So angry I could bust!! (Vent)

[rgf207]

Just when I thought I had seen it all, along comes this post. A Mom is furious because a high school teacher expects high school level work? Must be Bizarro Day on the DIS.

unfortunately not. These type of posts are not uncommon here. It's sad.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I would be happy that the teacher is teaching. Dislike that kids today are allowed to spell and speak so horribly. It is embarrassing!!!

Well not only this, but I honestly don't think it's right for a parent to be able to "hand pick" their child's teacher. That seems unfair to parents who are not techers, you know?

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I think it's a bad idea to have children in the same school as you teach.

ITA. In my high school there was a smart alec kid who was in my class and he NEVER got into trouble for the crap he would pull (skip classes a LOT, mouth off to teachers, etc etc). His mom was vice principal of the school and the teachers let him be.

 

[furb & dez]

Have you met my 14yodd's Honors Biology teacher? My dd got an F for her first grade.

My dd did not bring in her homework on due date and she got an F. No excuses period for late work other than you have to be out sick for the day.

I guess your dd will learn how to spell, use grammar and punctuation or fail.

Same with my dd. Do the homework on time or get an F.

My favorite English teacher had a simple system regarding homework. If you turned it in on time, you received an 'A' on the assignment. If you did not turn it in on time, you received a double 'F'. She also allowed a limited amount of extra credit, in order to allow students to dig themselves out their double 'F's. It was a great system for teaching the consequences of being lazy.

 

[CurlyGirl]

I mean if I know every single fact and can say repeat my history book forbadem you dont think that should get me an A in history when I can right down every word in the book on a test, if I mispell some of the words who cares, this is not english.

You would STILL get an F in history because you can't repeat things forbadem. Forbadem? Seriously? That isn't even a word!!!!! It's verbatim.

 

[furb & dez]

You would STILL get an F in history because you can't repeat things forbadem. Forbadem? Seriously? That isn't even a word!!!!! It's verbatim.

Welcome to the U.S.

 

[Sparx]

My favorite English teacher had a simple system regarding homework. If you turned it in on time, you received an 'A' on the assignment. If you did not turn it in on time, you received a double 'F'. She also allowed a limited amount of extra credit, in order to allow students to dig themselves out their double 'F's. It was a great system for teaching the consequences of being lazy.

I had the first meeting of an English elective I'm taking this morning (Abdication of Power in The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter). My professor started the class by going over the one paper that we have to turn in (along with several tests and quizzes on reading material) and he explained what was expected from the paper. He said he organizes them in alphabetical order and goes through the pile looking first for a title and then for the proper amount of sources on the works cited page. If either of those are missing the paper gets an automatic F. Following directions and paying attention to details are paramount in most classes.

 

[tlbwriter]

I had the first meeting of an English elective I'm taking this morning (Abdication of Power in The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter).

Where were classes like that when I was in school???

My professor started the class by going over the one paper that we have to turn in (along with several tests and quizzes on reading material) and he explained what was expected from the paper. He said he organizes them in alphabetical order and goes through the pile looking first for a title and then for the proper amount of sources on the works cited page. If either of those are missing the paper gets an automatic F. Following directions and paying attention to details are paramount in most classes.

I'm glad somebody is teaching this. I've judged a report writing contest for middle- and high-school students for many years. I'm always disappointed at how many students will miss the most basic instructions (like the minimum number of citations). It's right there in the rules. If you're not going to follow the very plainly laid out, very objective rules, why bother with the subjective part?

 

[Sparx]

Where were classes like that when I was in school???



I'm glad somebody is teaching this. I've judged a report writing contest for middle- and high-school students for many years. I'm always disappointed at how many students will miss the most basic instructions (like the minimum number of citations). It's right there in the rules. If you're not going to follow the very plainly laid out, very objective rules, why bother with the subjective part?

I'm really excited about it! We're reading On Faery Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien right now and moving on through The Lord of the Rings in the next few weeks, and then finishing up with Rowling. I've never read The Lord of the Rings before so I'm looking forward to that. He said he's been teaching this class since 2000/2001, so before Harry Potter was even finished up. Those classes must have been a lot of fun because everyone was theorizing where the books would go and what would happen (which is really relevant to the class topic, Abdication of Power)

 

[KimR]

You would STILL get an F in history because you can't repeat things forbadem. Forbadem? Seriously? That isn't even a word!!!!! It's verbatim.

Thank you. I had no idea what the poster was trying to say. This is a perfect example of why spelling IS important.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Okay people, just to clarify....

There IS such a thing as a deficit or disability that affects spelling.

I know...
My husband went thru college with a very very intelligent friend, who couldn't spell a four or five letter word.... 'Any', for example, would be 'Aney'. A true neurological disability. My husband would proof his papers and help correct spelling, in exchange for other small favors/services from his friend.

My son's disability really impacts his ability to spell.

This is very, very, real.
Spelling is NOT always indicative or intelligence or education.

To the poster who admitted to such a difficulty:
I assume from what you described that you are older and went through school in the days before there was any real understanding of learning disabilities. This would be screened and diagnosed thru some specialized testing... ( Not just because the kid, or the parent, says that they can't spell.)

Today, such a thing would be addressed by the SPED department and an IEP. There would be support, as well as leniency for this type of thing. (IF the school actually did what Fed. law requires and provide services to learning disabled children... which, very often, is not the case.)

 

[Wishing on a star]

PS:

Me again...

I am assuming that the OP's kid does not have such a difficulty to be concerned about, and was just taken aback by the increase in demand/expectations.

I think the whole incident should be considered as a 'teaching moment'.

 

[disneyismyname]

I've not read all the post...only OP original statement.
In my college classes we get points taken off all the time for grammar. It has nothing to do with which class we are taking.
I'm taking surgical courses and we have a grading sheet that takes points off for misused words, spelling errors, and capitalization.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

Just when I thought I had seen it all, along comes this post. A Mom is furious because a high school teacher expects high school level work? Must be Bizarro Day on the DIS.

Isn't that every day?

 

[furb & dez]

I'm really excited about it! We're reading On Faery Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien right now and moving on through The Lord of the Rings in the next few weeks, and then finishing up with Rowling. I've never read The Lord of the Rings before so I'm looking forward to that. He said he's been teaching this class since 2000/2001, so before Harry Potter was even finished up. Those classes must have been a lot of fun because everyone was theorizing where the books would go and what would happen (which is really relevant to the class topic, Abdication of Power)

Off topic: Tolkien's works can be very (*ahem*) plodding. Make sure you keep enough coffee handy!

 

[mdsoccermom]

PS:

Me again...

I am assuming that the OP's kid does not have such a difficulty to be concerned about, and was just taken aback by the increase in demand/expectations.

I think the whole incident should be considered as a 'teaching moment'.

If a high school teacher was taken aback by the expectation that a high school student have proper grammar and spelling, then again, she should reevaluate her career choice. She obviously is not equipped to teach at that level.

 

[Sparx]

Off topic: Tolkien's works can be very (*ahem*) plodding. Make sure you keep enough coffee handy!

I've read The Hobbit and I don't remember having to struggle through it, and so far I've liked On Faery Stories, so I hope I don't have too much trouble with LOTR. This is an elective that I'm taking because I thought it sounded fun. I have six other major specific (a hard science) classes so I'm going to have to work to not make excuses to let Harry Potter monopolize my time.

 

[Wishing on a star]

If a high school teacher was taken aback by the expectation that a high school student have proper grammar and spelling, then again, she should reevaluate her career choice. She obviously is not equipped to teach at that level.

Jigga Whhhaaaaaa???????

Read my post again, please...

I said that it sounds like the STUDENT, "the OP's kid" was taken aback (unprepared) for the increased expectations.

I just LOVE it when people purposefully take my words, turn them around 180 degrees, and try to flame me...

Ahhhhh, the DIS!!!!!

 

[Magpie]

I've read The Hobbit and I don't remember having to struggle through it, and so far I've liked On Faery Stories, so I hope I don't have too much trouble with LOTR. This is an elective that I'm taking because I thought it sounded fun. I have six other major specific (a hard science) classes so I'm going to have to work to not make excuses to let Harry Potter monopolize my time.

In a pinch there's a BBC radio play version of the Lord of the Rings that's extremely faithful to the books.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_(1981_radio_series)

I bought a copy years ago, but your library might have it, too. Be wary of the Peter Jackson films - they're gorgeous, but they do change the books quite a bit. And the Bakshi films are a trip, but they won't help you at all with the books.

The Lord of the Rings is very different from the Hobbit. It's denser. More complex. More characters. LOTS more description. Feel free to skim over some of the "walking, and walking, and walking" bits.

It reads more like a scholarly history, than a "story". Personally, that's what I love about it - it feels so real. But it can be rough going, if this is your first introduction to it, and you're expecting something more like the Hobbit.

 

[crashbb]

Jigga Whhhaaaaaa???????

Read my post again, please...

I said that it sounds like the STUDENT, "the OP's kid" was taken aback (unprepared) for the increased expectations.

I just LOVE it when people purposefully take my words, turn them around 180 degrees, and try to flame me...

Ahhhhh, the DIS!!!!!

The OP was clearly unprepared for it as well. Otherwise, why would she (the OP) question the teacher about the issue?