For all you teachers out there...

For all you teachers out there….

I have 4 weeks of the year that I absolutely hate. Four weeks where my email and voicemail fill up with the begging, pleading, bargaining, apologizing, "next-time-he/she'll do better, excuses of no....not my students....their parents! I abhor the end of the term.

I go crazy with parents who decide that their halo toting students, who haven't done half of the work that they're supposed to do, nor who have put forth even a slight bit of effort to succeed, suddenly want me to offer them extra credit and break every one of my policies to allow their student to pass. Why should I give your kid extra credit when they haven't even attempted to do the assignments that were required. The assignments which would allow them to review the concepts that we discussed in class, that would allow them to do better on their exams, which in turn would bring their grade up.

What has happened to accepting personal responsibility? What has happened to meeting deadlines and due dates, studying for tests and using the notes you take in class? You wouldn't expect an employer to pay you for work that wasn't done...or would you?

I especially want to scream when I get all of these emails 2 days before the end of the term when, in the days now of 24/7 grade posting on the internet, there is really nothing their student can do to raise their grade. Why don't I see these parents at parent teacher conferences discussing concerns they have with their kid, why haven't they emailed me prior to this time, why don't they tell me about struggles their student might have on disclosure document sheet that they return to me at the beginning of the year that specifically asks, "Is there anything about your student that I should know." Why do they insist on making me feel like I'm the bad guy for not "working with" their kid to "make-up" the work they never did. My favorite phrase is, "I know that you have policies and deadlines. I am/was a teacher too ......" (fill in the rest) but I want you to make an exception for my kid.

These 4 weeks make me ornery. They make me tired. They give me headaches. They lower my self-esteem level at least 4 points because I'm the mean teacher who is being unreasonable....at least that's how I feel by the end. The worst ones of all, however, are the parents of athletes, who I have to see at each game after I've tried to stick to my guns and they don't agree.

The one consolation...I am trying to instill in my students one of the 3 main goals of our school. When students leave dear 'ol AF High we want them to be critical thinkers, lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Doesn't becoming a responsible citizen, however, start with oneself?