Please Help...Teacher Issues

[MMDad]

I am trying very hard not to believe that is true. But it's the little things. Seeing the other kid's assignments not graded as harshly and the fact the anything that can be objectively graded she fails. They have been working at school on the memoirs for weeks at least. Looking at the grading sheet it is very objective grading on a scale of 0-3 for each part. A got a total of 47% on the memoir. Are you kidding me?? 47% I am requesting a copy, it better be the most unorganized, imcomplete, sloppy thing ever done.

Techers are people too, with all of our character flaws. It sounds like you have a bad situation there. I would ask for a meeting with the teacher and the Principal.

 

[jenbengen]

Usually things like this are really just misunderstanding. I've had it happen and seen it happen. You need to be honest with the teacher and talk to her about it. You might be surprised at what she says. Children are encouraged to do homework on their own because it allows the teacher to see what info they have retained after they leave the classroom. Homework is intended to have as little help as possible from parents. I wouldn't take what is going on so personally until you sit down and talk with the teacher. If you are not comfortable with doing it alone, ask for the counsellor or principal to join. Seriously, you may just be surprised that it is just a misunderstand on her part and possibly even on yours. I encountered a teacher that I thought I couldn't stand but ended up really enjoying her after we had a discussion. Try to keep emotions out, too, when talking. Just be factual. Good luck!

 

[Nanny Pam]

I would take it up with her first, then go to the principal about having your daughter changed to another teacher's class.

 

[smoothmarine187]

My son is great at reading and spelling, but this year the teacher said his comprehension of what he was reading was terrible. We got all bent out of shape but once we spent some more time with him, and made him go over everthing he read instead of just tearing through it........he did great. If the teacher would have embarrassed him, then that would have been a different story, I would have pulled the teachers underwear up over his head in front of the entire class, and seen how he liked it!........lol

 

[nachomama]

I would request a meeting with you and the teacher first. It could be that she is trying to challenge your daughter, and if you feel that the teachers' way of challenging your daughter is actually discouraging her, she needs to know that. It could be the issues with the father (though I doubt it), and it could be that maybe she doesn't realize that the comments she is making are hurtful to you and your daughter. 3rd grade is a big adjustment for kids, and the teachers do expect their students to start being more independent and responsible.

If you don't see results from that meeting, then I would take it to a higher level.

And personally, IMO, I don't see where a test to see how fast your kid can read makes any sense. Yeah, it's great that they can read fast, but if they aren't comprehending what they are reading, what's the point in it, if they have to read it a few times to get what is being said? :shrug: Nothing personal, but that just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Green Eyes]

Tina,
I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's situation! As a former teacher, it saddens me to hear that her self-esteem has taken a beating.
I would contact the teacher and ask to meet w/her. Explain your concerns...how she did very well in 2nd grade and now seems to be struggling. Have the teacher explain the assessments and grading criteria for reading, writing, etc. Perhaps she can gather some "exemplary" writing assignments ahead of time to show you at conference time. Ask for ways that you can help your daughter. Remain calm, open-minded and approach the conference as a "we're in it together" attitude. If after a few weeks you feel the conference hasn't helped, then meet with the principal.
Having taught 1st and 3rd grade in SoMD and 2nd grade in another state, I can tell you that the transition from 2nd to 3rd grade is HUGE! Up until 3rd grade, the focus is on decoding words and fluency. Obviously, comprehension is important then, too. But it is usually guided and discussed ORALLY with the teacher. In 3rd grade, students are expected to know how to decode and the focus shifts primarily to comprehension. They are expected to read with less teacher guidance and eventually independently and respond to comprehension questions in WRITING, rather than orally. Furthermore, your daughter's school may have a one reading/language arts program K-2 and a different one in 3rd grade, making the transition even more difficult.
Remember, reading isn't merely pronouncing words correctly. It's gaining meaning from written word. Praise your daughter for being such an accurate and fast decoder...those are very important reading skills! Encourage and help her to make pictures (like making a movie) in her head about what she is reading (starting from sentence to sentence and then paragraph to paragraph).
I hope this helps.

 

[Vince]

I would request a conference to include you, the teacher, and the asst. principal (or principal). Write down your issues before going in, and address each one. Confronting her may help, and if not, I'd definitely request that A be moved to a different class. It's not like you are asking for special treatment, but you want your child to be treated fairly, not be embarassed, and be rewarded when deserved.

To all that and bring all the papers with you that have the negative comments on them. I made the mistake of not having my daughter moved to another teacher during a school year and she got bad grades the entire year. The only year she ever got bad grades. She got the same teacher again two years later in High School and I had her change classes immediately. Some schools will not let you change teachers after you get so far into the school year.

 

[Geek]

If at all possible, volunteer in the classroom. Seeing what is going on with your own eyes is priceless.

 

[Gwydion]

When I was in 11th grade I had a miserable English teacher. I was receiving C's and D's on almost every paper I turned in. I worked hard on all of them, but at mid-term I was fed up. I had to go home and have my mom sign my "currently failing" notice. I explained that my work WAS good, maybe not A worthy (I've never been a good english guy). So I gathered up all my papers, all my teachers comments and took them to the Ass. principal. She sent them off to a different English teacher. When i got them back they went from being C's to B-'s and eventually up to A-grade papers.

The teacher is a moron. Grab your kiddo's papers and demand a conference with the Principal or Ass. Principal. Explain what the teacher said and ask for a different teacher to grade the papers. If they grade it the same, then your kid is not at the level you thought. If the grades are better, then go back to the Ass Principal and demand a meeting with the original teacher and an administrator. get the teacher in some trouble.


In my humble opinion...
In third grade your kid isn't intelligent. They aren't smart. (Please don't think I am bashing your kid. I feel this about ALL kids) What they are devoloping will lead them to a life of intelligence or a life of stupidity. If your kiddo is ENJOYING doing the work and is doing satisfactorily, then all is fine. The enjoyment out of education is what will matter down the road. If a person enjoys education they will WANT to go to college and will WANT to do well when it matters.

I had (and still do...) a similar problem with reading speed and reading comprehension. I can read fast as hell, but nothing was getting retained. During college I learned that I NEEDED to slow down. I needed to read things 2 or 3 times in order to understand what was going on. You should sit down with your kiddo and have her read a couple pages out of a book. (Maybe Harry Potter? Its above her reading level so it should be a good test). Then ask her questions about it. Detailed questions. So YOU can test to see how she is doing.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Ashlie at the end of 2nd grade was reading 221 words per minute and was ing the teacher about it and a BIG deal was made about the fact that she could read so fast, comprehension was irrelevant in this test. The bench mark for 2nd grade is 80 something and third grade is like 150 tops. Well this teacher decides to embarass my kid in front of the entire third grade and their parents when she was emphasing the importance of comprehending during this test (something that NONE of the second teachers said was important at all)

I'm stunned that a teacher would tell you comprehension doesn't matter. What would be the point of reading then? They're not learning anything if they don't understand what it is they are reading.

 

[Tina2001aniT]

I'm stunned that a teacher would tell you comprehension doesn't matter. What would be the point of reading then? They're not learning anything if they don't understand what it is they are reading.

Let me clarify......I don't think I explained it well at first...

The 2nd grade teacher was saying that for THAT testing, comprehension was not important, they wanted the kids to be FLUENT, that was the point in that testing, it is FLUENCY testing.

A does not have a comprehension problem at all, she comprehends well, 3rd grade teachers point was that she could not possibly comprehend at the speed in which she was taking the test. NOT that she doesn't comprehend in general, the test was given in all of 2nd grade as a fluency, "I just want to know that you know what the words are" test. The testing is a fairly new system, and the school realized that the 2nd grade teachers had been instructed incorrectly on how to give the test, so they are trying to fix their mistake. It was just the sheer lack of concern for her feelings and embarassing her in front of the crowd that got to me.

Maybe that more explains the situation, A has no comprehension problems, she read a full Harry Potter book and comprehended it all 2 summer's ago. She can read and retell exactly what happened.

Does that make any more sense??

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Does that make any more sense??

Gotcha! I think I took it meaning in general; not just during testing. Whew!!

 

[Tina2001aniT]

I sent the teacher a nice but firm email, stating thatwe need to work together to help the kiddo and blah blah blah a big long email. Just waiting on her response to see what steps to take next.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

And Tina, a good example of bad reading comprehension is this:

Today I put an add in the classifieds. I explained that if parties were interested, they should send an email to: Chasey1234@mail.com. I'm getting emails to MY email addy: (1234Chasey@mail.com) which is not what I instructed people to do. It just so happens that's the one I used to register. IMO, that's strike 1 for them.

 

[Nickel]

And Tina, a good example of bad reading comprehension is this:

Today I put an add in the classifieds. I explained that if parties were interested, they should send an email to: Chasey1234@mail.com. I'm getting emails to MY email addy: (1234Chasey@mail.com) which is not what I instructed people to do. It just so happens that's the one I used to register. IMO, that's strike 1 for them.

Whatcha selling?

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Whatcha selling?

Nothing. It is in a different category.

 

[Nickel]

Nothing. It is in a different category.

Aw, is Taco lost?

 

[Elle]

It was just the sheer lack of concern for her feelings and embarassing her in front of the crowd that got to me.

Did the teacher know it was A she was speaking of or did she just have scores and not names. Now, the rest of your complaints leads me to beleive this is not the case but just trying to offer another way to look at it.

 

[Tina2001aniT]

Did the teacher know it was A she was speaking of or did she just have scores and not names. Now, the rest of your complaints leads me to beleive this is not the case but just trying to offer another way to look at it.

I wish that was the case, but she knew, it is a test where the teacher basically sits with a stop watch, and kid reads. She even said something to me privately afterwards that "I am sure you knew it was A I was talking about"

 

[Elle]

I wish that was the case, but she knew, it is a test where the teacher basically sits with a stop watch, and kid reads. She even said something to me privately afterwards that "I am sure you knew it was A I was talking about"

What a B----!