Need advice about horrible teacher

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Need advice about horrible teacher
20
Tue, 01-15-2008 - 3:48pm

Well, I hadn't been home more than 10 minutes this afternoon before my stomach was twisted in knots and my heart was in my throat. My DD is a sophomore and, for the second year in a row, has the most awful French teacher that God ever put on this earth. THe woman is a disaster, an utter disaster. She is one of those teachers who is known throughout the school because she's so bad. Her students actually regress in their language skill when they take her class. Anyone lucky enough to move out of her class to another teacher after one year clearly stands out because the other teachers' students have learned so much more in that time.


Starting last year, this horrendous person has taken a strong dislike to my DD. Why, I cannot begin to imagine. I'm not saying my DD is always a perfect angel, but she is quiet and shy and very respectful. She is not the kind of kid who disrupts the class and invites teachers' scorn. Every teacher she has ever had has commented on what a pleasure she is to have in class, and how serious and hardworking she is. Not this clown. She claims my DD is always talking & laughing and now, even sleeping in class.


Well, my DD is the first to admit that she is bored out of her skull in this class because the teacher's lessons are so awful that she has no idea what she's even talking about. She says other kids are talking all the time, that the teacher has no control over the class, yet she just picks on my DD. My DD and I met with this teacher last year, and things improved for a while, but they're even worse now.


I have run into this teacher at school, and she told me my DD was very sleepy in class. I commented that we've been trying to make sure she eats well (she had been skipping meals), and this class is at the very end of the day. This idiotic woman jumped on that and is now pulling my DD aside, interrogating her every day, and even offering nutrition adivce. (If you saw this woman, you would see the humor in that!) My DD has for the past couple of months been getting lunch at school every day--which is right before this class--so that is no longer an issue, and I think it is beyond impertinent for this teacher to take it upon herself to talk to my DD about this constantly.


One day, she made her stay after class to ask her "So, N, did you learn anything today, or was I just wasting my time?" Is that uncalled for, or what? My question is--where do I go from here? I'm not sure how the HS works because I work at the middle school level. I've talked to the teacher, I've talked to the guidance counselor. What next?? We've already decided that my DS will not be taking French when he goes to HS next year so we don't run into this woman again. It is outrageous. My DH and I both studied French all through college, we have French-speaking relatives who we'd like our kids to be able to converse with, but it won't happen because of this horrible woman. Any advice, please?!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-1999
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 10:25am
My DD had one h.s. teacher, now I can't remember which subject.
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-25-2002
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 10:33am

I have also had the kids bring home poor grades that we just knew were wrong. Turns out the teacher had an aide correcting papers and she had been holding the score key incorrectly. If no one had said anything, all of those poor grades would have been recorded. With grades, you have to speak up. With personality conflicts, sometimes you just have to suck it up...


Thank goodness your DD spoke up for herself. Admirable at any age...

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 10:35am

You are absolutely right EJ about having to step in for our children once in while :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-29-2003
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 12:40pm

She may be offering nutrition advice because she thinks she's helping.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 2:04pm

DS says this stuff about teachers sometimes, and I know that teachers like this really do exist, but most of the time this is the conversation...


Me: "Yup, it sucks, but imagine this were your boss.

 

Jenn, wife to Kurt, mom to a housefull...

DS16 Gunther, DSD13 Chandler, DS6 Liam, Baby Girl Delaney due *anym

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 2:29pm

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Sorry, Shelly, I certainly didn't mean to offend you or anyone else on this board. I'm not the model of physical fitness myself. This teacher is just an all-around doofus...it's not just about weight. Just because I mentioned my DD skipping lunch to her doesn't give her the right to dispense nutrition advice, IMO. If it were my student, and I had concerns about that--even if the parent had discussed it with me--I'd refer the kid to the school nurse at least instead of trying to handle it myself. As it is, there is no nutrition issue even to be discussed, so the whole thing is beyond ridiculous.


ej


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-29-2003
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 4:12pm

eiteach--no offense taken...I tend to get a little 'hypersensitive' to the issue, so it just made me curious.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 6:00pm

Shelly, There's nowhere to move her. This is the only teacher for this course. I tried to move her out over the summer by talking to the guidance counselor. We were even hoping that a new teacher who was being hired might teach that course, but it didn't turn out that way, so moving to another class isn't an option.


ej


Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 8:19pm

I can commiserate- ds had issues with his geometry teacher last year.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-11-2007
Thu, 01-17-2008 - 6:43am
Thanks for the suggestion!

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