He could feel the knot growing in the pit of his stomach as he walked through the school's corridors. He had been sent by his teacher to borrow a book from another classroom. Having heard much about the teacher he was about to confront, he was not eager to perform this task.

His knock on the door was greeted by a brusque response. Feeling totally intimidated, the boy quickly mumbled why he was there. He felt humiliated as the teacher requested that he speak up and address the class properly. After what he perceived to be continued taunting followed by laughter from the students, the boy ran out of the room. His grip tightened around the book he'd sought as tears welled up in his eyes.

As he related this story to his parents that night, they decided together that next year he would go to a private school. Had he stayed, chances are this would have been his teacher.

As parents express concern about the quality of education, they often complain about the competence of the teachers instructing their children. What should you do if your child is assigned to the classroom of an inadequate teacher?

Parents may seek such alternatives as private school, an out-of-town public school in a School Choice program, or home-schooling. But educators and counselors alike are recommending a different option: helping the student accept and cope with the teacher assigned.

Margie Bogdanow, MSW, co-director of Parenting Resource Associates in Lexington, Massachusetts says, "When you first find out who your child's next teacher is and you and your child are not happy, acknowledge your disappointment, but find something positive, too. I think that it is very rare that there is a really bad teacher. Teachers are desperate for supervision and training. Some are stale. They need feedback. They need inspiration."

When her eldest daughter was assigned to the fifth grade classroom of the teacher encountered above, Ann, who chose not to use her real name because she has three younger children yet to be placed in that school, was nervous. "I had heard a lot of rumors about this teacher's reputation. He yelled a lot. He teased and picked on kids. He did not have high expectations. He's a guy who wishes he was a principal somewhere. He's burned out. He's just biding his time until something better comes along. I wasn't happy that my daughter was in his classroom, but I didn't feel like there was much I could do. We didn't want to change schools. This was the school she's attended all her life. All her friends are here."

Bogdanow cautions parents, "Don't believe all the rumors you hear about teachers. Go into this with an open mind. There are so many ways to make things more positive."

"My daughter was very nervous before school started," Ann recalls. "But we sat down together and I told her: 'In life you come up against people who are hard to get along with or irritate you. You can't always run away. Just do your best'."

Bogdanow stresses, "How you respond will affect your child's response. Rather than talk about your own bad feelings, help your child realize that we're all dealt things in life that are not good, but we need to make the best of the situation."

Parents often base teacher competency judgments on personality rather than productivity.

Mary J. Downey-Tipping, an education consultant in Brookline, Massachusetts says, "There are many factors to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of a teacher. Most important are how consistent and challenging the teacher is. Having a teacher who is inconsistent is more upsetting to a child than one with a stern teaching manner."

While Tipping recommends waiting at least one marking period before making any changes, she encourages parents to be alert to warning signs. "Does the child often complain of stomachaches and not wanting to go to school? Is there too much or too little homework? Is there a regular plan of testing? How much parent/teacher contact is there?