Do you have a RAIN COAT ?

Every teacher needs a rain coat. Preferably one made of Kevlar or some other nearly inpenetratable material. Teachers need it when a parent or student or someone else associated with the school or education system spews violently at you.

Today, I told a small number of students to come after school to make up an assignment they hadn't turned in last week. One student came in after school as he'd been asked, and said his parent said he/she didn't have to stay after school. I asked if the parent was waiting for him. I was told no. I commented that not turning in assignments can lead to failure. He/she left.

Later, I called this students home telephone number. The parent was very irate that any teacher would try to keep his/her child after school and even more venomous about telling "a child" that they would fail a class for not turning in work! I'd begun this "conversation" by identifying myself and stating that I was concerned that this student had not turned in two of the three assignments I collected and graded last week. This did not seem to matter. This parent erupted in a tirade about how messed up the schools were and how horrible the teachers were and how abusive they were to "the children" that parents send there to learn.

I told this parent that if they or any parent had a concern or problem with anything I (or any other teacher) did, please talk to the principal. This set off another outburst about the administration just passing the buck, that this parent had tried to talk to the principal, the principal was not there and some secretary passed this parent on to some assistant principal who directed this parent back to that obnoxious secretary.......and that this parent ought to just show up and get in some faces.

I asked if the issues this parent seemed to be having with me and the school was something that had been building up, and this resulted in foul language about trying to psychoanalyze this parent.

Along the course of this "conversation", this parent also loudly mentioned that If they were there, I (Polski3) might just get punched for how I was "abusing this student."

I ended this "conversation" by letting this parent know that the student could still turn in their missing work, and that I needed it turned in by Friday.

Next step is to call my principal to report this "conversation". Maybe the principal will be home this evening.

Wear your raincoat !

Thanks for reading my blog! I welcome your comments.