When I was a year-1 numeracy teacher in primary school

When I was a year-1 numeracy teacher in primary school, I had an interesting encounter with a parent and her child. In our first meeting, the parent praised the academic prowess of her child whom she claimed was so great at maths that she could count and write her numbers from 1 – 1000.

I tried to make her understand that the scheme for that level focused on numbers from 1 – 100. I also stressed that we didn’t need the child to be able to count and write her numbers up to a 1000.

The mum raised an alarm and said that I will be taking her child back in her learning. Instinctively, I took the child to my colourful and beautiful 100 square chart and I prompted her to identify the number 25 on the chart. The child struggled as she navigated all the numbers looking for the figure, eventually, she settled on 52. I then had to guide her back to the number 25.

After this pre-assessment, I reassured the mum that the child will be fine and she should trust the school and me to deliver the value she needed for her daughter.

As the term progressed, just as expected, I realised the girl had not mastered some key concepts, such as counting-on, back, skip counting, ending numbers, etc.

As a result, we started the process of teaching all these concepts to the child, because I would rather my teaching produces the learning outcomes I desire.

The beautiful child was making steady progress but at half term, the mum expected that since the child could write 1000 before she came into primary school, there was no justification for not seeing a math report laced with As. She was quite upset with grades that did not meet her unrealistic expectations, and she referenced our first meeting where she had told me that her daughter was so good in maths, and she did not agree with the grade she was awarded.

I did not contend much with her but simply called the daughter, and asked her some questions on number manipulation (1-100) based on her previous knowledge and the new knowledge. The parent was in awe and she broke down and began to apologise. You see, she had not even had time to assess her child. Indeed, she did not know how to! For her, number assessment was just about writing 1-…

The crux of this matter is that as educators we need to put a stop to this constant capitulation to every whim of parents many of whom are no doubt sincere in desiring the progress of their child but are nonetheless sincerely wrong about how to go about it!

The above narrative is just an example, there are several other wrongs we allow in schools because ‘our parents will not agree’. This has led to one of the major issues we have as educators, especially the teachers, who indeed are the implementers.

Our decisions as school leaders should always tend towards giving value to the children we are paid to engage.

If an educator cannot go to a bank and tell a banker what needs to be done about the technicalities of banking or tell IT developers how to design their software, why then will educators at all levels, allow our clients venture into the system and instruct us on the technicalities of the teaching profession? Aren’t we the professionals that we claim to be? Do professionals not exist to educate and offer solutions to amateurs (clients) having regard to the professional’s expertise?

Dear educators, let us guard our turf jealously. No doubt, we should take advise when it is given and pay attention to the peculiar needs of children as communicated to us from time to time by parents – who really are our partners, but we must know when to draw the line.