BuddyCrocker on the Verge...

Okay, so I'm beset on all sides by deadlines of all sorts, personal, professional, federal... I'm edgy, crazed, rabid, call it what you will, I'm teetering on the Cliffs of Insanity. Best part thus far has been the Parent/Teacher conferences for the mid-grade of the second semester. They're five minutes each, which is barely time for anything more than "Here's how I grade, here's how your child did, this is what they need to do for the rest of the semester, thanks for coming, good-bye!" We do two blocks of two hours each and for the second block I was booked solid from beginning to end. We started and within ten minutes my bladder alarm went off. It grew progressively worse and the parents were lined up until the very end so I never had the opportunity to take a break. By the end I was nearly in tears and I couldn't let on at all. Horrible. Horrible.

For the most part they were positive. However, I had one parent who came in and was disappointed that her child's grade had slipped. She brought a letter from her child's tutor, saying that the tutor teaches at X school and has written her own textbook, and said tutor refuses to work with my student anymore because said tutor believes that the student is working with a useless textbook and has a incompetent teacher. Now, fortunately I've developed a thicker skin than I used to have, as well as a measure of perspective. I pointed out to the parent that anybody who has written their own textbook has done so out of disatisfaction with what's otherwise available and so I would be surprised had this person had anything good to say about another textbook. (Frankly, based on other things the parent said, I'm not certain that the tutor understands the methodology of our textbook. It has its flaws, but it's not entirely pointless.) And, I said, about the inference that I don't know how to teach, I can only laugh. This person has never seen me teach and knows nothing about my methods or technique. Besides, I have hundreds (just barely) of past students who can quite capably work with the language. I was then able to redirect the conversation to a more constructive direction. Eventually, the mother shared that there were personal problems at home and that she and my student have been essentially homeless for a couple of months during renovations. Of course, the fact that this might have some slight effect on my student's ability to concentrate seems to have eluded the parent. Also, this is the same parent whom I informed in the fall that her child was talkative and distracted in class. The parent replied then that "It's the only class my child has with [child's best friend] and so as long and my child is passing all I care about is that they're having fun!" To this I replied, "Okay, as long as you realize that this does impact your child's overall grade." I guess she didn't quite get it the first time. It just annoys me that this parent is so quick to blame me for the student's lack of progress when there are clearly other factors. I mean, you can lead a horse to water...