How would you feel as a teacher if a parent brought this to your attention

[Mehnaaz]

My kindergarten(preschool) teacher emails weekly newsletters to paretns and even sends them home with the kids and I guess she has a camera in her classroom that there is always two or three pictures of the kids doing some fun thing like painting or drawing . and she also adds whoever that or those children's names are. anyway you just worndering where am going with this right. Well my five year old is in that classroom and i have never seen her pic there. I just wondered why? is it because she looks different meaning she wears little cabaaya most of the time especially when it is freezing out.

So I thought may be i should drop a line or two to my little kindergartner's teacher wondering why she never adds her pic there. would that be appropriate you think? i mean really it would not make any difference for me and I care less but some how it bothers especially when I take the time to look at that newsletter. so my questions is would it have irked you as a mother if you were in my situation? and as a teacher what would you feel.

 

Ahh am gonna go off to sleep and nextweek I promise to not open my email or look at my daughter's monday folder. waaba isku dhamaatay

[uchi]

RACISM - Not intentionally but nevertheless I would say so.

[Jacaylbaro]

U can always ask such question ............. who knows maybe your daughter hides from the camera. Just ask

[Juxa]

Ask, it is important that your daughter is included with the activities. I wont jump to conclusion about racism etc but ask.

 

If you daughter is shy or not participating activities you need to find out for her sake/development. I applaud the fact it bothers you (it should)

 

I have an army of nieces/nephews and take active interest in their education, attend parents evenings, assembley etc and i assure you some somali kids are very shy and keep themselves in distance. you need to get your daughter fully involved with all the good activities in school and outside of the school, marka ASK

 

good luck, let us know how it goes

[Blessed]

There could possibly be an innocent explanation such as your daughter not being in any of the pictures with the themes the teacher had in mind for the newsletter or that as JB said she's camera shy.. or it's not her turn yet (i.e if you have a class of 20, it's take awhile to include all) is the teacher using the same kids all the time? I understand where you're coming from sis, our school has a photo screen at reception and I always to stop when my LOs photos are streamed but then again my one is the biggest poser ever - LOL. Talk to the teacher about how she's doing generally and mention that you would like to see your little one in action..

[Chocolate and Honey]

You have every right to ask. I wouldnt ask in an accusatory manner though because sometimes teachers are overwhelmed with so many things and they fail to pay attention to the equity of the classroom. Just say, "I'm an avid reader of the newsletter you send home and I would like to see my daughter in action."

[Malika]

May I ask if your daughter is the only child wearing a hijab at Nursery[kindergaten]? - I think its worth talking to the teacher of your daughter's participation in activities - e.g She needs to be taking part in the pictures for her to feel a part of the nursery setting etc. After all am assuming their is an inclusion policy, even if the image of a hijabi child might just be too much for her comfort.

 

Here in UK , schools in the inner city with a high number of Ethnic Minority Pupils tend to 'promote' the ideal enviroment for inclusion in their brochures/prospectors etc - but when you look at those 'top' school in well to do area's you would rarery see an Ethnic Minority child, well with the exception of Chinese/Japanes children...What am saying is, your daughter could be the 'un-familiar' image for teacher or others comfort.

 

That said - do talk to the teacher, am sure its nothing sinister[lets hope].

 

ps. Must remember something about schools setting[now this is a secret..lol] - there is a lot done for the sake of pleasing either parents, local authorities etc and sometimes very little for the actual child they are supposed to educated - marka waxaan kuu odaani lahaa, help your daughter gain as much confidence as possible so that she 'demands' the attention she wants.

[grasshopper]

Chocolate and Honey;686571 wrote:

Just say, "I'm an avid reader of the newsletter you send home and I would like to see my daughter in action."

That would be the perfect way to approach it...it's doesn't imply anything negative and it makes it about you and not the teacher.

 

btw a little girl in a hijab jumped into one of my photos at an event and the mother walked over to me and kindly asked me to delete it!! One possibility is that the teacher isn't sure how open you are to having your child's picture and name in the newsletter...