Back To School Worries: Will I Get A Mean Teacher

One minute after my two sons hugged last year’s teachers good-bye, they began to stress out over what next year’s teachers would be like. All summer long they’ve been asking, “What if I get a really mean teacher that doesn’t like me?”

There must be a back-to-school rule that no matter what every kid has to worry about getting a mean teacher.

For example, every August I’d happily go back-to-school shopping with my parents. But not even a new pair of jeans, a Trapper Keeper, or a box of my favorite Dixon Ticonderoga pencils could keep me from fretting over whether the new school year would bring a teacher spawned from the right hand of Satan.

Even if I knew the name of my new teacher, I worried. Even if he or she had passed me in the hallway and said, “I can’t wait to have you in my class next year!” I was convinced a transformation into the Teacher From Hell would occur.

It’s like I thought summer’s heat would cause my teacher to grow nose warts, develop a fondness for assigning detention, and worst of all, they’d take up wearing polyester pants!

My fourth grade teacher, Sister Paula, had a huge wart. But things never got any worse than her declaring to the entire class that I had the worst handwriting she’d ever seen, which was probably true.

Mr. Pappi loved polyester pants, but he liked to laugh and I learned tons about U.S. history. And Mr. Stallworth gave detention to anyone who didn’t do their homework, but I always did mine, so he never gave detention to me.

I tell my sons the same thing that my parents told me: If any teacher ever tries to hit you, calls you a name or humiliates you in class, let me know and I’ll deal with it, pronto. But if you are a good student and try your best, you usually don’t have to worry about your teacher being mean or not liking you. (And if you don’t do what you’re supposed to, when you get home, I’ll be “mean” to you!)

Does this mean my boys stop worrying about next year’s teacher? No, not really. But at least I know their worrying is just a natural part of going back-to-school!

Lots of us are gearing up for school – an exciting, fun and sometimes, hectic time. Hallmark has put together this great resource to help you calm the butterflies and build your kids’ confidence. Just for joining the conversation you’ll be entered to win $500. Check it out.

Need a little extra cash for school clothes? Or do you need a spa day to help you de-stress after getting your kids ready for back to school?

You can ALSO win a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of Divine Caroline and yours truly, Los Angelista! Just leave me a comment describing your biggest back to school worry. You must live in the United States and you must leave your comment by 11:59 PM PST on Sunday, August 9, 2009!

Good luck!