New Teacher? Why this can be a problem and what you can do about it.

Does your child have a new teacher?  For many children the idea of getting a new teacher can be terrifying.  They wonder if they will like him, or even more important if he will like them!  They are anxious about the amount and type of work the teacher will give them to do and whether they will be able to do it.  Children might be concerned about being with their friends and whether they will have to make new friends and they may be concerned that they will fit in and be seen as part of the group.

The first few weeks of school can be a worrying time for children.

And they have good reason to be concerned.

One of the main reasons why children have trouble learning is because the new teacher does not teach in the way they like to learn.

No well a teacher teaches if the way he or she teaches does not match the way your child likes to learn your child is going to have problems.

I have seen children who were confident, eager learners one year become depressed, unhappy and unable to learn the next, all because the new teacher taught in a different way than their last teacher.

Children learn I many different ways, teachers teach mainly in two, or perhaps three ways.

Teachers teach in ways that use structure and language.  If your child is  ‘Number Smart’ or ‘Word Smart’ he or she will have little difficulty understanding what the teacher is teaching.  But if your child is ‘Smart’ in other ways he or she will find it difficult to learn, grades will start to drop and homework will become much more difficult to finish on time.

When this happens children get confused and frustrated.  They have no idea why suddenly learning becomes much more difficult for them.  They may start to think that they are stupid or they may start to make excuses for not doing their work.

And it is not their fault!

If you notice changes in the way your child’s attitude to school or to schoolwork shortly after he or she get a new teacher don’t ignore the signs!  There is nothing wrong with your child it is just that he has now got to adjust to the way that the new teacher is teaching.

But your child does need help.  He does need to develop the skills and strategies that will allow him to adapt the way he is being taught to the way he likes to learn.  When your child learns how to do this learning becomes faster and easier and your child will return to being the bright, eager student he was before.