My name is Alaina Caruso, and if that last name sounds familiar, you may know my mother, English teacher Ms. Caruso.
When I had the option to participate in humanities—a special English and global studies class—I chose this program because it interested me and I thought it would be fun. Now, the one thing that might be a drawback for some: my mom is the English teacher.
It’s sort of a running joke among my friends that, despite having an English teacher as my mom, my grammar and spelling aren’t so great. Oftentimes, kids will joke about us being related or ask about what it’s like having a parent as a teacher.
In all honesty, it’s very funny at times seeing my mom up there talking and teaching us. It’s like this Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde situation when we are at home; she is very different from when she’s teaching: she is definitely more strict at school than at home.
For example, in her class you have to ask for an extension before the due date if you don’t think you can complete it on time. At home, she is a bit looser with making us do homework.
One person who has a unique insight into this experience is my dad, Chris Caruso, a retired police officer who thinks the arrangement is positive.
“I think it’s great,” said Mr. Caruso, “because we have direct access to your teacher at all times.”
Ms. Caruso said it can be a little confusing at times.
“It’s definitely a cognitive dissonance,” said Ms. Caruso. “Like you’re out of context. I’m used to seeing you at home.”
Principal Mr. McElroy also weighed in on this unique arrangement and its challenges.
“It holds you accountable in a different way. We all come with natural biases. And obviously, you’re going to be biased toward your own child. So navigating that would be difficult,” said Mr. McElroy. “At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. Can a parent fail their child? Can a parent give their child a bad grade? Can a parent grade their own child’s assignment without bias?”
Generally, I find that it’s good to have someone able to check over my work for every subject and tell me to be more specific on this, or capitalize this, or maybe go a little deeper into this. However, having your own mother in class also comes with its own problems.
It’s also strange seeing my mother up there talking about this and teaching. I feel self-conscious if I get a good grade or get praise on an assignment because people may interpret that as nepotism. I feel almost embarrassed about getting good grades in that class.
A lot of people may be wondering, what do you call her during class? Mom? Mrs. Caruso? I personally avoid saying any names. I just kind of wave her over when I have a question. Some may want to pretend like they’re not related, while me and others like joking about it with the class.
Unfortunately, there is no answer to the question, “Is having a parent as a teacher a bad thing?” It all depends on what the circumstances are and your biases.
