GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
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| Thu, 03-08-2007 - 6:04pm |
I am SO DANG Frustrated with Cait's teacher again.
This time is worse because I was actually starting to feel like she is getting it and NOPE. Get another nasty gram today about homework.
Cait got Friday School for tomorrow for missing "5 math assignments from last friday to this wednesday". Well I gotta tell you, in the planner there are only 4 noted as missing AND half of those were either done and lost or I couldn't figure out what the heck was due. I have been trying again every night. Cait is trying and both of us get hollered at again.
Here are a couple quotes.
"Friday School: What we are seeing & hearing at school is: things are too busy at home so I can't get my work done. She tells me she wants to get it done, but can't because there is no time. Caiti is only completing work at school and is not completing the rest at home. Her Friday School is for 5 missing math / science assignments (from Friday 3/2 - to Wed. 3/7). This week, she finished her current event at school on Tuesday."
and
"I think it's more practical and beneficial to teach Caiti to become independent so she can do assignments on her own at home. I know she's capable. In a structured environment at school she works the entire time. She is very good at using her time wisely. I hope we can figure out a system so she can transfer the independent work habits here to home. I know it's hard since home has all of the distractions and hopefully we can teach her that once she gets her homework done she can have free time to play. "
I have re-written my response 5 times and still haven't emailed it. I am so angry I could spit nails honestly so I don't want to respond until I can do so in a professional manner.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrr
Renee


OMG thats sounds like Chris's teacher..... It's totally your fault you know <<>>.
It cracks me up when she said Cait works better in a structured environment like school, because GUESS WHAT LADY, School is normally more structured then the commen household. Thats just the way it is.
REnee, is there any homework program in your area, like the library, that Cait can just go everyday and do it?
I did that with Chris in the beginning to get him to do his homework (thinking that structured environment would work better for him, and his little bro wouldn't distract him). It worked for a bit, until school just got harder for him.
Grrrrrr teachers.
Dear Renee,
Oh, fer Pete's sake. She is RIDICULOUS!!
I love the "I know she is capable" line. That is just so fekkin' NT blind-dense grownup of her. THIS WOMAN KNOWS NOTHING, NOT ONE THING!!!
I am shuddering, ick, get her off, feh!!!
Bummer. Good luck on the email, if you manage you are a better woman than me.
Sara
"I know she is capable" line.
My oldest dd who is turning 20 this month had teachers do the same thing with her on every report card. Luckily she did well throughout the years. But every year I read that!!! LOL
And funny, this is what I hear with my 10 yr old who is majorly struggling, and it drives me crazy, as all of the teachers have been proven wrong.
But for my son, No one has noticed that he is different, no one has noticed that he has problems with his writing... no one has noticed ANYTHING, unless it was me.]
That drives me crazy.
I think the teachers have this sentence in their brain, as in repeat mode lol. Thats what they say, and write in all of the report cards.
Its so overdone...
Lainie
Renee,
Gosh, have you reconsidered the advice on teaching Cait to be more independant?
oh, man! Weston's teacher sent me almost the same email a couple of weeks ago. I finally got a decent email together and talked w/ the OT and she suggested I remind them that his frustration builds up and not having a break at school makes it worse so that by the time he gets home he has absolutely NO PATIENCE for sitting still to complete make work homework. (he's missing a math packet that is purely practice for math work he's already mastered). I also reminded them that even tho he's not disrupting class he might need a break and he needs to take more breaks than the 'normal' child. If he doesn't take breaks during the day he won't get his homework done.
as for turning it in... that will be my eternal struggle, I'll be at the gates of heaven reminding my children to turn in their homework and St Peter will probably tell me that they could do better.
Betsy
You know, I read your message Renee and got really really angry.
Then 45 secs. later I'm laughing my rear off at the responses from the other ladies!!! I think Sara's made me shoot coffee through my nose!
With all due respect to teachers, as I know there are some good ones in this world, I have to ask...DOES THIS LADY HAVE A FEKKIN' CLUE??? I'm sorry but the whole idea of 'the child is capable' really p*sses me off because I think it's a great big ugly excuse for lazy a** educators. In essence they're saying "I've done my part to help this student. The rest is up to somebody else." Well if the student's success is THAT unimportant to her, then she should consider a different profession.
Just last night I was telling my NT 7 year old daughter how happy I was that she was in advanced math because when I was struggling with algebra a really evil teacher told me that I might as well not even try...girls will never be good at math. Low and behold, the only thing that kept me from a 4.0 was that I actually BELIEVED that stupid idiot. Now I understand that this "educator" just didn't want to take the time to help me even though I went to HER time and time again! You see, I was a cheerleader, which automatically equated to STUPID and LAZY.
What makes me the most angry about this situation is that Cait is an exceptionally bright young lady and you, Renee, are an exceptionally involved and caring parent. How dare anybody group you into the same category of "parents who don't give a sh*t about whether or not their children succeed"!
Okay...I'm done ranting...good luck cooling off, because I'm not sure I'd be able to.
Amy
You guys are so great.
Thanks Amy. I agree, I haven't been able to cool off so I haven't responded. Once I cool off and go to work on the email I get all upset again and save it to my drafts. I know it isn't going to help any situation to get angry and say something hurtful in reply. DH is supposed to reply for me today. He works in this field and is often the mediator between parent and teacher. He knows how to say the right thing to get things moving so I hope he comes through for me this time.
Cait got her reward for trying on her homework this week. I am at the point again where I just need to worry about Cait and her skills so we basically ignore the teachers and do it ourselves. It isn't the first time.
This week she earned the treat for starting her homework without reminders and putting forth a good effort. I had noticed a change and felt she deserved a treat for that. We talked about next week she would get the reward by now adding to this week by turning in her math homework and putting her homework in the special spot we made in her new binder. That is all she has to work on this week and she will get a treat. I am going to make a visual for it today and put it on the computer (seems to be where she will be most likely to see it! ROFL)
WEll I SHOULD run. Debbie is coming tomorrow and I have SOOO much cleaning to do.
Renee
GRRRRRR is generous. Clearly she has no clue.
This reminds me of a time that a teacher's aide started talking about hair washing in the tub, and I corrected her with as little emotion as possible, so as not to traumatize my extremely sensory toddler, and so as not to backslide on the progress we have made in getting him the bathtub in the first place. I said that we don't wash hair in the bath, we just play. She cheerfully asked, "Who's the parent?" Good thing my children were watching, because I would have smacked her if I wasn't in role model mode.
If I were not blinded by anger, I would do this: I would just innocently ask the teacher for suggestions on how to provide the structure and how to teach her that she can play after doing her work. Most of all, I'd ask for suggestions as to how to teach Cait to generalize skills. I'd keep it very short and put it all on her expertise.
Then I'd slam her with responses like, "did you know we have a picture schedule?" "Did you know that we tried...." blah blah blah, because I am sure that you are doing and have tried many more strategies than she can come up with.
As an added bonus, the teacher may inadvertently identify something more that she and/or the school should be doing. Then you can call a new IEP, and have them address the additional needs that they have identified with the strategies that they suggested themselves.
Sidney