What Would U Prefer Elem Teacher

Some of my kids' best teachers have been the "mean" ones.
Seriously, they are not there to make the parents feel good or to coddle the students (well, except for preschool.)
I really try to not pass any judgement until at least a few months in. If my kid is learning, growing and being treated fairly and with respect then I am satisfied.
We've had some "sweet" and "kind" teachers that were simply ineffective and flaky.
I prefer quality of work over bubbly personality any day!

My dd had a 1st grade teacher similar to the one you're describing. Some of the children in our neighborhood had this teacher previously also and the parents all warned me that they didn't care for her. Well, I was very nervous to say the least and automatically signed up to be the room parent since it would give me a better chance of getting to know the teacher and be in her room occasionally to see what she was really like for myself. I'm happy to say that although she is not the bubbly, hand-holding type of person with parents, she is amazing with the students! I went on every field trip last year and was in her classroom on various occasions and the way she interacted with the children was heart-warming. Other parents have since then expressed their dislike for her and I always stick up for her. I don't know whether it's just personality or perhaps being less comfortable with adults but this teacher was an amazing teacher and my daughter as well as the rest of the students in the class adored her even though none of their parents did. If the teacher is great with the kids then I'm alright with them not making me feel all warm and cozy. I'm not their responsibility, my child is. I'd give it some time and ask your daughter what she thinks once school is underway. Good luck to you and your daughter! :)

I want a teacher who wants to EDUCATE my children.

I want a teacher who will make learning FUN but also be "strict" with homework, expectations, etc.

It's a balance and there are teachers out there like this. Not every teacher will fit your child's personality - just like not everyone will "fit" in life outside the classroom - you learn to adapt and overcome.

In general I prefer bubbly, friendly teachers especially with younger kids. If we are talking doctors, I just want the best one and personality is much less important to me.

All kids need to just adjust. It is life. It is school.
Teachers come in all styles and personalities.
They are NOT all "Mary Poppins."
And being a Mary Poppins type teacher, does not make her/him better than another.

ALL throughout school, this WILL happen.
It just is.
And Teachers do NOT have to be all smiley. They are not 'Customer Service' employees. They are Teachers.

And also remember, that some Teachers may not be all super friendly, because they may have gotten "burned" by past parents, who took issue with every, little, thing, the, teacher, said, or did. HENCE.... some teachers are VERY guarded. Because even if they are "nice" and all smiley, not all parents are nice or smiley, to them.
I know. I work at my kids' school.
And, it is VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY hard, to please, all parents. Because, the parents pick apart the Teachers and make things very hard, for some Teachers to even teach, or to interact with their child as a student.
Some parents, are never happy with any personality a Teacher may have.

Being all smiley or not, does not make a Teacher better than the other.

My kids have had ALL sorts of Teachers. Some friendly some not. So what.
The Teacher, TAUGHT my kids and my kids learned, and they were happy, and friendly or not, ALL Teachers, WILL discipline any kids, that needs it. And when that happens, they are never popular.
And that, is sad.
My kids are in 2nd and 6th grade now.
And no matter what personality Teacher they had, it was FINE.
My kids, adjusted. They never complained.

One that is good with the kids.

I find that the friendly, bubbly teachers sometimes aren't strict enough in the classroom, and the students don't get enough structure. Kindergarten teachers need to be friendly and bubbly, but beyond that I don't think it matters.

Bubbly is great. Communication with parents is an essential part of the job. New teachers have fresh patience but there is a learning curve.
If they choose to communicate mostly through email, great, no prob.

Bubbly is great if it's not just a front with the parents, I should say.
The most trouble I had in elementary school was with burned out older teachers. Older teachers aren't necessarily burned out but it happens.
Then they are short with the parents and grumpy with the kids and breathe threats at every turn.

My preference is a happy medium. I want a teacher that is friendly and fun, but know how to run a classroom.

Kindergarten should be fun and engaging- hopefully cultivating a love for learning, but this can't be accomplished in when the room is in chaos and the bubbly teacher is just standing there smiling and being, well, bubbly.

I've seen awesome maternal teachers with years of experience and no burnout. I've seen fresh-out teachers with no patience at all. The more experienced teacher is most likely more comfortable with chatting with parents, but you have to remember that teachers don't always have time to chat with each individual parent.

Bottom line is that communication is so important, especially in kindergarten. If she doesn't want to chat, there should at least be a weekly e-mail or newsletter so that parents know what is going on in the classroom!

You are right, though. A child's personality can make a difference. I hope you get the teacher that is a good fit for your kindergartener!

My daughter's kindergarten teacher ran a little on the cooler side, when we first met. She ran a very structured meet and greet and she ran her class the same way. I never emailed her once.

The following year, I emailed the instructor a lot...probably too often.

This year I talked to the teacher a little and she assured me we would be emailing back and forth throughout the year. My daughter is pretty tall for her age and I mentioned making an adjustment to her seat and desk and she said absolutely. Very different from our first year.

J.C. said the truth. But why do you assume that smiling is professional?

The lack of "smiling" doesn't bother me nearly as much as the abrupt answers. What that would make me worry about is how she will treat your child when she asks questions in her class. Is she going to be abrupt with her, too? That's not being a good teacher.

A teacher can be strict and still warm with kids. A cold-hearted teacher can hurt a child's school experience so much.

I hope that your daughter gets through the year with her okay.