Parent-teachers: the presence of mom or dad at school
Junior David Standeven and Dr. Janet Standeven, his mom and his biotech teacher, share a very close bond. They both shared how David would pop in during the day to say hello and give a hug. Dr. Standeven explained further that they have a signal in case she cannot be disturbed during a particular class period.
There are students whose parents are teachers; then, there are students whose parents are teachers at their own schools.
To discover how this dynamic may affect school and social life, four Lambert students whose parents teach at the school were individually interviewed, and they all agreed they enjoyed having parent-teachers overall. Elora Emory, a freshman whose mom, Catherine Emory, teaches 9th grade Literature at Lambert, even said having her mom as a teacher is easier for her. “If I have a problem with my schedule or something, I know the people who work here,” she explained. This level of comfort around her mom’s coworkers allows her to go in early in the mornings, which she already does with her mom, and receive homework help easily.
Elora Emory is a freshman at Lambert and her mom is Catherine Emory, a 9th grade Literature teacher. She said she smiles proudly and always tells her mom when her friends share positive opinions about Mrs. Emory as a teacher.
Senior Ashley Tigue, whose parents, James and Brittany Tigue, both teach at Lambert, agreed that having a parent who teaches is easier for her. She believed accessibility is the biggest perk. She said, “If I forget something, I can count on [them] to sign permission slips or something that I probably wouldn’t have done the night before. And if I need extra lunch money, I can go to my mom. And stuff like that.”
Tigue is unique from the other students in that both of her parents taught at Lambert compared to just one. When asked if that made a difference, she said yes, explaining, “If one parent doesn’t have what I need, I can go to another parent. Or, if I’m trying to catch a ride home with one and he or she leaves, I can rely on the other one.”
Lambert senior Ashley Tigue, is the daughter of James and Brittany Tigue, both who teach at Lambert. She shared that her dad had gotten the job at Lambert first and then her mother received an offer the year after.
Despite the overall benefits to having parents as teachers, there are still some drawbacks. Junior Will Gray, the son of AP Statistics teacher Ed Gray, shared what he thought was the worst part of having his father as a teacher. “He knows absolutely everything…In his words, he has eyes everywhere.”
Will Gray is a junior and the son of AP Statistics Ed Gray. He explained that none of his friends make the connection between him and his dad because they look nothing alike.
Same year David Standeven, son of Janet Standeven who teaches Biotechnology, had similar sentiments. “The fact that they can find exactly what homework you have,” was his reply to the same question. He shared a funny anecdote, “Like, one time I missed a Chemistry homework assignment, and my Chemistry teacher went across the hall, got my mom, and she came over and berated me in front of the whole class.”
Of all the four interviewed students, David Standeven is the only one who actually has his mom as one of his teachers. He is on the Biotech pathway while his mom is the only Biotech teacher available. Mrs. Standeven had the honor of being the only interviewed parent-teacher. She believed that the worst part of having her son as a student was “when I see him not doing as well as I would hope that he would because I would want him to get 100% on everything, so that’s the hardest part. I feel like I’m failing both as a teacher and as a parent.” On the other hand, she admitted that the best part was being able to “teach one of my favorite kids.”
There were a few more similar answers between the students. Three out of the four mentioned how their parents were able to help create their schedules and get them the best teachers. When asked if their parents assisted them with homework, they unanimously shook their heads in their individual interviews. Similarly, when questioned if their parents seem much more strict about school work than the usual parent, their answers of agreement matched up with one another.
Of course, only four students were asked about their experiences and opinions, so they cannot wholly represent each student with parent-teachers. However, overall, the thoughts and standpoints shared in the interviews seem to agree that having a parent as a teacher in the same school is a wonderful experience.
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