Parent Conferences

This week we are having parent conferences and as a "connections" teacher, I do not have and parents scheduled to meet with, but I have to remain at school and sit at a post. Ironically, hey have stationed myself, a first year teacher, with another first year teacher at a high traffic area--and out of my comfort zone-- to direct people... I just sat there for an hour.

Though a parent did come up to me and ask to talk to me about her child's grade... which was an F. I said I would be glad to talk to her, so we did. "I thought, when you called, you said Jamie* had been improving in your class," she asked.
"Well, yes ma'am, she was, but she failed to complete one of the major projects and the two writen art criticisms, which were group activities, she failed."

I continued to explain that while her daughter had settled down in my class and her conduct had definately improved, she still put forth minimal effort with her work. I also told her that I sent a progress report home and asked the students to sign that they recieved it if they were failing. She looked at her daughter and said, "Now why didn't that make it home?" Jamie shrugged. I replied for her, "Jamie didn't want to sign that she recieved it, but I asure you she recied it." Her mom started in on her, "Why didn't you want to sign?" the answer was whinned back... "Cause, Mooooooooom, that was too bad of a gade next to my name!"

"But you did it!" Her mom bellowed back.

I even offered to take her down to my room and show her the directions and rubric for the art criticisms that her daughter had and the painting project she failed to finish. Once we were down there, she shook her head in disgust. She agreed with everything I had to say and while Jamie was offering up excuse after excuse, her mom agreed with me that there was no excuse for her grade and thanked me for my time.


(Stepping on my soapbox) I bet you anything Jamie's grades in her other classes will come up by the end of the term. Yes, she did fail PE and Art (since we are 9 week classes), but I bet anything she will have improved her grades ten fold be the end of the semester. Why, do I think this? Because her mom was seriously upset at what she was hearing from not just me, but all of her teachers.. Jamie is lazy and full of excuses.

When kids have parents at home that care about their education, are interested in their progress, and will support the teacher, that's when we have students improve and stay above the curve. Though, the students that have parents at home that will believe everything the student says and not a word of what the teacher says, knows they can get away with anything and there will not be major consequences. Those are the behavior students, those are the failing students, those are the red flagged students. Students that don't have parents at home that care, often know it and don't achieve anything. Students that have parents at home that work the state's special education allowances just so their LAZY son or daughter can skate by, know all the allowances themselves-- I have heard students- who are straight up behavior problems say to me, "they won't suspend me for as long as they suspend anyone else because I'm special ed." These students know how to work the system-- there are huge gapping holes in the system, yes...but regardless of those holes, I firmly believe that it is the parental support (or lack there of) that ultimately defines whether a student will succeed or not-- for the majority of kids in school that is-- there are always exceptions. (Stepping down from the soapbox)

*names have been changed