milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 19:44:36 GMT -5
Just needed to vent for a minute. The title of this thread is a direct quote (with spelling error) taken from an actual note sent home by my son's teacher.
Hey, we all make mistakes and I understand that. On the other hand, this is a 3rd grade teacher who is incredibly picky with the kids on spelling, grammar and handwriting. She will mark the entire answer wrong if she believes one letter in one word is illegible. For example, with a 3rd grader still learning good penmanship sometimes their cursive "o" and "a" are similar because it's all very loopy. Too bad - it's wrong. At the first open house, she was very clear on her idea that if she "sets the bar high" the kids will rise to meet the expectation.
I guess this is a reasonable theory, but it drives me nuts that every single handout and written communication she sends has at least one misspelling and sometimes a grammar error. I have to restrain myself from circling the mistakes with a red pen and writing a huge "-1" next to them just like she does on the papers of the 8 year olds she is teaching.
OK, rant over. It's all actually fine and this is not a huge deal, this just bugs me.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Sept 16, 2012 19:53:47 GMT -5
I agree with Rukh!
(I wonder if maybe one reason she's SO hard on the kids for that is because she's upset by her own frequent errors?)
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Sept 16, 2012 19:54:20 GMT -5
take out your red pen, circle the error, and send it back to her One error would bother me. Since she can't be bothered to check her own work but is holding 8 year olds to very high standards, she needs to be held to the same standard.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 19:54:31 GMT -5
Trust me, I've considered it. Especially since these handouts usually come home in a folder containing my child's papers that this teacher has written in red pen on...
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 19:55:11 GMT -5
I'd rather just vent here, though, than alienate someone my little guy spends 7 hours a day with.
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Peace Of Mind
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Post by Peace Of Mind on Sept 16, 2012 19:56:40 GMT -5
take out your red pen, circle the error, and send it back to her I love when people complain about spelling here and have a typo in their complaint and somebody points it out. ;D Psst. You have a typo in your subject line, Milee. <<gets red pen...>>
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Sept 16, 2012 19:57:46 GMT -5
Can you send her an anonymous email? "Please make sure your teacher is proofreading!"
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 19:58:56 GMT -5
take out your red pen, circle the error, and send it back to her I love when people complain about spelling here and have a typo in their complaint and somebody points it out. ;D Psst. You have a typo in your subject line, Milee. <<gets red pen...>> Yeah, that's the point. That is an exact quote of something this teacher just sent home - with typo. If my 8 year old gave that to her, she'd mark his paper down a grade.
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Peace Of Mind
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Post by Peace Of Mind on Sept 16, 2012 20:00:33 GMT -5
Maybe you should get your son to make the notation and then add a note saying what a great teacher she is because he caught her typo!
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 20:04:16 GMT -5
I'm just grumpy because we just spent several hours on his latest school project - a lifelike paper mache @*$%@ Asian Fruit Dove. Yes, it will get a grade and yes, how realistic the friggin' thing is will be part of the grade. BTW, I fully acknowledge this is mainly my fault. I know this is not the right school for him, there just isn't a great alternative right now. Been reluctantly thinking about homeschooling (and talking to oped about it), but not yet ready to take that plunge. So until I am, I'll just help with the crazy projects and steam at the teacher typos. Thanks for letting me share.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Sept 16, 2012 20:09:49 GMT -5
Too bad - it's wrong. At the first open house, she was very clear on her idea that if she "sets the bar high" the kids will rise to meet the expectation.
DS is a senior now, in another school system he chose, where he is incredibly successful.
But...I am still incensed by the 5th grade teacher who said he would teach to the smartest kid and the rest could just suck it (paraphrased-not by much).
My kid did excel in that class. But was that fair to all the average kids? And then came DD Average in academics. Didn't do so good, within those parameters.
I am still hating on the middle school experience.
And just so's you know, my kids read plenty. ;D [shadow=red,left,300][/shadow] Mostly for their own pleasure/edification, but if need be for grades as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2012 20:11:42 GMT -5
On iPhone so don't have access to the emoticon banging head against wall... You'll have to imagine.
I very much would save everything ... And probably would be hard pressed not to return them with red marks. (red! Who uses red pen to correct 3rd graders?? ... Ggrr ugh).
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doxieluvr
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Post by doxieluvr on Sept 16, 2012 20:13:05 GMT -5
take out your red pen, circle the error, and send it back to her I would.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 20:15:25 GMT -5
Malarky, to be fair, this is a magnet school where the kids test to get in. So I'm not criticizing the idea of setting the bar high. Even though I think she can be a bit unreasonable, it's not completely unexpected in that environment. It just seems nuts to expect 8 year olds to adhere to a level of perfection that she herself cannot demonstrate...
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 16, 2012 20:29:48 GMT -5
I think you are right to vent here and let it go. Some things are irritating, but best to be dropped. I am learning this long after I should have. I'm trying to learn a few lessons before it's too late. I'd really hate to come back as a dung beatle next time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2012 20:31:25 GMT -5
I'm a horrible speller. I freely admit it, and did so when I taught, as part of my job was to teach how to mitigate challenges... The typing/spelling is not the problem, the hypocrisy is...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2012 20:40:53 GMT -5
I'd take that with a grain of salt. What are they going to say? I'm lazy and figure the magic job fairy will take care of me.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Sept 16, 2012 20:42:00 GMT -5
I'm a horrible speller. I freely admit it, and did so when I taught, as part of my job was to teach how to mitigate challenges... The typing/spelling is not the problem, the hypocrisy is...[/b] I need to focus on this and let go of the rest.
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Sept 16, 2012 20:47:19 GMT -5
Maybe you should get your son to make the notation and then add a note saying what a great teacher she is because he caught her typo!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2012 20:49:18 GMT -5
Do as I say and not as I do.... Is a problem.
I also think the idea that 3 rd graders should be perfect is flawed. The inability of the teacher to live up to the standards set, supports the fact that those expectations are flawed.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Sept 16, 2012 21:30:36 GMT -5
I agree with Milee that making comments now could cause troubles for her DS. However, I would correct and save all these notes during the year and present them to her at the end of the school year with a little note that maybe she really needs to ease up o future 8 year old kids since spelling/grammar is obviously a difficult subject for people of all ages. And since I wouldn't trust her not to find a way to cause trouble (I am a cynic I know) I would keep a copy of everything in that folder.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2012 21:50:27 GMT -5
If I was in milee's position and her DS said something about the teacher's mistakes I would say it is funny that she makes those mistakes but it doesn't change the fact that it is better to spell and write properly. She is managing to teach the right thing without being able to do the right thing. It is a funny situation but he is lucky to be taught to spell and write properly.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2012 7:28:00 GMT -5
teachers suck.
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Nazgul Girl
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Post by Nazgul Girl on Sept 17, 2012 7:32:01 GMT -5
I would not piss off DS's already-critical teacher this early in the school year. I would also consider trying to find another school, such as a Catholic school for him, if at all possible. The one problem with moving him is that if all of his friends are at his present school, he might have a hard time fitting in at another school where the kids have been going since kindergarten. Also, as painful as it is for a parent, not all of our childrens' teachers are of the encouraging kind.
Milee, my daughter had a hand-writing queen of a teacher when she was very young, who really got on her case about the way she made her o's and a's. She had relatively good penmanship before this bitch, but theexperience did ruin her handwriting. At the end of the day, my exhusband and I moved districts our daughter, and she did better in school and was much happier. However, her handwriting today sucks, and she is teaching other people's kids......but she doesn't use a red pen. It's not allowed in most sytems any more. Is your son's teacher somewhat ancient, by any chance ?
I would try to get him moved to a different room. Have a talk with the principal if there are more than one class of your son's grade in his school, and try to get him moved to a different room.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 17, 2012 7:43:31 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure how I'm going to handle this. Vent on an anonymous internet board and move on with my life. Seriously, I can't think of a single good thing that could possibly happen by pointing this out to the teacher other than embarrassing her and making her defensive. Also, as the teachers have a huge say in future classroom assignments and she's married to an art teacher my son will have for several more years, it would be similarly unhelpful to get in a parting shot at the end of the school year. It's uncool, but it is what it is. This is a situation that is not likely to change and frankly, there are some other things about the school that mean it's not the best fit for my son. Some of that is the school, some of that is my son. I'm trying to work with my son to help him be as successful as possible within the less-than-ideal situation. If it turns out that the issues outweigh the benefits, I will probably homeschool him for a few years until he's middle school age. There are several really good middle school options that would probably be a good fit for him.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2012 7:48:50 GMT -5
I keep hearing this "red pens aren't allowed in most places anymore". I have never worked for a school that said No Red Pens. I worked for 6 different districts in Michigan, 1 in Texas, and 1 in Kansas. None of them ever told the teachers that they could not use a red pen.
I honestly do not understand what is so offensive over a red pen.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2012 7:51:10 GMT -5
I agree with Milee that making comments now could cause troubles for her DS. However, I would correct and save all these notes during the year and present them to her at the end of the school year with a little note that maybe she really needs to ease up o future 8 year old kids since spelling/grammar is obviously a difficult subject for people of all ages. And since I wouldn't trust her not to find a way to cause trouble (I am a cynic I know) I would keep a copy of everything in that folder. That was my first thought too! ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2012 7:52:48 GMT -5
I agree with Milee that making comments now could cause troubles for her DS. However, I would correct and save all these notes during the year and present them to her at the end of the school year with a little note that maybe she really needs to ease up o future 8 year old kids since spelling/grammar is obviously a difficult subject for people of all ages. And since I wouldn't trust her not to find a way to cause trouble (I am a cynic I know) I would keep a copy of everything in that folder. That was my first thought too! ;D teachers should be pushing kids to do their best. This teacher should be praised, not demonized.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2012 7:55:09 GMT -5
Do as I say not as I do, then?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2012 7:56:40 GMT -5
Do as I say not as I do, then? Yes, of course. She is a teacher... She is not Jesus.
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