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It’s that time of the year - the time when parents have decided their annoyingly spoiled precious off-spring would fare better in a different teacher’s classroom.
Because the problem is never with their child. And it is possible that Jesus wasn’t the only one who could walk on water.
And when they make legal threats and my boss tells me to move their child, I’ll do it because I am the picture of compliance. Really. But don’t expect me to be understanding when your little pain in the rumpus child continues to have problems in their new classroom because obviously the new teacher made the child throw a fit and break a glass treat jar on purpose. Why would we ever want children to be responsible for their behavior? Such a ridiculous idea!.
And just because I was all nice and smiling and you couldn’t see or hear what I was thinking about the whole situation doesn’t mean I want to be on your e-mail forward list. Take me the heck off!
You really don’t want to make a bad situation badder worse. After all, I do get to decide what class your precious angel will be in next year.
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30 comments:
Oh Beth. I feel a little bit of this pain. Parents are the worst part of teaching. xo
ouch! yep, know a few of those parents...as a parent it makes me chuckle...at them, not at you. : (
There are more and more of these parents out there who are so completely clueless about their children! It's so frustrating.
What parent has the school principal on their email forwarding list??
OMG, you've been brought into this parent's circle of trust!!
I install city sewer lines, and you put up with more crap than I ever do!
And now I am rethinking going back to work.
I tried so hard to never be that parent. Just ask my kids how many times they heard, "Mean kids have mean teachers." If you behave yourself, you'll find that the teacher is quite nice.
Good grief. You stand your ground, girl. Don't let them bully you.
Gotta love those parents .... unfortunately there are more like that then unlike that!
Oy. I don't envy those kids meeting the real world head on when they suddenly discover that their employers don't take the blame for their mistakes.
I always trust the teachers with class placement, I know that they know all Top Enders little ways and who she doesn't and does intereact with but most importantly they know which teacher will work with her best. Am I like your ideal parent?!
Erin - MOST of the parents are fantastic. The ones who are awful are just really awful.
Brian - I do point and laugh at them. When they aren't looking, of course.
blueviolet - There are more and more parents who don't let their children ever work through issues. I feel sorry for the kids.
Jan - That is what I thought! And this parent isn't even the first one to do that. I still get emails from a challenging parent who doesn't even have a child at my school any more. When I see her name on the list, my heart still skips a beat.
Fragrant - See. I'm nice. :)
otin - Ha! So we both work in the crap business?
Midwest Mommy - At least the kids are entertaining.
SMB - I always backed the teachers, too! Well, except for this one teacher. But one out of a bazillion is pretty good.
Janie - You should be in my cheering section when I have to meet with the parents.
sunlover - There are way too many of the wacky ones. But they are hilarious. Frustrating, but hilarious.
tattytiara - I wish someone would make a reality show about it. I wouldn't watch it, but it would be fun to hear about on Talk Soup.
Pippa - You sound like one of my favorite parents!
You tell her/him Beth!! Good thing he/she couldn't read your thoughts... then again, that might have made all the difference. One hopes so, anyway.
Breathe dear Beth, breathe.
When I was younger with children to raise I had so much more patience, but I don't think I would have the wisdom to keep quiet when parents refuse to see the reality of the situation with their children. I even have the problem watching my grand children manipulate and control. Yikes. Beth, have you ever seen this blog: http://zunguzungu.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/to-summarize/ I read this blog sometimes and think of you while reading some his the posts.
I feel for you and what you have to put up with every day.
Oh, I know what a prick my kid is... I feel bad for his teachers... but I have a feeling he is better for them than he is for me.
Those few parents ruin things for the system.
I asked my administrator (due to a parent complaing about a single grade their child received) why district bends to those who threaten law suits. Doesn't it just encourage the behavior? Ruin the system for the majority?
I wish the parents of the mojority knew how much the system is tweaked to cater to the dysfunctional...
I pretty much refuse to move kids unless there's a really compelling reason. Fortunately, those higher up on the food chain back me up 99% of the time.
You're right, though . . . never the kid's fault.
I still think that you need to do what you love to do!
I hate that you are sometimes forced to move a student, especially if it's because of a heavy handed parent.
Today one of my parents asked his son be moved to another class that isn't a split (I have a 1/2). Totally out of the blue. His kid was doing great, he didn't say a word to me, just asked the AP. (Our principal doesn't get involved in this sort of thing. He prefers budgets and meetings over children.)
parents like that suck.
p.s. ryan gosling was in the notebook. but you should definitely rent half nelson, he's great in it. plays a drug-addicted teacher.
It's amazing how ignorant some parents can be. And their children are our future? I'm a little scared...
I don't know how you handle it, Beth. Really, I don't. This is part of why I couldn't handle being a teacher. Truly. I give you so much credit.
I do not envy your job. I know how protective and just plain nutty parents can be. How you do it with a smile, or at least a fake smile, day in and day out is beyond me.
I would suck at being a teacher. You'd be seeing me on the news - with a roll of duct tape in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other.
Well I was tempted to do just that when I learned my daughter has one teacher who constantly tells them they are his worst class, they are a bunch of losers, and he doesn't care. She begged me not to.
Beth,
I have a few friends who are teachers and I have to send them your blog. It kills me.
brilliant.
kiran
There needs to be a sit com where you get to hear what the teacher or principal is really thinking inside their head.
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