tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post114808905311411953..comments2024-03-16T14:54:12.445-04:00Comments on History Is Elementary: Looking Ahead-Building Parent RelationshipsEHThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1149518781588868242006-06-05T10:46:00.000-04:002006-06-05T10:46:00.000-04:00Thanks DCS. Yes, sometimes it is amazing to reali...Thanks DCS. Yes, sometimes it is amazing to realize I teach fourth graders. What is even more amazing is that some of my colleagues who teach even younger grades are experiencing some of the same problems...children as young as 5 and 6.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1149334986569916912006-06-03T07:43:00.000-04:002006-06-03T07:43:00.000-04:00And you teach fourth-graders. Oh, my gosh!And you teach fourth-graders. Oh, my gosh!Deb Sistrunk Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072871724975222638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1149334688884641822006-06-03T07:38:00.000-04:002006-06-03T07:38:00.000-04:00I'm just reading this for the first time. You rea...I'm just reading this for the first time. You really do a good job of articulating the balancing act teachers are faced with every day.<BR/><BR/>I think teachers should get hazardous duty pay for dealing with unruly students and parents who behave badly!<BR/><BR/>I have always valued teachers who recognize the importance of communiction and relationship building. And I am indebted to those teachers who call me - to introduce themselves and to keep me apprised of my child's progress.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for such an eye-opening post.Deb Sistrunk Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072871724975222638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148419041196356182006-05-23T17:17:00.000-04:002006-05-23T17:17:00.000-04:00Thanks for your comment, Laura. I think it's impo...Thanks for your comment, Laura. I think it's important to remember the golden rule with parents. Treat them the way you would want to be treated. It's nice to know parents dread the conversation as much as the teacher does sometimes. That's why I think relationship building is the key. We both,parent and teacher, need to be comfortable enough with each other to not let that emotional business get in the way of the child's success.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148360322596707192006-05-23T00:58:00.000-04:002006-05-23T00:58:00.000-04:00It's funny that you dread talking to parents. I a...It's funny that you dread talking to parents. I always dreaded talking to my daughter's teachers, and looking back I can see that there were times when I should have but didn't. Sometimes they were defensive and snappish when I only wanted information so I could help my daughter problem-solve - like, was that really a pop quiz, or did you announce a test and she was looking out the window. Sometimes I felt that they were unnecessarily complaining about my daughter and that just got under my skin. Once I sent a note asking to have a graded chemistry test sent home so I could help her figure out how better to prepare for the next one. It came with a note written in the margin in red ink - "Frankie can stay after school at any time for help but she has never chosen to do so." I thought, she doesn't need your damn help, I am a chemist. I sent the test back without comment, she made a 100 on the next one, and he asked her how she managed that. Once in 7th grade I had to pick her up right after school to go to an appointment, she didn't come out right away so I had to go find her, and I found her math teacher helping her with her locker - and growling at her that he had to help her every afternoon, she obviously needed to just pay attention and line the marks up. When he paused for breath I asked her if she only had trouble at the end of the day. She said yes, and I told her to try closing one eye. Her eyes cross when she's tired, I told the teacher, and probably she's having double vision and it's impossible to line the marks up like that. "Oh", he said, and then he lit into her again - "You need to tell me when you're having a problem! I don't know about it if you don't!" blah blah. I wanted to slap him. And therein lies another problem: I could be very objective about somebody else's kid, but when it's my own, everything goes straight to the dinosaur brain. That's probably the biggest reason why I avoided talking to her teachers if I possibly could. Oh well. She's in college now and while there have been times during her freshman year that I would have liked to have driven down there and shaken her professors until their teeth rattled, I have refrained. Mostly it's a relief to know I'm really expected not to talk to them at all.Laura(southernxyl)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02880277733341078157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148253729475235312006-05-21T19:22:00.000-04:002006-05-21T19:22:00.000-04:00I feel for ya, I do! This year I haven't really ha...I feel for ya, I do! This year I haven't really had any outrageous parents, but I did have one parent who asked me to "kick my daughter in the pants" over her science grade because the daughter respected my opinion.<BR/><BR/>But, oh, last year I had some lazy parent, some gullible parents, some screaming parents, and some call-me-every-five-minutes parents.<BR/><BR/>It's almost over."Ms. Cornelius"https://www.blogger.com/profile/16970201479637588558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148143677857916942006-05-20T12:47:00.000-04:002006-05-20T12:47:00.000-04:00Thanks Amerloc. At this point I really see no alt...Thanks Amerloc. At this point I really see no alternative. This something I must attempt. Look for future posts concerning my exploration into methods to deal with disruptive students.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148132840583570512006-05-20T09:47:00.000-04:002006-05-20T09:47:00.000-04:00I really believe schools are more productive when ...I really believe schools are more productive when they are true community schools. Pursuing relationships helps build community, so, as much as I might regret (and admire) the extra effort it will require on your part, I think you're on the right track.Amerlochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17001434250939119091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148129858164545422006-05-20T08:57:00.000-04:002006-05-20T08:57:00.000-04:00Yes, I guess you're right abou the teacher behavio...Yes, I guess you're right abou the teacher behavior. I'm sure we have it too----it's just less pronounced. Thanks for the info about my link. I may just remove it.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148127959078297552006-05-20T08:25:00.000-04:002006-05-20T08:25:00.000-04:00I got a virus alert from my anti-virus program whe...I got a virus alert from my anti-virus program when I went to the blogrankings link. Just wanted to make you aware of it.Mike in Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00635962989639829455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1148127806509479832006-05-20T08:23:00.000-04:002006-05-20T08:23:00.000-04:00We also have many of the behaviors you listed goin...We also have many of the behaviors you listed going on, among the teachers.Mike in Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00635962989639829455noreply@blogger.com