I'm a tad irritated with Tanner's school and a couple of her teachers. I thought maybe you teacher friends who read this could maybe give me some insight?
This week is the 5th week in the quarter. Our district does parent/teacher conferences halfway through the quarter as opposed to at the end of the quarter. During conferences, we meet with Tanner's SWARM teacher. Let me add here-the school mascot is the Hornet and they call the kids home room "SWARM." It's supposed to be a time of mentoring and stuff like that, but instead has turned into a reading time for Tanner.
Anyway, like I was saying, we meet with the SWARM teacher, not the individual teachers. I noticed when I got home that Tanner did not have an English grade. I logged onto the computer and checked the grades there. Nope, no grades entered. This annoyed me greatly. We don't get any papers home so we have NO IDEA how the child is doing in class. Sure, she's probably making a decent grade, but that's not the point. English is her worst subject and I want to know, and feel to an extent, like I have the right to know, my child's grade.
So Tuesday afternoon, I emailed the English teacher and asked her about the grades. I was very nice and cordial and just explained that I wanted to have an idea of what Tanner's grade was. It is now Thursday evening and I've yet to hear back. Frustrating.
While looking at Tanner's grades on line, I noticed she had a missing grade on a Science assignment. I asked her about it and she said she had talked to the teacher about it. That was last week. Still, nothing has been done. I emailed that teacher on Tuesday as well, asking her about it and wondering what I could do to help resolve the situation. Yea, never heard back from her either. Today, Tanner said the teacher told her that the paper "was only worth five points, so don't worry about it, it's not going to make a difference."
Ok, I know that 5 points isn't going to make or break a grade. The kid has a 98% in Science anyway, but it just really blew my mind that the teacher said "don't worry about it, it's only five points." I guess it's a good thing that she doesn't have to worry about it, but in the end, I'm wondering if that really teaches her anything. I don't want her to have the attitude of "it's only five points."
And then there's the math paper that Tanner got an F on yesterday. Yes, she got an F in math. That's so not like my child, but hey, we all have rough spots. Her big major hang up is that when Tanner doesn't understand something, she simply goes on-she doesn't ask for her. We're working on that. In the meantime, because Tanner got an F, she gets to take the paper home, correct it and then bring it back for an average grade. I know this is good for Tanner's GPA, but really does it teach them anything if they know they can fail but then go back and correct for a better grade?
The SWARM teacher told me that the teachers don't worry so much about the grades, they worry more about if the child understands the concept. She said that if a child gets a C or a D, it's "ok if they truly understand whatever concept or topic they are learning." As parents, we don't put a lot of pressure on Tanner to make great grades. We tell her that as long as she's trying her hardest, that's all we ask. Maybe that's the same way with the teachers, I don't know. It just seems weird. I don't remember getting a bad grade on a paper and then getting to correct it for an average grade. Is this the new way of doing things?
And then there's the whole cursive writing thing-the kids these days here in Arkansas aren't made to write in cursive. Tanner learned it in third grade and hasn't had to really use it since. In fact I don't know if she even knows how to write cursive or not-that's how long it's been since she's had to use it! This concerns me. I'm not sure what to do about it, except I guess maybe accept it? One of our friends from church who is a teacher in the district and he's thinking about tutoring in handwriting this summer. I've told him if he does, I'd gladly sign Tanner up-I think she needs something like that!
I guess that's all the ranting I have for one night. Any suggestions for these situations? I really am trying to let Tanner grow up and learn from her own mistakes. I'm trying so hard NOT to baby her, but to let her figure some things out on her own. It's so hard though-much harder than I ever imagined.
Any thoughts?
4 comments:
as far as cursive, i too learned it in 3rd grade and haven't use it since and therefore don't remember how to do it at all (except to sign my name). and i graduated from high school 15 years ago. in fayetteville.
random thoughts:
cursive... i REQUIRE my students to use cursive (with a PEN, no less) for weekly spelling tests. Anything else it's their choice. I think teachers have gotten away from teaching cursive past the 3rd grade because of so many more important pressing things we are required to teach.
correcting "F" papers... We have a teacher in our school who DEMANDS that papers be corrected until the student has gotten ALL of the answers correct... WOW I wish I had that kind of time.. I allow students to correct tests (no matter WHAT the grade (one chance) for 1/2 credit using notes.. the book... homework assignments. Occasionally when I feel like I didnt teach the lesson well enough I reteach and allow everyone who did poorly to correct. and even less often to I just say... hey... you rushed... correct IF YOU WANT to and I'll change the grade.. YOU would be AMAZED at how many students say... "ah... i'm satisfied with the C.. or the D.. not gonna take the time to correct the work!"
Lack of grades... NO EXCUSE... every teacher should record at the VERY least ONE grade per week (two is better. . . this depends to an extent what the subject is.. but ENGLISH... c'mon 2 is a minimum.
about the 5pt grade. My students are allowed (and most of them KNOW this) ONE "blow off".. this amounts to an "I didnt feel like doing it" "I forgot to bring it" "The dog ate it" "I was to busy doing 'other stuff' or whatever because I drop the lowest grade for the 9 weeks when i get ready to avg grades for grade cards.
wow old unkie can really get wound up cant he??? but when you've taught for 30 years you kind of have a lot to say sometime.
I agree. The teacher should have some grades in by now, especially with it being the 5th week. We are required to put two grades per week in every week.. granted, I get behind, but i never go more than two weeks without entering grades and I teach 1st!!
As for the writing, I don't do much handwriting even in first grade because of the lack of time and trying to fit the other curriculum in the day.
Also, I let the students do the work over. However, a lot of the times, I enter thier first grade. I have to show a true picture of thier progress.
Hope this helps.
I have to admit, I did not read your whole post, but as to the teacher not having any grades for you at conferences--I think that is unacceptable! It's not like you caught her off guard and she didn't know you were going to ask about a grade. This has been scheduled probably since last year sometime! I know I was horribly slow at entering grades. Yes, I was a music teacher, but I gave my kids a daily participation grade and had some assignments. Nothing like having to grade English papers, but I did have 2 schools, 2computers, grades 5-7 were required, so I usually had 200-250 students. If P/T conferences were coming up, I would stay up late at the school getting grades entered if I had to! That's the whole point of having conferences mid-quarter so parents can see where their student stands and hopefully get grades up before the grading period. I don't know about there, but I know here, the teachers all have laptops they can take home. So if that's the case, she could enter them from home. Very unacceptable in my book. I wonder what the administration would think if they knew she had no grades to show any parents at conferences....
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