wierd impulse while grading a math test - extreme hs mom moment

[love2read]

My 9 year old got an 89 on her math test. After writing the 89 on her paper, I started to draw a frowny face because she didn't get 100. I think I'm starting to lose it. She's two years ahead in math and loves it. Way to make your child hate math, mom. I did change it into a smile.

[Twigs]

When I was taking German (in college no less), the professor would use a little rubber stamp with a smiley face on it for high grades. I got an 89 once, this time he used a smiley face that had its tongue sticking out. I asked him about it, since an 89 is still a good grade; he said that my grades were usually better. (He didn't change it to the regular smiley, though.)

[GinaPagnato]

Just the Tiger Mother coming out...good job for nipping 'er in the bud!

[kalanamak]

Way to make your child hate math, mom. I did change it into a smile.

 

 

I took my first step to homeschooling in the first grade. Miss Rose put a frowny face on every single piece of my work. For a whole year. Once she made a smiley face by mistake, and covered it up by making marking back and forth over it, and continues the whole way down the page with that frown.

 

By Christmas, age 6.5, I already didn't give a hoot about school. I still wonder just exactly she thought she was accomplishing.

[Ellie]

My 9 year old got an 89 on her math test. After writing the 89 on her paper, I started to draw a frowny face because she didn't get 100. I think I'm starting to lose it. She's two years ahead in math and loves it. Way to make your child hate math, mom. I did change it into a smile.

:cheers2: :thumbup:

[Meriwether]

I took my first step to homeschooling in the first grade. Miss Rose put a frowny face on every single piece of my work. For a whole year. Once she made a smiley face by mistake, and covered it up by making marking back and forth over it, and continues the whole way down the page with that frown.

 

By Christmas, age 6.5, I already didn't give a hoot about school. I still wonder just exactly she thought she was accomplishing.

:001_huh: What in the world? Every time I think I've heard it all....

[kitten18]

I took my first step to homeschooling in the first grade. Miss Rose put a frowny face on every single piece of my work. For a whole year. Once she made a smiley face by mistake, and covered it up by making marking back and forth over it, and continues the whole way down the page with that frown.

 

By Christmas, age 6.5, I already didn't give a hoot about school. I still wonder just exactly she thought she was accomplishing.

:001_huh:What in the world?

I had a very mean first grade teacher too, she would dig her fingernails into kids shoulders if they were talking.

[love2read]

My first grade teacher was mean and also my next door neighbor. My second grade teacher dug her nails into my arm at least once a month. It never occurred to me to tell my mother (that was back in the early 60s), but you should have heard her the day she walked into my room while I was changing and saw the cuts and bruises on my arm.

[DarlaS]

:001_huh:What in the world?

I had a very mean first grade teacher too, she would dig her fingernails into kids shoulders if they were talking.

 

My first grade teacher actually tied a little boy to a chair.

[mandymom]

WOW! I'm glad I didn't go to school with you guys! I had really great elementary teachers (my 2nd grade teacher even came to my wedding years later). I do remember my very large 3rd grade teacher falling off a chair, but she wasn't trying to hurt anyone. :001_smile:

[Paz]

My first grade teacher would hit kids on the fingers with a ruler and wouldn't let kids takes restroom breaks. When children had an accident in the classroom because they could not hold it that long she would tell them to go find the janitor and tell him what a big baby they were. :confused:

 

This never happened to me but I still have issues about always wanting to know where the restroom is when I'm traveling just in case I need to use it. Didn't realize until right now this is probably partially due to my wonderful first grade experience.

[Paz]

Should also have added good for you for adding the smile to your dd's paper! When my ds was in 3rd grade we had just started homeschooling and he would forget to indent at the beginning of his paragraphs. I put the word indent with an arrow on his paper. He looked like he was going to cry and told me I was being mean. I ask him why and he said, "You wrote idiot on my paper!" I told him that I wrote indent on his paper, not idiot. We still laugh about that!

[BigMamaBird]

My 5th grade teacher slammed a boy against a chalkboard. My parents complained to the principal about his actions and were told "Oh, he's just going through a divorce and having a bad year.":glare:

[Meriwether]

My first grade teacher actually tied a little boy to a chair.

 

So many mean teachers.:confused:

 

This would have made me livid if it was one of my kids, but I have to admit: I laughed when I read this. It made me think of a mischievous, hyperactive boy and wonder what he'd thought up. Still, poor kid.

[abbeyej]

I guess, if I felt a child had truly not done his or her best, I would have no hesitation in putting a frowny face on a sub-par paper. It wouldn't matter whether the child was working 2 years ahead or behind, whatever. It would be all about, "Did this child *work* at this?"

 

There are other times when an 89 would be *remarkable* and worth celebrating. If a child found a particular subject difficult and tedious, but had really put forth tremendous effort to study and learn the material anyway to get an 89? That might even be worth ice cream. ;)

 

But I don't think there's truly anything wrong with letting a child know when some work is not their best -- and that you *noticed*. Just as it's worth praising real effort and improvement.

 

Ds got a terrible grade on a geometry test this year. He'd had great grades most of the year, and then he tried to get away with something (studying only his lecture notes and the homework that had to be turned in and ignoring his textbook for that chapter) and he got a grade that, for him, was just awful. I was furious. And I let him know that. His teacher (we outsourced this class) contacted me and let me know that when kids do poorly, he allows them to study and take a different (slightly more challenging) test for the chapter and replace the old grade. I didn't really care about ds final grade, but I did want him to learn the material well. So he studied the whole chapter again and this time got 100. So out we went for ice cream. ;)

[abbeyej]

BTW, I think there's a pretty wide gulf between acknowledging to a child that they have turned in less-than-acceptable work and some of the abusive and discouraging tactics other posters experienced with awful elementary teachers. I would never condone constantly belittling a child, hurting them, humiliating them, etc.

[Jan in SC]

I struggle with knowing when to expect more and when to relax. I push a lot and my dc have done well with it, but I am afraid I'll push too much!

 

I had a first grade teacher that stripped searched me and then made me swear on a Bible that I didn't steal another student's pencil. It never crossed my mind to tell my parents, but they always believed that adults were right and children were wrong, so they wouldn't have done much about it. The most embarrassing part was when the librarian, my favorite person in the world, walked by while I was standing on the portable steps with one hand on a Bible and one hand in the air. (I didn't steal anything!)

[lovelaughs_times_three]

Wow! I didn't like my teachers, and didn't always like school! But stories like this help me appreciate what I had! :001_smile:

The interesting/scary part is how often the kids don't tell their parents, never even think to. This seems to be common. I heard on a show about bullying that only a very small percent of these kids tell their parents. I always tell my kids to tell me things, but it makes me wonder what they are not thinking to tell me. Makes me sad....

[Birdwinglips]

My big sis had a 5th grade teacher who paddled kids. His paddle had holes in it. On his wall was a HUGE paddle hung like a trophy. He'd been given it as a gift. I had a 8th grade assistant tell me my shoes looked like a dog had pee'd on them. My mom was a single mom and we were very poor.

[DarlaS]

So many mean teachers.:confused:

 

This would have made me livid if it was one of my kids, but I have to admit: I laughed when I read this. It made me think of a mischievous, hyperactive boy and wonder what he'd thought up. Still, poor kid.

 

He was actually just not staying in his seat. He was... how should I put this... not quite average iq (but generally sweet and never hurt a fly). He didn't even seem upset by it. I guess that was a good thing.

 

Every once in a while I see him around town, and I wonder if he even remembers it. I hope not.

[lauracolumbus]

Should also have added good for you for adding the smile to your dd's paper! When my ds was in 3rd grade we had just started homeschooling and he would forget to indent at the beginning of his paragraphs. I put the word indent with an arrow on his paper. He looked like he was going to cry and told me I was being mean. I ask him why and he said, "You wrote idiot on my paper!" I told him that I wrote indent on his paper, not idiot. We still laugh about that!

 

 

:lol: This is just downright hilarious!

Laura