First, let me say that I understand my daughter can be a challenge. Combining teenage hormones with ADHD does not make for the most predictable child. She has been known to attempt to rephrase a question to the point of aggravation of the part of the listener. But what is the appropriate reaction of a teacher when personalities clash?
Yesterday was their first day of regular school after two TAKS test days (another subject altogether). Her English class is third period. Now, they start teaching patterns very early in grades, kindergarten, 1st grade. I’ve seen it on Dora the Explorer. So if you have a “free” period for your first two classes, judging by that pattern, you might anticipate the next class to be the same. But to be sure, you ask the teacher.
In this case, the teacher responds, no, why would you think that? You answer, and tell her, because the first two classes were that way. She gives you a look, and then walks off. Since this is still in-between classes, and the bell hasn’t rang, you go to your locker. And while you’re at your locker, you hear that particular teacher retelling the conversation you just had with her to another teacher, using a different voice for yours. What would you think?
I’ll tell you what the parent thought. Better yet, I’ll tell you what the parent did. I called the school as soon as I heard of the incident. And yes, this is THAT teacher. As calmly and rationally as I could, I explained to the principal that my daughter has felt like this teacher doesn’t want her in her class, and that there was an incident prior to where this teacher told me of her grades in a completely different class before I had heard it from that teacher.
Still following me? After Amy had been at her new school a bit, I got a progress report from this teacher, saying she wasn’t bringing supplies to class. Yup, that par for ADHD. But what made it a bit more interesting is that this teacher doesn’t allow the students to bring their book bags into class. So I signed the progress report, and added a note asking if that might be contributing to the problem, adding my phone number.
She called me the next day, and said it might be but the rest of the class was used to it since they’ve been there the entire school year. I explained to her that Amy’s medicine was changing, and to give her an opportunity to change. I also asked for suggestions from her what we can do to help. That question was met with much resistance, but by the end of the conversation, we figured out a temporary solution, even though I felt exhausted by the end of the call. She had also told me that she had heard my daughter was failing science, and that if she couldn’t bring her supplies she should not be in an advanced class.
My daughter is completely capable of doing advanced work. It wasn’t the scores on her tests this woman was complaining about, it was her not bringing things to class or turning things in. For the record, the last test my daughter took in this class recently, a vocabulary test, she scored a perfect 100. But my bigger problem was that she was telling me about another class altogether. And coincidently, an hour later, I got a call from the counselor, telling me the science teacher had wanted her to call me. I repeated what I had told the English teacher, that her medication was changing to and to give it a few more weeks. But I was not happy by what seemed to be a sudden strike in one day against my child on two fronts.
I gave it time. Her grades have come up a lot, and on her report card yesterday, her science teacher included the comment, “positive change in attitude noted.” But what happened yesterday, and I do believe my daughter here, was completely inappropriate. They may not have realized my daughter was in the vicinity, but if she was able to hear, other students were also. That conversation should have never happened where it did. Now, the mocking part, that was just juvenile on her part.
The principal asked to meet with Amy this morning, hopefully separate from the teacher. I let Amy decide if she wanted me there, and in the end she decided she would go alone. Right now, I’m just thankful this school year is almost over.
