An apple for the teacher or a compliment

I walked into class the first day of seventh grade and was introduced to my Hebrew teacher from Israel. She took an instant dislike to me and I was miserable in class. Until my mother had a great idea. She telephoned the woman and invited her for a cup of coffee. I don't know what she said to her, but, from that day on, the teacher's attitude towards me changed drastically.

Recently, my niece had a problem with her teacher. My sister-in-law called her up to resolve the problem. First, she complimented her and spoke about the great mesirut nefesh the teacher had displayed with the extracurricular activity she was busy doing with her class. The teacher warmed up immediately and told my sister-in-law that many parents call up to complain and yell at her.

The next day, the teacher called my niece in front of the class and told her what a nice mother she had.

I had been teaching for a couple of weeks, this year, when a mother called me up to say how pleased her daughter was with me. Then she went on to make a specific request. To this day, I have a positive attitude towards her daughter. When I am in doubt as to what her grade should be, I always resolve my doubt by giving her the higher grade.

So, why don't you try to give your child's teacher a compliment today? They are human and would sure appreciate a compliment as opposed to the litany of complaints they receive. And, if you bump into them in a store, it is not the time to conduct a mini parents-teachers meeting. They are only human beings who also would like their private moments to shop without being innundated with questions that can be addressed during school hours.