Pros and cons of being a ‘teacher mom’

Aileen M. Galang

TEACHING in the same school your child attends may pose problems for you and your child. This can make or break a teacher, so she must have to be prepared for what’s to come.

Janelle Cox, an education writer, says that like any new endeavor, there are pros and cons to this situation. I agree. While there may be positives, there would most likely be negatives, too.

Let’s look at some of the positives mentioned by Cox. One of them is that you are on the same schedule as your child. You go to school together, and go home at the same time, provided you won’t have to do overtime in school. This works for me, as long as I get to keep an eye on my child. Also, you would not find it hard to find out her assignments, and how she behaves at school.

But while there are pros, there are also cons. We may not know it, but your child may be treated “differently” both by her teachers and classmates, according to Cox. This is true, as people tend to either give special treat to your child, or avoid interaction with her altogether – which does not bide well.

Also, your child may think that “she can get away with anything”, because you are a teacher at the school. This is so wrong on many levels, and I think we should make this known to our child on the very first day of school.

Amid all these, we should “separate the personal from the professional,” Cox said. Let us not get too involved, as this may affect our child.

Let’s give her the independence she deserves – but not too much.

The author is Teacher I at Tabing Bakod Elementary School, Santa Maria,

Bulacan