Being a Parent and a Teacher

So, I teach in the same district where my kids go to school.  I love my kids teachers and I am very impressed with all they have accomplished with both boys.  And, as a teacher, I know that we teachers have the worst reputation for jumping too quick when something seems amiss at school with our own children.  Maybe this is because we thing we know best because we are in the profession, or we think "I would do this, this way."  Regardless or why teachers are really bad about this when it comes to our own kids, I have vowed not to be "that parent." 

I know, I know, rules that we make for ourselves are really just becoming to be broken.  Well here is the issue, and here is what I am going to try so that I don't inevitably become "that parent."  Emerson, my extreme extrovert, who can be quite pushy about having people play with him, seems to be having center time all by himself.  Mind you, I know I am only getting his perception of the story.  At school when they have center time, they pick a friend then pick a center.  Well, according to Emerson he is not getting picked by anyone, so he goes off to play at the computer by himself.  This concerns me on two levels.  One, I believe the biggest things students learn in school is the ability to appropriately interact with their peers.  This is one reason we have him in the class he is in.  Secondly, Emerson has major technology addiction issues.  I am not sure how I feel about him getting even more screen time each day.  Now, from a teacher's perspective, I get it.  Emerson is an angle in front of a screen, but he is not learning the skills he needs to learn.  Not to mention this exclusion from his peers makes him very sad. 

My mama bear instinct was to immediately send a long winded e-mail to his teacher telling her that, maybe Emerson should get to pick a friend towards the beginingof the choice rather than being left over.  But then I am one of "those parents" telling my son's teacher how to do her job (which by the way she is excellent at.)  So, we had a long talk with Emerson about how he needs to talk to the teacher before we will intervene.  We explained that the teacher can't know that this makes him sad, unless he takes the time to let her know. 

I feel good about this.  Our little ones won't be little forever.  I want them to learn now how to advocate for themselves and learn to listen to the suggestions.  We shall see how it goes.