Teacher Training on the Soccer Field

In my last blog, I stated that being a parent has made me a better teacher and being a teacher has made me a better parent.  When recently faced with some behavior issues in my classroom, I felt very confident contacting said student’s parents to enlist their help.  In years past, for some reason, I have felt intimidated to call home, as if I was ‘tattling’ on the student.  Ridiculous, I know, but for some reason I didn’t classify myself as part of the parent ‘team’. I was a proud member of the teacher team, had been a proud member of the student team, but not until recently felt like a member of the parent team.

Having been a parent for almost 5 years now, am I just a late bloomer? I think the shift actually came when I volunteered to coach my son’s soccer team. Now this is one of those life lessons that you only need to be taught once.  You are either a coach or not a coach! When the league sent out emails before the season starts begging for coaches and states that your child may not have a team if you don’t volunteer to coach…… yeah, I was that parent that imagined my sad little son missing out on an opportunity because he didn’t have a coach. The image of his bottom limp sticking out, tears welled up in his beautiful blue eyes, while all his friends kick the ball and play and giggle, was unbreable (and quite unrealtistic to any normal person, but I'm a mother!)

So here I am, having played soccer for two years when I was 8 and 9 years old, teaching ten 4 and 5 year old boys how to dribble, pass, shoot (and pray that they score), play offense, defense, have good sportsmanship, understand teamwork, not pick flowers, not leave the game to chase stray dogs, not steal the ball from teammates, not cry if they don’t get the ball or make a goal, and never, never, never pick the ball up with their hands.

Having to wear the parent and teacher(coach hat's are pretty similar in design) hat at that the same time, in the same arena, has given me some sort of golden ticket onto the parent team. Which I welcome with open arms, it seems to have added a new joy to teaching that I haven’t felt in my 9 years experience. I know several amazing teachers who are not parents, and have somehow been welcomed as honorary members of the parent team. I admire these teachers and appreciate their gifts. My story was written differently, scripted with an amazing little man, and for that I am grateful.

I wonder though, do parents feel this same disconnect with teachers, as I had felt as a teacher with parents? I do notice that when I meet parents who are also teachers, they are quick to mention that they teach, as if it code for “I get it!”  I notice myself having done the same with my son’s preschool teachers and I’m sure will be a line I drop with his future educators.

Unless a parent happens to be a teacher, how do they get on ‘our’ team? Further, is it better to wear both teacher and parent hat at the same time, or does there come a time when they have to be worn separately? Lots of questions to be answered and I’m sure plenty of life lessons in my future that will lead me to the answers!