Pulling the teacher card

My friend, a kindergarten teacher, is on leave from teaching to be at home with her 3-turning-4 year old and 1 year old. I have a B.Ed and maintain OCT certification, but did not teach in the classroom. (I tutored but not in a school). It does mean that we have a different perspective as our children have started junior kindergarten in the public school system. We view this transition as teachers as well as parents.

She is experiencing some differences of opinion with the teacher at her son's school, and isn't sure whether to reveal that she's a teacher. For now, she hasn't felt the need, not to pull rank, but to assert a certain level of authority to validate her views. If she isn't heard as a parent, she can perhaps make the point that she has recent relevant experience, as it were, and address the other teacher as a colleague, from the same side of the school fence...

For my part, I think I also might wait until there is a purpose and good reason for which to disclose that I too, have teaching qualifications. On the school trip, I think I was moved to be somewhat more directive towards the kids, even those not in my group, reinforcing what the teachers were saying, but also to engage with them more, and get to know them, recognizing them as the interesting individuals that they are, at 3-5 years old. It seemed to me that the other parent volunteers hung back, content to gather their groups around them like extended family on an outing.

I think we are also aware of how much is going on in the classroom that we aren't seeing, so we take the opportunities we have to infer and to observe. We learn who our child's peers are, we are attuned to what they are learning, we consult the classroom website, we participate in or take positions on the parent council, we elicit feedback from our children on what the teachers say on a daily basis. We read all the paperwork carefully, and send carefully-crafted notes back. We read the curriculum standards and note what new things the children are able to do.

I am going to be taken up on my offer to volunteer in the classroom on occasion. I'm looking forward to contributing and also observing, this path not taken...to be continued!