Parent teacher conference update
Oh My Gods. This child, the child I gave birth to, is in deep ca-ca once again. Get this...Science: Grade 63.9% (D)(Would have been a C but he didn't turn in his notebook)
4 missing assignments, no notebook
Math: 44.8% (last term was 38.7%)
17 (Seventeeeeeen) missing assignments, ten of those after progress reports and his warning. No notebook. Could have had a D.
Overall test/quiz grade was 70% (up from 21% last term)
Health: 73.3% (C)
5 missing assingments (2 since prog. rep.) missing notebook, could have gotten a B or close to a B
K so I asked him a week before the grading period was over, "Do you need to work on your notebook? It's 20% of your grade in EACH class." Response from heathen? "No mom, she hasn't told us we are doing that." (Some of you may remember from last term, same thing happened then too, only she HAD told them, gave them the checklist, gave them a chance to pick up handouts etc.) Guess what? She told them this time too. Almost two weeks in advance. So he didn't bother himself to do/turn in his notebook once again this term.
Teacher is giving him the weekend (once again) to get it done, if he gets just a 46% on it, all three grades will come up an entire letter grade, maybe even a letter and a half. The best he can get (since it's late) is a 70% if he has every single paper in it. Due Monday. He'll be working on that just as soon as he's finished packing his toys, dvd player, game systems, games etc. up to be stored till infinity.
The whole deal we had with the kid was if he turned in ALL of his assignments, no matter the grades, just turn the freakin things IN, he could keep his stuff. I reminded him so often about our deal that I was nagging about it. He was given ample opportunity, it was all on him. I checked and signed his planner every day, I checked and emptied his backpack every #$%#^ day. "No homework today" "Did it in class" "Just studying today" were the most commonly heard phrases around here the past however freakin many weeks it's been.
He's been lying to me and his teacher, he tried several times to sneak papers onto her desk or on the floor beside her desk to make her think he's turned stuff in but she'd dropped/lost it, and just generally trying to con everyone with a big old innocent, I'm trying load of BULLshit.
When I came home from the conf. (which he elsected not to attend btw) and confronted him with the list of grades and assignments, he had the gall to turn on the big crocodile tears and say "But Mom I HAVE been trying" Hmmm ok so last term you had 21 missing assignments in Math, this term you had 17 missing assignments in Math. Not trying much are you? I did and do give him credit that his test grades have come way up, he's trying in some areas yes, and we discussed that. The Deal was about turning in his work. He did not live up to his end of the bargain, plain and simple, in black and white fact. 26 missing assignments in three classes. Gods, I'm pissed.
I can't even imagine what my husband is going to say. All hell is gonna break loose around here in a few hours. That's why I've had the kid packing up his stuff since I got home, better for him to do it now, than wait and let a po'd hubby do it later. His room will have nothing in it but furniture and maybe, maybe, books. Sounds harsh.... I know. But we gotta do something. I was all set to reward him for bringing his grades up and turning in his stuff. I would have bought him a new game for his PS2, taken him to the movies, and generally made a big huge deal out of it. Can't do that now. Dammit. How does one reward for one good thing while taking everything he owns away for the assignment thing. *big huge frustrated sigh*
I need a drink... or a Prozac.
On a MUCH more positive note though... the 5th grade teachers have suddenly decided that it's in the children's best interest if they no longer switch classes, so he will have all his main subjects with the Mal teacher from now on and won't have the Female teacher (his math, science, health teacher till now) at all. The male teacher stays in touch with the parents, sends us a newsletter every week telling us what assignments are going to be due, when tests are etc. He actually makes sure we know this stuff, rather than depending on the kids to tell us, since well they WONT.
So, I have high hopes for the rest of the school year. I think things will get better. Mr.C doesn't let his kids get away with shit and he doesn't take "I dunno" for an answer. He makes them think, he has FUN with them and makes learning more interesting for them. He is well aware of B's issues and is willing to work on them with us. He will actually help us, not just *say* he will and then forget all about it like the other @^$%&^&*@# teacher did.
Oh, I know it's not her fault B didn't do his job, but by the Gods, she could have helped. Signing his planner like she agreed to do would have gone SO far in him getting his stuff done. Keeping in touch with me occasionally, so the child KNEW I'd know what was going on, would have helped. Little things. A little interest. Guess I wanted to much.
!#@$#@^&**&^%$^$#%$#%*(^*&*(#@%$!#@ (I'm so trying not to offend my gentle readers with my sailor's mouth, those of you who use such words can insert a few every other sentence or so and you'll have a more accurate view of what I actually typed and then edited out.)
I need to go smoke..... and maybe get a bit of calmness....
posted by Marvie at
5:13 AM
8 comment(s):
OMG I would have been mad too hell I would still be mad.
I don't think you're being to harsh on him. You gave him the chance that was pretty fair. My big rant is kids these days grow up not learning their actions have consiquences (sp?) and they are responsible for them not someone else. At least you two are doing your best to teach him responsiblity .
*hugs*
By
Unknown, at
7:28 AM
By
noricum, at
8:48 AM
By
Colette, at
10:17 AM
I never did my homework. None, not at all, zero homework assignments turned in. For most of highschool, my mom battled with me to just do the stuff, cuz it wasn't HARD for me I just didn't care. The only thing that worked was when SHE called my teachers every week, plus had me get a SIGNED progress report from every teacher. No signature = no life. Although, even this wasn't totally effective, really I just had to get over my apathetic stage...
Funny thing is, once I got out of it, I carried a 4.0 my whole senior year - got a 33 out of 36 on my ACT's, still got accepted to the university of my choice... Not saying that this is the norm by any means, but as a kid who put her mom thru the hell you're going thru right now, there really is only so much you can do, the rest is up to him... Even if you are driving yourself up the wall and talking to his teachers everyday, sometimes it is just a stage he has to get thru, or at least it was for me...
I know this probably isn't helpful right now, but I wish someone would've told my mom it was all gonna be okay when we were going thru this. I'm sure everything will work out, it always does!
By
hi, i'm natalie, at
10:56 AM
Something that was helpful to me in high school: My school had a system where kids who weren't keeping up could be put on progress reports, meaning that for every teacher and every subject, every single day, the teacher would fill out on the form what needed to be done that night for homework, etc. It had to be signed by a parent each day and then turned in to the guidance counselor at the end of the week (with notes from the teacher(s) if things weren't followed up on). It made me be accountable & I did a lot better when I was using them--though they decided a little too soon that I'd improved and stopped making me use them LOL and I backslid a lot...
By
Daisy, at
1:56 PM
By
Anonymous, at
3:00 PM
Kathy
By
Anonymous, at
5:36 AM
I don't think the other teacher (Who he will be having from today on and not going back to the problem teacher) has the kids grade each others papers, so if that was part of the problem, it should stop now.
The teacher he'll be having exclusively now is very good, and he stays in touch with the parents on a weekly (at least) basis via email. I really hope B will do much better now that the school has changed how the classes are set up.
By
Marvie, at
6:13 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home