remember that 30 in Literacy?

[rae519]

Ann - I think the "***-umption" was already understood!


IGTD - There comes a time when a child needs to be held responsible and accountable for their actions.

There seems to be a trend here.


Rae

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

IGTD, my older dd is in 7th and younger one is in 5th grade. so I completely understand.


does your school have the kids write down all their homework assignments? our school hands out an agenda book every september. the kids are expected to write down all their assignments in the agenda. if a child isn't doing homework or isn't hading it in ontime, one of the things the teachers suggest is that the parent check the agenda book every night. many of the teachers also post the homework assignments on the school's website.

my dd does not want me to check up on her by looking in her agenda or by going to the website. as long as her report card is satisfactory I don't need to see the homework. but if the grades start to slip, I'll be doing follow up with her.

 

[aprincessmom]

Sounds like your son earned his 30 based on his work and actions.

Most classrooms have times/procedures for handing in homework --heck, even DD's 1st grade class has a particular time of day when homework is handed in. If you don't hand it in then, you don't hand it in that day. Period.

Your son is 11. At some point he will have to take responsibility for himself. Sounds like this event is a good start on this path.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

ya and Im hoping we can stop it now

 

[bumcat]

I'm so confused, I need a stiff drink after reading your explanations? Sounds like he tried to turn it in probably after class had already started? My guess is he got pissed off at the teacher for not taking it and put it in his locker and sorta forgot about it. My oldest use to do stuff like that until she finally learned that she was only hurting herself.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

lol - why do you think DH never listens to me?! I'll join you in the drink

I did just tell DS that if he ever tries to hand it in and it's not accepted to tell us and we'll send in a note (or something).
He said he tried handing it in and then 2wks later tried again. Well I bet that 2nd time was too late, not sure what happened the first time. Wrong time?
Trying to dig the explanations out of him
Hopefully he'll learn by this

 

[bumcat]

LOL, I'll have a strawberry margarita!
Yep, I bet the timing was off. He'll learn and do fine.

 

[epcotfan]

Your son sounds like a bright student since he excelling is other subjects. I wouldn't put too much weight on this incident unless all his other grades plummeted all of a sudden.

 

[damo]

Regardless of whose fault it is, there should have been a phone call home if a failing grade was to be on the report card. Report card marks are due way before the report cards are sent out. This teacher has known for a while about the failing grade and actually, it is her responsibility to make sure you are aware of the problem. Do you not have to sign all tests and assignments? If the teacher did not see your signature then she should have been aware that you did not know about the situation.


If the system is not in place about signing (and making comments on) assignments and tests, then I suggest you put it in place for the next term. This way, there is a three way communcation.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

nope - never had to sign anything
a note may be going to school for that teacher on Mon (he has her class every 6days)

 

[Cindy B]

Ok.. I think there has been some sneakiness going on here.


I work in a middle school, and am with seventh graders every day. I have heard every excuse in the book.

I think he did not do his work.. and two grades for the entire marking period (two assignments) doesn't sound right.


He may be graded on class participation, attendance, or work ethic in the classroom as well. Yes, he may be not be absent from class, but hey... I have students that magically have to go to the nurse, guidance office, etc... in order to get out of a class.

He's not in the class every day.. so its like a "special" or a " mini course". Because he's not there every day, every effort counts. One missed assignment does change every thing in a course like this.

I don't think your son has been completely honest with you. I don't think he was prepared for class.. and is to be blunt, not being straight with you. Whenever I've had difference in opinion from what my kids say/teacher says... I do side with the adult. Kids know how to manipulate situations, and how to "work" the parents sympathy vote. (My son was very good at this)

 

[rae519]

Cindy B - thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!

I am sick and tired of hearing parents make excuses for their children's irresponsible behavior that I could scream! There is no excuse and maybe when the little darlings get the punishment they deserve (whether that be the failing grade or whatever) then they will start to have accountability for their work.

Of course, that depends on Mom and Dad keeping their two cents out of it and not sticking up for Junior all the time. There are times when parents are justified but not when it comes to making excuses for Junior's laziness. In the real world, Junior has to learn to swim or sink on his/her own!

Thank you for bringing out the educator's perspective!

Rae

 

[bobcat]

I second what Cindy said! Middle school is a time for students to start learning responsibility and not a time for the teacher to hold their hand.

And also a few days before marks close she will be getting a phone call to make sure everything has been passed in/graded.

And what will that teach your child? That mommy will follow along behind you and clean up after you? It is better to learn responsibilty for your work now in middle school rather than in high school where it will be sink or swim. If you were to call me and "remind" me to collect your childs homework I would tell you that it is his responsibility to turn work in. I would also be very offended.

Now is the time to teach your child organizational skills and how to deal with the consequences of their actions. It sounds to me that you are blaming the teacher instead of your child. No wonder he doesn't take the responsibility of having made a mistake. I can promise you that if it continues it will only get worse.

 

[thinkerbell]

I think that IGTD sounds like a very conscientious parent. We have done something similar with my son. The calls to the teacher aren't to get him out of trouble or to bail him out, they are to definitely hold him responsible. I want my kids to know that they should do the right thing and if they don't there are consequences. Her son will now know that if he doesn't do what he is supposed to his mom will find out even sooner than report card time. I agree with the poster that said that there should not have been a 30 on his interim without the parents knowing it was coming. I teach, and I always send out my kids work on a weekly basis. It has to be signed and sent back in. That way there are no surprises. Of course I do teach in the lower grades. We have never gotten papers home for my own kids in junior high and high school. I think that is a shame because if you don't stay in close contact with the teacher, then you WILL get those nasty surprises. What junior high or high school kid is going to tell their parents that they have a failing grade before they have to? Mine sure won't.

IGTD, I think you should definitely keep in close contact with his teacher. It will give you peace of mind as well as holding him accountable. Good luck for the rest of the school year.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Originally posted by rae519
Cindy B - thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!

I am sick and tired of hearing parents make excuses for their children's irresponsible behavior that I could scream! There is no excuse and maybe when the little darlings get the punishment they deserve (whether that be the failing grade or whatever) then they will start to have accountability for their work.

Of course, that depends on Mom and Dad keeping their two cents out of it and not sticking up for Junior all the time. There are times when parents are justified but not when it comes to making excuses for Junior's laziness. In the real world, Junior has to learn to swim or sink on his/her own!

Thank you for bringing out the educator's perspective!

Rae

I just wanted to say that I couldn't agree more with this!!!

The earlier these tough lessons are learned, the better in the long run for the kids.

 

[damo]

As an educator (intermediate and high school mathematics) and a parent I am very well aware of both sides of the story. However, a failing grade should not show up on a report card without a teacher calling the parent beforehand. The report card marks were probably recorded at least three weeks before the reports went home. Since there was no phone call home, there are three wasted weeks where some "fessin' up" should have been done and some solutions calculated. Even if the child did deserve the 30%, the parent deserved to hear about it earlier. That is part of the teacher's responsibilities. Teachers are learning facilitators who should be trying everything to achieve success. If the parents were not contacted, then I feel that the teacher did not do her job. In my eyes, they are both to blame. Since the teacher is obviously not a very good communicator, it is the parents' responsibility to make sure that both the teacher and the student stay on track.

It could be though, that since he only has her class every six days, that she doesn't really feel that it is too important. I'm sure it is important to the parents though.

In our school, the teachers HAVE to call every parent whose child is in danger of receiving a failing grade two months into the term and also before reports go home. It is mandatory.

 

[minniecarousel]

By the time mine were in HS, they knew that they had to tell us ahead of time if there was trouble in a class (poor grade or behaviour problems). I always told them that if I had to find out first from the school, that they would be in more trouble than if they come to me first. Does that make sense? Anyway - we started instilling this philosophy at the MS level (& I worked as a volunteer at all their schools, so they knew a teacher could just talk to me if they saw me!)

 

[Piper]

Originally posted by damo
. Even if the child did deserve the 30%, the parent deserved to hear about it earlier. That is part of the teacher's responsibilities. Teachers are learning facilitators who should be trying everything to achieve success. If the parents were not contacted, then I feel that the teacher did not do her job. In my eyes, they are both to blame. Since the teacher is obviously not a very good communicator, it is the parents' responsibility to make sure that both the teacher and the student stay on track.

In our school, the teachers HAVE to call every parent whose child is in danger of receiving a failing grade two months into the term and also before reports go home. It is mandatory.

I am preparing progress reports for my students today that will be sent out next week. In our district (9 weeks grading periods) a progress report is sent out at 3 weeks to all parents and at 6 weeks for any child who has a D or F OR has dropped 1 grade level in any subject. They must be signed and returned--that way there are no "surprises." I also keep in close contact with my parents--I like to call them to let them know good things their kids do as well as the "not so good!"

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by minniecarousel
By the time mine were in HS, they knew that they had to tell us ahead of time if there was trouble in a class (poor grade or behaviour problems). I always told them that if I had to find out first from the school, that they would be in more trouble than if they come to me first. Does that make sense? Anyway - we started instilling this philosophy at the MS level (& I worked as a volunteer at all their schools, so they knew a teacher could just talk to me if they saw me!)

My parents had the same rule when my sister and I were in school. I use the same rule with my son.

My son is 11, in the 6th grade. At least once a week I do a bookbag check. I check his binder, assignment book and all of his folders. I know when MOST of his papers and projects are due. There has been times this year when he hasn't written assignments down ( he didn't want to do them, and knew I'd check his things) and ended up with a 0. The teachers didn't call me to let me know. I didn't expect them to. It's my son's job to make sure he gets all of his work done and turned in on time. If he doesn't, he has to deal with the grade and punishment he gets.

 

[mowsie dreamer]

Now, wait just a cotton picking minute, here. Last week, everyone was hopping all over IGTD's DH for suspending her DS's privileges. This week it appears that some posters feel that DS is a juvenile delinquent in the making. Geez, sometimes you just can't win!

IGTD, did the teacher have an explanation for why she didn't accept your son's assignment when he tried to hand it in? I think this question needs to be answered before it can be decided where fault may or may not lie. It would seem out of character for a kid who makes A's & B's to just pick this one class to suddenly blow off.

Also, I am wondering why a teacher would only have 2 grades during a grading period?? Interpreting poetry is such an individual thing, one major mishap on a test can unduly influence a grading period, if there aren't many grades included. How many questions were on the test that he got a 65 on? IMO, I would talk to the school principal about the fact that you had not received information from the teacher that your DS's grades were slipping and I would let the principal know that there were only 2 grades during the grading period. Surely this is not the norm for your son's school.