This teacher graduated from the John Steward school of “humor.” This is called mean teasing and it is bullying.
If the child that young is failing to get homework assignments in, a professional teacher with a brain would inform the kid that there is a problem and try to find out what is going on under the excuses. Sometimes it is a chaotic home life and sometimes it is skills in organization that are the problem. It could be just laziness and resistence.
A professional teacher would try to find out the problem and help the kid resolve it. Teachers do not ridicule other people’s children (nor sexualize them) unless they are teaching a bully’s art of riducle to the children (or sexually grooming them for adult sexual activity).
Consider the home life of a child. A child whose home life is abusive and chaotic would rather spend make-up time after school with a supportive teacher, going over the homework assignment, than trying to complete the assignment at home.
I have some students that I have contacted once every two weeks, sent home progress reports every three weeks and report cards on the 6 weeks.
I have requested signatures on progress reports on and report cards.
All to no avail. And this is for a dual enrollment college level course.
Wow, that made me chuckle as I shook my head in disbelief.
Help a FReeper out. I have a student who has consistently maintained a very low F in my class and is a consistent behavior problem. So far, this is what I've done to try to 'find out the problem and help the kid resolve it.' I'm actually looking at my contact log now as I type this.
Phone home - 42 times
Letter home - 15 times
Email to both home and work - 72 times
Letter home - 8 times
"Please see me for a conference" checked on the report card and interim - 7 times - along with an F on the report
Last Friday, my principal calls me into the office because the mother is FURIOUS the child failed his reading SOL and demanded that the principal reprimand me, fire me, make me give him free tutoring during the summer. So, I went back to my room, pulled out my contact log and showed the mom and the principal both the notes and the printed out emails and letters.
The answer from the mom? I didn't do enough to let her know there was a problem.
How much would have been enough? I'm not sure, but when you consider there are 180 days in the school year and I've attempted to contact her OVER 140 times, I'm sort of at a loss.
Any advice? I'm open to listening to the wisdom of the collective