"Bad Teacher" barks up the wrong tree!!!

[disneycrazi]

I agree with all the PP who said the child should "own that 44% grade" and thus if he owns it, then it's his grade and his project and he should get to decide whether or not it is displayed! If he did not want it displayed there should have been some sort of respect for personal privacy on the teachers part.......there was not.......sad.....

 

[mhsjax]

I will never understand this line of thinking - the notion that we must accept everything one says as true. Reasonably intelligent people can make inferences and detect biases. When things happen in a classroom the parent is usually not getting the entire story from the child. The parent then comes to DIS and tells the story in such a way that they, and their child, look better. Sometimes it is a lie, sometimes an embellishment, but always from their point of view.

I think that it is reasonable to infer in this situation that given the scenario we are not presented with the complete story. Nevertheless, in the remote scenario where everything presented actually happened I still would disagree with how this parent handled the situation. I would guess that this teacher is quite happy that mom and son are no longer her problem.

If I want a deep discussion where I need to really think about what is true and untrue It sure wouldn't be here, at least not on a subject like this. This is a message board, not exactly a place for deep discussion on matter like this. I don't have the desire to discern what is a lie or not, I take it at face value and move on.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

When I see this thread, I keep thinking of a car wash!

 

[SLCborn]

I am SO glad I got out of teaching when I did! There is not enough money in the world to entice me back into that field.

As a former teacher and parent of college aged and middle school aged kids I still think the OP over reacted in regards to *this* situation. Now since there are other issues involved it may be warranted but in regards to this specific incident I think it was over the top. Marching right to the principal to demand your child being moved before working with the teacher seems like a knee jerk reaction but if it worked out for your child and you feel ok with it more power to you.

 

[Skywalker]

My DH walked up to her and grabbed it from her and asked her why she would display it?

Your husband "grabbed" a paper from the teacher? What happened to the good old days when the parents would have backed up the teacher and told Junior to get his butt in gear. Sheesh.

I remember having my share of "difficult", "hard" or just plain unlikeable teachers...so what. We all dealt with it. If my mom had me removed from classs because of a sucky grade that I got...wow wow wow I think I would have died of embarrassment from that more than a stupid mark on one project.

FYI most other parents don't give a crap about your kids grades.

 

[Schmeck]

That's my son, too. Find something in his work that is good and praise him about it and he'll work harder than anyone to bring the rest up to par. Humiliate him or try and make him feel bad about it and he'll shut down.

So, what do you do when he gets a bad grade? Or doesn't do something up to snuff, let it slide?

 

[lauradis]

But your gpa is now more tied to receive $$ for college.

In the future I see no more grades just pass or in completes grades, we have already taken winning or losing out of sports for Elementry grade level.

The world isn't fair, there are winners and losers.

Most school settings aren't designed for boys.

All the teachers out there haven't you noticed that boys have more behavior problems in the current classroom settings then girls?

Hats off to all the teachers I couldn't deal with the parents first ignore you and second kids lol

 

[katelynnsmama]

Yes you do. Simply because half the class had a failing grade doesn't mean it was the teachers fault.

I beg to differ here. If over half of the class got a failing grade, the teacher isn't doing a very good job of communicating the information.

 

[skatalite]

I beg to differ here. If over half of the class got a failing grade, the teacher isn't doing a very good job of communicating the information.

Let me introduce you to a little something dubbed "Common Core": http://lmgtfy.com/?q=why+common+core+sucks

 

[katelynnsmama]

Let me introduce you to a little something dubbed "Common Core"

I know all about the common core standards and I actually support them. I think learning is all about challenging the child to the best of his/her abilities. The problem here isn;t the common core standards. The problem is either the student or teacher.

 

[sam_gordon]

But your gpa is now more tied to receive $$ for college.

Not for a 5th grader. I don't think GPA even follows you until HS.

All the teachers out there haven't you noticed that boys have more behavior problems in the current classroom settings then girls?

I'm guessing that's nothing new either.

 

[katelynnsmama]

Not for a 5th grader. I don't think GPA even follows you until HS.

It doesn't.

 

[sam_gordon]

Let me introduce you to a little something dubbed "Common Core": http://lmgtfy.com/?q=why+common+core+sucks

This has NOTHING to do with CC. And I'm sure the page you've linked to is unbiased.

 

[Kathi OD]

First, I'll admit it. I'm a teacher. I've been a teacher for a long time. OP, please understand that I am not saying you do not have a reason to be upset, but I do have a question for you. Why did you not ask the teacher why she disregarded your child's request before heading to the principal? As a parent, I'd like to know her rationale for displaying those projects at Open House.

I can also tell you that I've worked for many principals, and have children who have been in school quite a number of different principals, and not one of them would have moved your child to another class until you had discussed your concerns with the classroom teacher first.

FWIW, the fact you had problems with the Kindergarten teacher has absolutely nothing to do with the situation your child experienced in 5th grade, unless it is the same teacher.

 

[Kathi OD]

Let me introduce you to a little something dubbed "Common Core": http://lmgtfy.com/?q=why+common+core+sucks

Common Core isn't the problem. The problem is the way districts are choosing to implement the standards.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Common Core isn't the problem. The problem is the way districts are choosing to implement the standards.

Where did Common Core come from?

 

[lauradis]

My DS is a junior in high school and my DD is in 5th grade. In all of that time, there has been only 1 really, really bad teacher. She was awful. She was mean and a yeller. Everyone knew it too. Heck, she would yell at parents. My normally school-loving student absolutely hated school that year. My DH and I sat him down and told him that as his parents who loved him, our first instincts were, of course, to remove him from the class. BUT, we weren't going to. We told him that in every aspect of life, he was going to meet/work/deal with people who he didn't like or get along with. He was fortunate that he only had to deal with this teacher for 1 school year. We told him that he could come home everyday and rant and rave to us and we would listen. We validated to him that we knew she was awful but it didn't mean we would run from it. After that, every teacher would seem like cake. You know what, as a junior, he now compares every teacher with that 5th grade teacher and they all seem like cake by comparison. I do know there are times that a chance might be required, but I think we are often too quick to make that change for our children.

Regarding grades, I am a "suck it up buttercup" type of parent. I would have been more concerned about why my child had made a 44 on a project. Honestly, my kids always seems to generally know what other kids make on tests/projects in school. Heck, just to freak out some of the parents on here, my DD's 5th grade class exchange papers to grade. Having papers on her desk with the grade showing wouldn't have even made my radar.

Hey suck it up buttercup is my line, got to love the look on kids face the first time they understand what it means.

You are million times correct. Any woman well be luck to get your son, real men are hard to find.

 

[lauradis]

yep, it is funny.

because that is creating a "forest for the trees" situation and then you can't figure it out.

we are slowly creating a generation of what was once termed "mommas boys" that cannot handle stress in the smallest of forms.

then when the enter the real world, they can't figure out why the center of the universe is not where they are standing.

Don't forget the testrome in males has been declining for decades also plays part.

Plus everything must be fair and equal, pc, no winners or losers, nanny state.

Wow typing all that makes me sad for my 10 yr old dd hope she can find real man. Sad

 

[lukenick1]

First, I'll admit it. I'm a teacher. I've been a teacher for a long time. OP, please understand that I am not saying you do not have a reason to be upset, but I do have a question for you. Why did you not ask the teacher why she disregarded your child's request before heading to the principal?
I didn't even want an explanation from her because I was disgusted. This was the last straw for me of other things that she had done to my son. I don't want to get into more detail because people on here just make assumptions without reading my replies first. Not listening to his plea and disregarding his feelings was my main issue. She obviously was setting him up for humiliation. I don't care if all the kids also had their grades displayed and he wasn't singled out, he specifically asked her not to and she did anyway. I really don't think it was much to ask. He wasn't asking to skip taking a test or something.





I can also tell you that I've worked for many principals, and have children who have been in school quite a number of different principals, and not one of them would have moved your child to another class until you had discussed your concerns with the classroom teacher first. Well then maybe this is proof that there is negative history with this teacher. He didn't even argue with me about it, he immediately moved him to another classroom.
FWIW, the fact you had problems with the Kindergarten teacher has absolutely nothing to do with the situation your child experienced in 5th grade, unless it is the same teacher.

The reason I brought this up was because other posters made assumptions that I must be one of those parents who can't handle any problems with teachers and immediately move my kid around. This was an example and defense response that If I was one of those parents he would have been removed from the Kindergarten room because that teacher was awful!

 

[declansdad]

I beg to differ here. If over half of the class got a failing grade, the teacher isn't doing a very good job of communicating the information.

Without more information that is nothing more than assumption. It may well have been a failing in communication or it may have been a large number of students simply not taking something seriously. In this case we don't know.