the director's of not communicating the concerns to the parent. As soon as it was clear there was to be only 1 classroom, a conversation, stating the concerns, should have happened. Instead, it went on until 3 days before the internship.

Sometimes, parents just don't work out when in their child's classroom, other times the do. We (in your case, the director), needs to be comfortable explaining that and following through with the parent.

If the parent is in your class now and you are still having issues, perhaps a new approach will work (as it would be too late to now remove the parent from the internship).

1. Find out, through conversation, specifically what her internship requires. Is it observations? Is it to write up lesson plans? Is it to write up and carry out lesson plans?

If she is just beginning her coursework, the internship is actually for observations only. If that is the case, I would suggest the following:

She observes in the classroom once a week (or twice a week) for 1 hour.

Clearly state the time of day and the amount of time she will observe.

She will then be given activities/assignments to help with that will benefit her coursework as well as your classroom (perhaps develop and make a matching activity; creating sensory boards; creating sensory bottles). I'm not talking busy work here, but very tangible activities that will save YOU time; provide the children with hands on activities and items to help them grow and develop; and provide the Mom/intern with assignments that put her course work into action (if she is taking language development course, creating a class book; if she is taking math & science in the ECE classroom type of course, she can decide on a math and science activity and create the necessary materials. If she is taking an administration in ECE class, she can help with planning/orgainizing schedules, newsletters, etc. with the director).

I hope all is going well.

I have attached a link to my article about parents in the preschool classroom.

Cheryl n 9/14/14, Lorraine wrote: > Hi! I am writing from British Columbia, Canada. I believe that > my question is one that could affect everyone so i hope I can > get suggestions from this board. (I believe in you) I work in a > daycare (with a preschool component) We have a child that is > on the Autism spectrum and has some supported care. His > mom has just begun taking her E.C.E. online and asked our > director if she could do her first practicum at our location. > We just opened up on september 2nd 2014, so we have not > been open long. When the director said yes, she thought the > enrolment would have been bigger and that we would have > had two "pre-school" rooms. Instead we have only the one. > The one that her child is in. We do not believe that she > should be allowed to be in the same room as her child. We > have seen the results while she was doing an observation > outside in the yard. Her son sat on her lap most of the time > while outside and hardly played with any of the children. > When he did play, if there was an issue, he would run over to > mom and hug her leg. I would go over to try and get him to > come with me so we could problem solve with the other child. > He wouldn't even look at me. I asked him numerous times, > with hand outreached and he ignored me. Mom did nothing. > > I plan on talking to the director AGAIN tomorrow. I talked > with her on Friday and she said she would talk to the mom. > We have been going back and forth with the director for over > 3 weeks about this issue. The mom starts her practicum on > this Wednesday (3 days away) and her and her son will not be > here on tuesday due to a dental appointment. I told the > director that when she is in her son's environment at school, > she changes who he is. He will neither talk to the teachers or > friends in the centre. He ends up not participating. I know > the enrolment of the centre is low and the director is afraid > that if she tells the mom its not in her or her son's best > interest for her to do her practicum in her son;s classroom > that the mom will pull the boy from the program…….money > lost! I think that its come down to the almighty buck! My > other problem is that I can't let this go. This is about what is > best for the child. I know that if (theres really no if about it) > I pursue this, its very possible that my job is on the line. I > talked to my husband and he said that if you don't stand up > for something, then you stand for nothing. I know in my > heart since this has begun that I will not let this go……Im > hoping that you could give me some needed ammunition to > go into the fight with. Your help would be appreciated. Im > going to work tomorrow, before going there I will be calling > this mom;s college (its online) to see if they condone this.

Oct 30, 2014

report post