Note From Teacher Went Too Far

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I’m a responsible parent. I’m a tough disciplinarian. I don’t lie on reading logs. My kids get flu shots and their bedtimes are carved in stone. But in spite of all that Type-A parenting, I’m still human. I make mistakes and forget things once and a while, and recently I forgot to sign my second-grader’s homework. Now keep in mind, he did the homework. He did the math worksheets and the spelling activity. He studied for the geography quiz and practiced for the timed math tests. He did the required reading on his reading log and completed the reading worksheet, but what his mom failed to do was sign off on it.

I get it. I get that my son’s teacher wants parents invested in checking off the completion of every assignment. I get that she wants parents to know what’s going on, but I’d like to believe this truth is evident by the quality of the work he turns in – by the nicely written penmanship, by his carefully written name scrolled across every worksheet (front and back), and by the parent-completed reading log pictured above. But hey, I respect that that two parent signatures each week are her policy and I totally forgot one, but what I’m having a hard time reconciling is the manner in which she chose to communicate with me for a first offensive. Why have we skipped the pleasantries and reached code orange? Whatever happened to sticky notes? Or a polite reminder in the corner?

But the worst part wasn’t how the amber admonition of terror made me feel, it was how my 7-year-old reacted to it. He was afraid to show me his reading log for fear that he’d done something horribly wrong. And sadly, he’d gone above and beyond the 80 minutes of required reading that week only to be rewarded with a herculean orange tongue-lashing? Of course he thought he was in trouble. I felt like I was in trouble!

But was I crazy for feeling so shocked and angry? Was my receptivity meter off? Knowing I have a tendency to be overly sensitive, I took it to Facebook (you know, to the people who know all) to gauge the appropriateness of my reaction.

One-hundred and sixty comments later, I learned my feelings were echoed by all.

Reactions ranged from anger:

That teacher is a j*** off. Our poor kids have so much thrust upon them at school. Seriously, that reaction was over board.

She doesn’t have self control. I would be a bit scared to leave my kids with her.

I have a problem with any teacher who would demand that a parent comply with any sort of arbitrary rule. They can make rules for the kids, but as an adult, I would resent it. I graduated from high school thirty years ago. I’d be tempted to sign my name right under the phrase “bite me.”

Seriously, I would be in the Principal’s office then the district offices. Uncalled for!

What ever happened to lighting a bag of poo on a teachers door step?

To passive-aggressive:

You should get every single parent you know to sign it. Even parents you don’t know.

I would get an orange marker and freaking sign every single thing like that! That’s just rude!

That’s inappropriate on the teacher’s behalf. I would have returned it with my signature in bigger letters and bolder color because I’m feisty like that.

Hmmm, just wait till the first time SHE forgets something. Go buy some really bright markers.

Sign your name over the entire page and return it !!!

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/note-sons-teacher/story?id=27472112

Thoughts?

 

[DrLeftover]

Homeschooling is looking better all the time isn't it?

 

[Dee]

This individual teacher needs to take some training lessons in how to interact with students, sensitivity, and communication. I don't believe this was necessary or right for such a tender age group. MAYBE for those kiddos in their last year of high school, but even then it seems a pointless tactic. In any case, not every teacher is a bad one, but there are bad apples out there, and there are teachers who unfortunately lose their passion due to many reasons. Homeschooling, however, is not for everyone or every family, especially if you don't have the time, money, or effort to put into how difficult it is to teach a student. It can be wonderful, don't get me wrong, but don't knock down every teacher that seems to have made the wrong decision in a situation that could've been corrected by simply talking to the teacher about your concerns and having a human conversation with them. They are people, too.

 

[DrLeftover]

If it were one teacher, in one school, in one district, I'd agree.

But this kind of crap, in various and more or less egregious forms, appears to be nationwide.

 

[Dee]

If it were one teacher, in one school, in one district, I'd agree.

But this kind of crap, in various and more or less egregious forms, appears to be nationwide.

Any job is going to have ignorant workers: police men, fire fighters (my car was hit by a firetruck hose when they were responding to a call, way to not tie down your hose), politicians, doctors, retail workers, etc. It doesn't matter. As long as they are human beings, they are going to be imperfect and therefore make mistakes of varying degrees.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Welcome to the real world of harsh realities kiddos. What a wussy and over sensitive society we have become. We have created one of the worst generation's ever by over coddling these kids. Oh my god little Timmy has to see big harsh red letters on his paper because the parents messed up. How will little Timmy ever cope. Ridiculous!

 

[Ellie1142545]

Wow!  And here I thought rudeness from teacher's were a thing of the past.....Wrong!!  This reminds me of my son's 3rd grade teacher....Because of an incident, involving her high school son, she decided to fail him.....She would take his homework, and throw it in the trash, and then give him an F for not doing the work.....

Couldn't figure out what was going on at first, because I knew he was doing his homework, and turning it in, but still F's....I sat him down and talked to him, and he told me, that his teacher's son was picking on him, and hitting him, and one day he had enough....So....He pushed him down....Didn't help that he landed in a muddy snow bank, but.....Anyway....One day, at lunch time, our son came home from school, and said he wasn't going back....The Principal came to our house, and asked that we bring him back to school after lunch....So we did....Our Son had been telling the Principal all along, what had been going on, but he didn't believe that was the case, until.....While we were talking to the Principal, his teacher was walking past the Office, and she stopped just long enough to say, "See?  I told you, I'd get you for what you did to my son!"

The Principal, was shocked.....He also said, I'm beginning to see what you mean....She continued to fail him for his 3rd grade year, but the Principal, took an upper hand, making sure that my son's papers were graded properly (I'm assuming, that he had them taken to his office, from the trash can, at the end of the day), and he was promoted to 4th grade....

The teacher's action against him, though, had a long lasting effect on him.....

You'd think that they'd make sure that rudeness was not part of the agenda, but apparently it's still being overlooked.....

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Part of the kids homework was to get the parents signature. The child could have gotten it when mom came home. When dinner was served. When breakfast was given. When mom was dropping him off at school. It was the child's responsibilty to complete the assignment not the parents.That is a lesson the child will remember and bet the child will pursue the parents the next time if the kid cares about the grade they will get. Good for the teacher to do this with kids at a young age.