why...

Why oh why does Ellie have such luck getting the most loathed teachers of this school???? Even in Grade 1 when this teacher was teaching grade 2, EVERYONE said, "Oh just pray you don't get so and so." And this year I had heard that this particular teacher was teaching grade 4, and lo and behold... Ellie gets her. Ellie is in a grade 4/5 split, which had me freaked out at first given the fact that there are only 8 grade 4's and 17 grade 5's!!! But she was selected as one of the students that could handle it, and she is really loving the set up, but her teacher is a total hardass. NOT as bad as last year, but Ellie says she is way worse in the mean dept. But who knows. Ellie, as most kids, would probably say any strict teacher is mean, you know? But as I have said a million times before, we were blessed by having really a fantastic teacher for 2 years in a row, and so now we are totally spoiled. The thing is, the great teacher was so nurturing and sweet 95 % of the time, so when she had to discipline the remaining 5% of the time the kids knew she meant business. If she raised her voice (Ellie says she never did) boy did they listen. If she was mad then there must be a good reason for it. None of them wanted to disappoint her, they just wanted to be the best that they could be for her. A sign of a great leader and teacher. These other ones, well, they are hard asses 95% of the time and nice 5%. Some people say that it makes the kids appreciate the niceness more. But anyway, the bottom line is there is not one single solitary parent in the school that has had this teacher before who has said anything really overly positive. But apparently as far as "teaching" goes, she is at least better in that dept than last years. She is organized, has a very effective discipline tool that does NOT involve random detention at recess, etc. So, we will strive to have a good working relationship with her like always, and like last year Ellie will just have to suck it up marshmallow.

Have a great day.