MY KID'S TEACHER

My Kid's Teacher | May 4, 2003 | Luis Gonzalez

[Luis Gonzalez]

Just before going to bed tonight, as I kissed my oldest boy good night, he perked up and reminded me of the note his teacher had sent home on Friday. I assured him that I would read it, and tucked him in.

I knew that the note was about the upcoming School Book Fair, he attended his first one last year, and it was a great experience for him. It was the first time he was trusted with money to spend all on his own.

He is a First grader with Third Grade reading skills, I was an avid reader as a kid, and every time I see him sitting with a book on his lap, I feel like I'm walking on air.

I went downstairs and looked for the note, I wanted to see what was expected of him, and how payment for the books would be handled.

I have copied the note word by word below, the note written, and sent home, by the person who is teaching my boy to read and write.

I have left the particulars out for obvious reasons.

I am sending the note to Tallahassee, and asking for this teacher's removal.

[AnAmericanMother]

easy, easy! I'm not slamming anybody. I was just proposing an argument she could try on her husband.

I went through the exact same situation with a good friend whose husband was adamant that his kids would go to public school. She finally talked him out of it after two kids brought a gun to her son's middle school and nobody did anything about it for a WEEK. But you can't count on that happening in Mykidsmom's local school (this one is a hellhole), so perhaps the medical argument will resonate with him.

[Darksheare]

Engrish!!

[MD_Willington_1976]

This your text translated into ebonics:

What's worse be dis:

My best homie, who happens ta be an English teacher at da University of Toledo, does not discourage Ebonics outside of da skoo. He says, "As long as yo in muh class, yo goin ta write properly; however, if ya wish ta use Ebonics outside of da classroom, dat's fine wit me".

What's dat sh!t all about?!

I graduated from da University of Toledo in 1995 and am outraged!!!

[zlala]

It is pitiful that a note would come home from a teacher with grammar mistakes. I also understand the fear of bringing the mistakes to the attention of the teacher. I worried about the same thing but for different reasons.

I would bring the mistakes to the attention of the principal and a school board member. I do not know what your community or school board is like so I don't know what your outcome will be. However it's worth a try.

I served on my local school board for 7 years in WA State. I was appalled at the notes and tests that were sent home with grammar mistakes in them. Once a neighbor (she was a teacher in a neighboring district) brought me a graded math test that her middle-school aged son brought home. The instructions AND the word problems were filled with grammar mistakes. Not only did I suggest she take it to the principal, I had her take it to the district office to make copies and put a copy into the packet of all board members for the upcoming meeting.

We discussed this issue (teacher's name was not mentioned) and instructed the superintendent that at the upcoming in-service - reminders to staff should be given about proof reading everything that a student, parent or patron receives. What comes out of every classroom is a reflection on the district.

As a parent, patron and taxpayer, you have the right to expect teachers to use correct educational principles in the classroom and with anything that comes out of the classroom. Many State constitutions state that their 1st priority is public education. But the legislature, school districts, boards and staff must have their feet held to the fire. And if the patrons don't do it, no one else will.

I have no "pie-in-the-sky" belief that school boards really affect much change...but that doesn't mean they can't and shouldn't try. However, teachers affect tremendous change - for good or bad.

My Father was a teacher and most of my friends are teachers. I know how hard they work (or don’t in some cases). I doubt most of them would excuse grammar mistakes “just because they are tired.” That would go against the point of teaching in their minds. Kind of the “do as I do, not as I say” rule.

Sorry about my long "blah, blah, blah" rely...but this is a subject in which I believe strongly.

[Flashlight]

Just letting you know that there are those of us who know that you've got it right, and that we're embarrassed by some of our fellow Freepers on this thread.

Let's look at this note:

Dear Parents,

May #th, at #:##-#:## is our class day and time to go to the Book Fair on the Media center.

(a little awkward but nothing wrong with that.)

If can volunteer to help our class shop that day, it would be greatly appreciated.

(an obvious typo, with "you" missing)

Please write me a note letting me know whether you will be there to help out.
(nothing wrong with that.)

Our class has ran out of tissue boxes, if possible, please send a box to our class.

(I can't believe anyone would be that worked-up about the "has ran"; that's how I and a lot of people talk. Might not be correct, but no big deal.)

(The bigger mistake is that the first comma should be a period, but this isn't a major sin. The sentence is kind of a free-form mini-ramble that's common on a lot of email and internet chatting. It's just not that big of a deal.

For example, the original poster Luis commits the same sin three times in his post. All three of these sentences have the exact same error as the teacher's - the first comma should be a period:

-- I went downstairs and looked for the note, I wanted to see what was expected of him, and how payment for the books would be handled. --

-- I knew that the note was about the upcoming School Book Fair, he attended his first one last year, and it was a great experience for him. --

-- He is a First grader with Third Grade reading skills, I was an avid reader as a kid, and every time I see him sitting with a book on his lap, I feel like I'm walking on air. -- )


The colds, coughing, is ongoing in the classroom.

(I know exactly what she means. Not written that great, but again, in the internet age, it's just not that bad either. She meant to say the "colds and coughing", but "colds, coughing" just isn't that bad. It's a little careless, but man, take a damn chill pill everyone. Fire her for it? A third grade teacher? )

Oh, and if anyone wants to accuse me of being a DU member, well, they're right. I've never posted there, but I signed up maybe a year or so ago.

[FirstTomato]

nopardons, go back and read all your nasty, pompous posts to me. Every single thing you accuse me of I am not guilty of, but YOU are guilty of. You are the one who has a problem, and I feel very sorry for you.

Please don't post your filth to me any more.

[FirstTomato]

Thank you for your words of support! I do appreciate it.

That's funny about your DU posting status! You lasted longer than me. I didn't last long over there because I dared to post! Within 10 minutes I was branded as a freeper and banned! It was quite funny, because that is how I found Freerepublic--I had no idea what a "freeper" was but I figured if the DU'ers were accusing me of it it must be a good thing! I did a google on the word and found this place.

[supercat]

May #th, at #:##-#:## is our class day and time to go to the Book Fair on the Media center.

(a little awkward but nothing wrong with that.)

"On" the Media center? Interesting preposition, and interesting capitalization.

Our class has ran out of tissue boxes, if possible, please send a box to our class.

What is a tissue box? To my mind, a tissue box is a cardboard container. Perhaps the problem isn't running out of boxes, but rather running out of tissues.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"So what - we all make mistakes."

[Bigg Red]

Heaven help us! What a moron!

Several years ago, I saw a summer school brochure for a local high school that was just as bad.

[Sonny M]

Reminds me of a problem one of my friends had, who is a teacher, he came up with a simple assignment for his 6th grade class, write out the Constitution's amendments, and then write, in there own words, what each one means. He told a couple of other teachers, and they went ballistic. I love the line they told him, that he told me. "We're supposed to tell them what it means, they shouldn't be saying what they think it means". This is NYC by the way.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Boy...you got the "Poor little me" thing down to an art form.

You are the Vivaldi of victimhood, the Socrates of spin, the Walter Cronkite of WAAAH!!!, the Paganini of pontification, the Mahler of misinterpretation, the Hippocrates of hypocrisy, the Tiger Woods of whine, the Sam Peckinpah of self-pity, the Abbott and Costello of absurd contraditions, the Ralph Waldo Emerson of woe is me.

You came on this thread with a chip on your shoulders, throwing not-so-subtle jabs at me, then you cry when people hit back.

Here are some quotes from your posts to me. You never bothered answering a single question I asked of you. Clear sign of a Roger the Dodger poster.

"You have a real problem with anger and control."
42 posted on 05/04/2003 11:11 PM EDT by FirstTomato

"...what you propose to do is very offensive."
"If you have such a hostile reaction to the teacher that doesn't portend well for your child's school experience."
60 posted on 05/04/2003 11:21 PM EDT by FirstTomato

"Do you realize how petty you sound?"
"Perhaps you could be a good Christian"
170 posted on 05/05/2003 12:31 AM EDT by FirstTomato

"Your attitude sucks..."
201 posted on 05/05/2003 12:56 AM EDT by FirstTomato

Yeah right...people attacked you without cause.

[Bigg Red]

Dear Tomato Person, I do not understand why you don't get this. The writer of the note, who sounds functionally illiterate, is in the position of TEACHING children how to READ and WRITE. It is imperative that she be removed from that position before she can do any more harm to the learning of these children. Once anyone, especailly a young child, is taught to do something the wrong way, undoing the damage is nearly impossible.

LG, I hope you go to the press with this.

[Sonny M]

Alot of teachers think they are substitute parents. Mostly because they are told that when there values conflict with parents values, what they believe should be taught over the parents beliefs. It creates a culture of arrogance. I have several friends who are teachers, they are good people (one of them is a liberal, but she teaches grammer). However alot of teachers, simply aren't that good. I had to write out an explantion when his class was asking about "Monica Lewinsky" because he didn't want to say exactley what happened.

My explanation was simple. The president was being sued for something he alledgely did when he was governor, they asked him questions, and in his deposition and in his grand jury testimony, he lied, what he lied about is irrelevant. He also asked other people to lie too. This is called perjury and obstruction of justice. People like you and me go to prision when we do these things. People in congress felt that since he broke the law, he should be removed from office. He was impeached which is like being indicted, however, he was not convicted, so he stayed in office.

[TomServo]

You are the Vivaldi of victimhood, the Socrates of spin, the Walter Cronkite of WAAAH!!!, the Paganini of pontification, the Mahler of misinterpretation, the Hippocrates of hypocrisy, the Tiger Woods of whine, the Sam Peckinpah of self-pity, the Abbott and Costello of absurd contraditions, the Ralph Waldo Emerson of woe is me.

LOL! Can I use this?

[Bigg Red]

....the grade inflation with "education majors" is scary.

Yes, and they are generally in the bottom tier of their class ranking.

[Bigg Red]

If Florida has a test for its teachers, I don't see how she passed it.

If the Florida teaching test is as moronic as the one in Maryland, this semiliterate teacher would have no problem.

[agarrett]

  Sorry, Tomato, but I've got to disagree here. It is a problem when a teacher sends home a note like that. My wife is a teacher, I'm well aware of the hours they work, but I still think that note deserves action.

  He should bring the note, as written, to the principal. If the administration won't take any action, send it to the local newspaper. They may or may not fire her, but they should at least light a fire under her - improve or get out.

Drew Garrett

[annyokie]

They are ed majors because they can't hack the math in any other discipline. They also like all the affirmation "Number One Teacher", etc. They're as bad about that as nurses. What's up with that?

That said, I do know and have had some terrific teachers. They were all Ph.D's, however.