Kindergarten Teacher Is Pregnant...

When my daughter was in first grade, her teacher had a baby in April and was out on maternity leave for the remainder of the year. They had a permanent sub for the rest of the year. It went pretty well considering my daughter does not adjust well to change. From an educational standpoint, she was just fine.

Am I missing something here? Isn't it up to the school and the Director/Principal and Board etc to find a qualified substitute?

And ten months is nothing! I was pregnant again while working full time when my baby was six months old. And then again when my second baby was nine months old. :)

Yes, my sons Kinder teacher was pregnant. It actually worked out great and was no big deal, he learned everything he was supposed to.

As a teacher that just returned from a maternity leave, I can say I understand your concerns, but know that the school will find a suitable substitute. It will not be the same as having the teacher there, but you child will be fine and will still learn and grow during that time. This sort of thing happens ALL the time in schools. The year my twins were born there were 10 babies born, including two sets of twins, so eight teachers were out on leave.

I do have to add, though, that your judgement of how soon she is having another baby really bothers me. It shouldn't matter that her child is only 10 months old. That shouldn't have even been a part of the question. I would hate to think that parents at my school were judging me based on how soon I had another baby, surprise or not.

He is in kindergarten, while it takes a person good with kids and structure, (and dealing with parents) to teach that age, it's very, very, very unlikely any educational opportunities would be missed, even if he didn't have a certified sub. Really, a person with none or very little formal higher education could teach the basics of kindergarten with a good plan. And there is plenty of time to plan. Schools deal with pregnant teachers all the time... it's part of the job description ;)

Don't worry, she could just have easily been in a car accident (God forbid) and had to leave with no planning ahead. If you don't make a big deal out of it with him it won't be, schools and students deal with this ALL the time : )

Gees, your child in in kinder.... Not rocket science

Who cares about the age difference of her children and if it's an oopsie or not. That's nobody's business.

Subs are planned in advance, they also have detailed curriculum to follow.

I have subbed at the same elementary school 10 yrs. Wow! I actually know what I am doing!!! Just last week, in 1st grade. 3 helicopter moms stayed in my class over an hour with their children. Thats fine with ms if they want to go thru a 1st grade class but really???

Your child will be fine unless YOU make this a big deal to your child.

Yes and it always works out fine. Your childs education will not suffer. He
is only in K and it will be April. Don't schools get out in May sometime in
Florida? So I would not worry about it.

Well, teachers are women, wives, and mothers too.

Both of my kids had teachers who had babies during the school year. I don't recall my first thought ever being that their educations were going to suffer.
Maybe that's just me.

Personally I think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. I mean, he's in kindergarten, not working on his PhD!!

Take a deep breath and get ready for some "where do babies come from" questions from your son as his teacher's pregnancy becomes more obvious :o)

I would not be surprised, I found out I was prgeo again when my first had just turned 11 months, and it is actually very common to want to have children close together. As for the long term sub, I would wait until there is a problem to worry. They can usually find a certified teacher to sub, but if not, it is kindergarten, not high school, and I am sure a student teacher can do a great job.

I understand your concern. However, the teacher has plenty of time to prepare lesson plans and activities to leave for whomever takes over. I think it will work out just fine. : )

Who cares if she chooses to have her children closer than what you are normally used to! She's human and an adult woman that can make those decisions for herself. I think you would have gotten more of a positive response and feedback if you had left out the negative comments about her children and her personal life. The school's job is to find credible teachers. Period. They will-let them do their job! Your son will be just fine.

M

No need to yell in your so what happened. Obviously, most of us don't see a problem but you get mad at us b/c we don't agree with you! From the information you have provided - either your child is repeating kinder OR you have a kid in kinder and one in 1st grade - how is that different than this teacher having kids that close together. And what difference does it make to you that a woman in her twenties is having babies so close to together. That is a judgmental statement and that is why someone said you are being judgmental. Plus she is due in April - that only leaves a month or two until school is out. And this is only kinder for goodness sakes!!!!! You are blowing this way out of proportion.

my kids teacher didn't get pregnant, but she did come down with breast cancer mid year. They had 3 teachers that kind of rotated until they found a long term teacher for her 3rd grade class for the last two months. She wrote out the curriculum for the remainder of the year and they followed it. I don't think my child suffered in thier studies at all. The other teachers also came in and helped to make sure everything was staying on task as well as the principle.

They had a teacher work one on one with her the next year so she could go to her appts and nothing was out of sorts with the kids while she was gone, thankfully today two years later she is healthy and back to teaching full time.

With Kindergarten I don't think it will be too bad and everything will work ok, Im sure your child's teacher will also write out the curriculum for her students.

T., I have a 3rd grader. In a (good) public school. And this has been the story of our school career life.
*My son's K teacher was the "lead" for the K team. She was out SO many days at meetings, seminars, etc.
*Then first grade came and MUCH more stability. Same awesome teacher ALL year--although she was the district lead for the science program and did miss some blocks of time here and there.
*Second grade? Teacher's mother's illness & death (almost 3 weeks of "off") followed quickly by teacher's own severe health crisis--out for remainder of the year, sporadic subs until a long-term sub was hired to finish out the year. (Teacher has since returned, and thank God, is doing very well!)
*This year (3rd) my son's teacher is pregnant and due in Jan. and we believe they will hire a furloughed teacher to finish out the year.
I guess the point is that teachers are people and people have lives. Normally, children adapt to the situation. Your son will be OK.
If it seems like there is a stream of short-term subs, definitely voice your opinion for the need of a long term sub and consistency for the class.
Good luck!

I used to be an elementary school teacher, and my closest friends were Kindergarten teachers - both which went on maternity leave during the school year.
I can tell you that both of them had plenty of parents who were apprehensive and concerned about the maternity leave. What parent wouldnt be?

I can also tell you that I have never seen a teacher go on maternity leave and the school NOT be able to cover the position with a good long term sub. Our school (and we were an inner city Dallas school - I was there 8 years) was always able to get solid, upstanding people with teaching experience to fill long term sub spot. Sometimes these were retired teachers, sometimes they were experienced subs. Sometimes certified, sometimes not. However, dont be too worried about the lack of certification. Many private schools dont require a teaching certificate.

Feel free to express your concern to the principal - probably a few of the other parents will too.

Who knows, maybe in this bad economy you will end up with someone even better than the current teacher! :)

My daughter's 3rd grade teacher went on maternity leave and it was the best thing that happened. I really disliked her teacher and the sub was fantastic:). Don't worry, your son will be fine.

I've worked as an aide in some kindergarten classes and by that time of year, the routine will really be established, They will have a system in place that the sub will just have to follow, and at that age if she isn't doing it exactly like the reg teacher they will let her know. And by that time any discipline problems will have shaken out and at that point will probably have some sort of plan in place for additional support.

I didn't go back and check your other questions, but unless your child has other issues he should be fine, if you do have concerns that he is special needs or gifted or something make sure that is all communicated NOW so there is time for it to be dealt with.

The do learn ALOT in kindergarten but she will have that system and routine in place already so that nothing should be lost.

I understand your concern. Just a happy note for you - when my youngest son was in kindergarten his teacher was pregnant. I ended up liking the substitute much better than the original teacher. Also, I am a high school teacher, and have been through 2 pregnancies during my career. Both times I worked very closely with the substitutes to be sure my students were getting a good education while I was out. I hope everything goes smoothly for your child. :)

I'm sure they'll find someone qualified, but as long as he comes out of it knowing simple math, his letters, beginning reading and other basics he should have learned in preschool, he'll be fine. Teachers have unplanned pregnancies, ill family members and medical problems like the rest of us. I might be more concerned if I had a high school junior or something who had gotten into the best advanced calculus teacher's class and suddenly there was just going to be some sub in there passing out worksheets -but not for this.

I was out for the fist 6 weeks of school on maternity leave 2 years ago and I will be out the last month of school this year for the same reason. If your child is in a public school then any one that is a substitute will meet the requirements set by your state. So you are not going to have some Joe Shmo brought in off the street to cover your son's class. The person she finds may not have the most experience in the classroom, but trust me when I say experience isn't eveything! I am due in May, and other than thinking a little about who I would like to have as my sub, I have not done too much planning. There is plenty of time left in the year to get plans done. If your son's teacher is any good, then I would be willing to bet she has thought about it as well, and will make sure her class is covered. Teachers love their kids like they are their own and I know for me I was very concerned about making sure everything was taken care of and perfect for them while I was gone.

A lot of schools have preferred sub lists - a very informal list of people that have subbed in the building before that did a good job. Whenever I am out, I immediatley pull out my preferred list and start calling people on it, because I know they will do a good job in my absence. (You never know what you are going to get when you put your absence in the system and go pot luck.) If you are concerned, ask the teacher if they have a preferred list. Chances are they do, and she can get someone off that list as her sub.

On a different note, some of the things you said in your origional post did make you sound a little judgemental, even if you didn't intend for it to come across that way. No matter how close in age her children are and whether or not this pregnancy is planned or unplanned is of no significance to you and should have no consequence on your child's education. The way I read it, you sounded as if you think that being a young teacher having 2 children close in age and one of them being unplanned is an indicator of her being a poor teacher. Just because she offered the information up to you at a conference doesn't mean anything.

I have not been in your situation before, but I can understand your concern: the teacher you met with before your child began school and the one with which you're comfortable will not be teaching him/her. I think it's a valid concern. I also think that the school will be responsible enough to hire someone qualified enough to provide the children with a quality education. I can't imagine they take this situation lightly. Again, I don't know how it works, but I would hope/trust that if it's a good school, they would be smart about how to handle it. I hope it all turns out well. Good luck to you :)

Teachers get pregnant all the time, and there are a LOT of qualified, certificated substitutes looking for work. She was probably just being vague with you because she's not due until April so there's plenty of time to find coverage.

She has time to make a detailed plan , during her absence.

It really does sound as though you were being judgmental. If not, why all the extra info about how little time there is between her pregnancies and how her pregnancy was unplanned? Are you saying that this was your child's second time in K? I'm asking because you talked about what happened last year with this same teacher. Anyway, being that it is Kindergarten, I am sure your child will be fine. Just plan to work with your kid at home to in order to give their education that extra boost! :)

i have to be honest...it's kindergarten. i wouldn't sweat it. maybe if my child was older i would be more concerned...but i don't think it's a big deal. maybe just monitor the situation. the fundamentals don't require a doctorate to teach...it would be more about personality and how the sub is with the kids, for me.

i have found that we're not allowed to question, wonder, or have any kind of opinion whatsoever, regarding other people's babymaking choices. if you don't agree that people should have kid after kid after kid, the more the merrier, as quickly as possible...people get pretty irate.

but i see what you're saying that it was a bit of a surprise. who would expect someone to be pregnant again, 10 months after having a baby? i bet SHE didn't expect it either. you are allowed (or should be) to express your surprise. i didn't think you were being judgmental at all. i think some others ARE, on here, and about the wrong things.

You are 100% right in being concerned about his education. Kindergarten is the building block for the future 12 years! If your child's teacher could not answer how the remainder of the year would be handled with a substitute or certified teacher, it's time to ask the principal. I don't think you're being judgemental at all. You're being a pro-active parent and looking out for the best interest of your child. Good luck!

happens all the time....& most districts try to provide the best for the children. Usually teachers handpick their subs in cases like this....well, at least in our small town!

As long as the person in Certified in K, you should be ok. The teacher should have lesson plans written out already.

Of course you are going to judge. It is your child's education.

Had the same situation with my oldest in kindergarten. (Actually more complicated - we moved mid-school year and his second teacher was pregnant. So, yeah, he had 3 teachers for kindergarten.) I was worried, but the teacher did a great job preparing the kids for the transition, and the long-term sub was wonderful. He did just fine. It really depends on the combination of the child, teacher, and sub. Once it gets close to the start of the teacher's leave, meet with her to discuss your concerns. Let her know that you're sure she has a plan in place for her absence and you're just wondering what it is so you can best support your son. As the school year goes on and you get to know the teacher better, hopefully you'll feel more at ease about her preparation. There's really nothing you can do about it right now though, so give yourself a few months of worry-free time :)

My son and daughter have the same science teacher, different times. She is currently in the hospital due to complications. I think it has been 2 weeks now. But they have a sub that is teaching them. The only complaint I have is this teacher will not respond to my request for info on improving since they both did not get progress reports showing how good they are at the subject.

I haven't read any of the responses, but you clearly feel like you've not been given a fair chance with this question. The fact that you seem shocked about the teacher's pregnancy, no matter what her age is or how many kids she has does seem a little goofy to me, but I get what you're talking about being concerned for your child's education.

My son had a teacher who was pregnant in, I believe 3rd grade, but maybe 2nd or 4th, I can't be positive. Anyway, she was out for about 3 1/2 months & he had numerous substitutes over the time frame. He made out just fine, but the issues I ran into was when I needed to send a note in to the office for excused absences & they didn't make it down there.

Whatever happens in kindergarten isn't going to be a make or break situation for your little man's education. Try not to get all up-in-arms about it & see how it plays out, or if you're super concerned, see if you can have his classroom changed NOW while it's still fairly early in the school year.

I totally understand your frustration. As moms, we all want the absolute best for our kids, and when things don't go the way we want, we tend to panic (at least a little bit). I haven't read any of the responses to your post, so I might be repeating what others have said, but I hope my comments can help in some small way. I have a 17-year-old daughter who is a senior in high school. She's always been a good student, but when she started high school her grades began to suffer - not horribly but enough for me to get the Mom Panic. A number of factors contributed to it - she had a serious boyfriend for the first time, she was going to a new school where she didn't know many of the other kids, mom was just an idiot in her mind, etc. I think she might even have had at least two teachers who were pregnant and had to leave in the middle of the school year. I say all this because I thought it might help you to try to take a glimpse into the future. I promise you that the perfect plan you have for your little guy is going to get messed up along the way. But that doesn't mean that he's not going to be just fine. In fact, I believe it's a good life lesson for him to learn to adapt to new situations like this. After all, even when he's an adult it's very unlikely that he will have the same boss for the rest of his life or the same co-workers. See this as an opportunity, not an obstacle. You're a good mom to be so concerned about him like this. In the end, that will mean a great deal more than some kindergarten teacher who he will probably never even remember when he's a happy, healthy adult (thanks to you).

This is part where I have to brag on my daughter just a bit. We had a hard year or two. I was panicking more and more for her. She wants to be in the health field, and I knew there was no way she could do that without going college. I was beginning to lose hope and Mom Panic was setting in BIG TIME!! With time, she started to get her head on straight. When we visited colleges, the one she fell in love with was a small, private Christian college in South Florida. I really didn't think she had the grades or the SAT score to get in, but miracle of miracles she did! Things have a way of working out for our kids even when we moms aren't seeing it and don't have faith that they will.

Even if the sub is not certified I'm sure they will find a great sub. We all want out of an empty till. I don't know how it is in FL, but here there is a HUGE sub shortage. So much that students in education programs can sub before they have completed their program. (They have to have a set number of edu credits, etc). So.... you have to understand if they are hard up for a sub it's just part of it. Who really wants to be a sub? I mean it's inconsistent work and many times poor pay. Most people don't want that variability. I can't say for sure, but I doubt that subs get any benefits if they are just subbing.

But I agree with what others have said that by this time they are set in their routines. Also, as others have said, she has plenty of time to prep for the time she will be gone. I think your kiddo will be just fine. I also agree that in a female dominated field I'm sure this will happen from time to time. Good luck!!

My daughter had two teachers that co-teach last year. One of them left after Thanksgiving break to have a baby and came back. There was a class that had a co teaching team where both had babies in the same year. We were wondering if there was something in the water ;-). It happens, I figure not every school year is going to be ideal but that is life. Might as well learn how to cope now than later. When my daughter seems to need help in an area, we do extra at home beyond homework and assignments at school. Just know what is expected of him at the end of the Kindergarten year and help support that. Hopefully you will get the same sub she is used to or one who can fit right into the classroom.

I guess that people take off for various reasons all the time here so I expect their to be times when substitutes take the classes. Why would his education suffer due to his teacher being off having a baby?

He might get a much better teacher. A lot of substitutes are teachers waiting to get a full time contract and are really really good.