Problem with my son's teacher -- Update post 28

[djcruz4fun]

Well, the fact that your son threatened that you'd be calling on his behalf... that would make me not want to return the phone call right there!

I agree with another poster who said there may be more to the story, though.

The fact is the teacher owes the parent the a return phone call, He/she is an adult and a professional (maybe), if he didn't call back, every one has a boss.

 

[Marseeya]

You know, I am learning that teachers can be real jerks to teenage boys. Your post made me mad for your son. He could have been treated with some respect - that's the part that gets me.

Have you read the book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlan? It's a great book, describing how boys have this different energy about them, but teachers often treat them as if they're bad and misbehaving when they really aren't. It was pretty eye opening to me as a parent, and I'm definitely going to read it again when I become a teacher (I want to teach middle school, ay yi yi)

 

[Marseeya]

The fact is the teacher owes the parent the a return phone call, He/she is an adult and a professional (maybe), if he didn't call back, every one has a boss.

No call back yet today, so I put in a call with the guidance counselor, who is absolutely wonderful. I'm sure she'll help me straighten this out if need be.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

hmmm if I remember correctly I had to PAY extra for DD's projects. I would call and ask for it back or for your son to make another.....its only fair.

 

[Marseeya]

I'm sorry for your son. That teacher sounds like one of my woodshop teachers in middle school would have done. He was one crazy man. He carried around this cane (yes, carried it, not used it). He used that I think to scare us because he would hit it off the table in class all the time. We made a clock and he gave me an A on it just because he thought he knew my grandfather (it was really my grandfather's brother, but Oh well, I got an A ) That teacher really was crazy. He called me immature because the day after I got back from WDW, I wore my Minnie ears because I was in withdrawal. LOL. He told me that next year, I am going to the high school and I needed to grow up and become more mature. I just laughed at him.

BTW, where in Pennsylvania are you if you don't mind me asking?

Was he old?? LOL... that's funny about the cane, though.

We're south of Pittsburgh. How about you?

 

[Marseeya]

hmmm if I remember correctly I had to PAY extra for DD's projects. I would call and ask for it back or for your son to make another.....its only fair.

We don't pay, but I'd be willing to give him what he needs to be able to make another!

 

[golfgal]

Where in my post did you get the impression I'd be reaming anybody out? I just want to talk to the teacher to get to the bottom of it and find out why my son is so upset. When I left a message with him, I was pretty neutral on the phone, so I hope he got that from my tone.

Believe me, I'm not one of those parents who thinks their kids can do no wrong. I've had to have a lot of involvement with his schools over the years, from pre-school until now, and I've had great relationships with the teachers and adminstration, except the middle school (in which case, NO parent had a good relationship with them).

I'm still cracking up that he threatened a teacher with me. It's usually the other way around with the teachers saying, "I'm going to call your mother!"

Oops, I didn't mean you, I meant to quote the poster that put that down and I pushed the wrong button. Someone else said something about going in and reaming the teacher out and I just followed with a little common sense. Sorry.

 

[Marseeya]

The teacher called me this morning and we got it straightened out.

I guess DS has started hanging around with a group of kids who fool around in class, and they actually do mess with one anothers' work. He doesn't seem to think my DS tampers with anybody else's work, but that it very well could be that the other kids did something to his thinking it was funny. He assured me that he's looking into all this and that he will be working towards putting a stop to it. We both agreed that we're going to encourage DS to try to stay away from these other kids. Should be easy, right? Heh.

Regarding the grade, he said that he did his best to grade it based on how it was actually put together before the tampering, but it was difficult to do. He also said that my DS could work on another one to resubmit for a grade, which is totally fair. I guess they're going to be doing metal working, but will have quite a bit of downtime he can use to make another shelf.

Oh, and when I asked about him throwing it away, he said that he didn't throw it away, but that he gathered up the pieces and put them in his office so that he could show them to me and talk to me about it. Well, DS and a friend went INTO the teacher's office and TOOK the pieces (which they got 3 days of detention for). So, DS is going to get an earful tonight when I get hold of him. See, he admitted to me this morning that he took the pieces back, but I assumed he took them out of the trash so I didn't say anything about it. UGH!

Anyway, this is why I like getting both sides of the story.

 

[CheshireVal]

Glad you got it worked out. It seems like in a lot of these teacher threads, there's always more to the story than the child offers originally (which is to be expected-- I remember fudging a little here and there when I was in school, too!)

Good for you for looking into it further.

 

[Marseeya]

Glad you got it worked out. It seems like in a lot of these teacher threads, there's always more to the story than the child offers originally (which is to be expected-- I remember fudging a little here and there when I was in school, too!)

Good for you for looking into it further.

I know what you mean. I made it clear to my kids early on that, while I would always be on their side, it didn't mean I'd be against their teachers!

I hate the "us vs. them" mentality -- and both sides are often very guilty of it.