What do you think of nit picky teachers? 6th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Better to learn to follow directions now.

I teach college and last year I had a student hand in an essay that completely missed the purpose of the assignments. She was a great student, had been doing very well in the course, was a lovely person but for whatever reason she just went completely off base on her final term paper. She wrote a great paper and obviously put a lot of work into it but it wasn't the paper that was assigned.

I graded using a rubric and there were parts of the rubric that I couldn't even apply to her paper. I gave her marks where I could and her final mark was around 40%.

She contacted me immediately asking to meet. She came to my office and she looked like she had been through something awful. She told me she couldn't sleep or eat, that she had never failed anything and she didn't know how to cope with this. She started sobbing in my office and it was a bit heart wrenching. I could see that she really didn't know how to cope with this. She pleaded and pleaded to let her rewrite it or to grade it differently or do a bonus assignment or anything because she couldn't accept a failing grade. I said no to all and she was honestly almost traumatized. I really think this was the most difficult thing that she had gone through (as a high achiever). I had to get her support from a friend to leave my office. Her mom called me a couple days later pleading with me to do something as her daughter was not coping well and this had impacted her mental health.

I met twice more with the student helping her to learn to cope and build resilience and never changed her mark. That would have been the easy out for me and made her happy but this was a life lesson she needed to learn and it was what was fair. She never fully understood. She did pull herself back together and did fine in my class (above the class average but lower than her usual marks). It would have been much much better for her to learn this when she was younger.

This story is horrible. Makes you sound awful and sadistic.

Yeah, you don't come off here well at all, college instructor!

What?! NP here. I can't believe you are advocating for changing a grade in response to a COLLEGE STUDENT who melts down when she makes a mistake.

Are you all unfamiliar with assignments? Rubrics? What planet am I living on??

This poster has given you a perfect example, wrapped in a bow, of why children should learn that details matter. Gah!

No I don't think the grade should be changed. But the college student asked to write another paper, on the correct topic this time, for partial credit and she turned her down.

I don't think she should get an A for the rewrite but maybe a C or a B which is better than a low F.

This is not a thing. Did you not go to college? Or highschool, even? Where are you getting this idea that you get to redo assignments you screwed up? Honest question.

I went to a top 25 R1 university according to US News. Professors worked with students like this all the time. You just had to be willing to show interest and initiative and they’d gobble that up.

In fact, I once got a professor to give me an alternate test date so I could go out of town with friends. He later recommended me for full MBA scholarship because I asked him what he considered good, thought provoking questions.

In another situation, I accidentally wrote an essay on the wrong topic but it was so good that I got full marks anyway.

The professors in my major voted me best student when I graduated.

The point is, people know when the rules are dumb and don’t always matter.

NP. I had the same experience!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly cannot understand how OP is employed somewhere.

OP here. I run my own business in a creative field. Since I know what you will say about that, I'll tell you that my DH is a c-suite executive with many employees and he agrees with me.

He agrees with you because he's sympathetic and trying to placate both is kid and his wife. I guarantee that anyone who manages a bunch of people believes damn well that following the directions is a significant part of success.

And regardless, you and your husband can’t see this clearly, as parents. I guarantee your husband wants his employees to follow directions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly cannot understand how OP is employed somewhere.

OP here. I run my own business in a creative field. Since I know what you will say about that, I'll tell you that my DH is a c-suite executive with many employees and he agrees with me.

He agrees with you because he's sympathetic and trying to placate both is kid and his wife. I guarantee that anyone who manages a bunch of people believes damn well that following the directions is a significant part of success.

And regardless, you and your husband can’t see this clearly, as parents. I guarantee your husband wants his employees to follow directions.

As I trust, do OPs clients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New Poster.

In OP's defense, I would be upset if my sixth grader was being graded on coloring too. That's bullshit.

Clearly it's part of the assignment though. If that's the assignment, then that's what you are graded on. OP's kid forgot to do part of the assignment. Period.

Why should sixth graders be graded on their coloring though? What a waste of time.

OP I would complain to the principal about that.

We’re not getting the whole picture here. What if the assignment was to create a broadside? If yes, I would absolutely expect the entire assignment to be completed, not just the writing the poem part.

- a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New Poster.

In OP's defense, I would be upset if my sixth grader was being graded on coloring too. That's bullshit.

Clearly it's part of the assignment though. If that's the assignment, then that's what you are graded on. OP's kid forgot to do part of the assignment. Period.

Why should sixth graders be graded on their coloring though? What a waste of time.

OP I would complain to the principal about that.

We’re not getting the whole picture here. What if the assignment was to create a broadside? If yes, I would absolutely expect the entire assignment to be completed, not just the writing the poem part.

- a teacher

The original posted said, the directions to color a border were part of the rubric. Yes, points need to be taken off if the student can not follow directions. That was for an English assignment. Part of learning is following directions. Same with the Spanish test. He didn't answer the questions correctly. Given he has an IEP and the teacher is not following that then that needs to be discussed.It's already the end of October, parent needed to be at that school way before this if IEP is not being followed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New Poster.

In OP's defense, I would be upset if my sixth grader was being graded on coloring too. That's bullshit.

Clearly it's part of the assignment though. If that's the assignment, then that's what you are graded on. OP's kid forgot to do part of the assignment. Period.

Why should sixth graders be graded on their coloring though? What a waste of time.

OP I would complain to the principal about that.

We’re not getting the whole picture here. What if the assignment was to create a broadside? If yes, I would absolutely expect the entire assignment to be completed, not just the writing the poem part.

- a teacher

The original posted said, the directions to color a border were part of the rubric. Yes, points need to be taken off if the student can not follow directions. That was for an English assignment. Part of learning is following directions. Same with the Spanish test. He didn't answer the questions correctly. Given he has an IEP and the teacher is not following that then that needs to be discussed.It's already the end of October, parent needed to be at that school way before this if IEP is not being followed.

OP here. Unfortunately this is the first assessment this teacher has given this year. I've heard from other parents that other language teachers have already been giving several quizzes and he's had quizzes and tests in his other classes.

I think she is just a bad teacher. I've had other problems with her before this.

[Anonymous]

I went to a top 25 R1 university according to US News. Professors worked with students like this all the time. You just had to be willing to show interest and initiative and they’d gobble that up.

In fact, I once got a professor to give me an alternate test date so I could go out of town with friends. He later recommended me for full MBA scholarship because I asked him what he considered good, thought provoking questions.

In another situation, I accidentally wrote an essay on the wrong topic but it was so good that I got full marks anyway.

The professors in my major voted me best student when I graduated.

The point is, people know when the rules are dumb and don’t always matter.


NP. I had the same experience!

This X100. College is about mastering expertise in your field. Professors are looking for students who think, take initiative, ask thought provoking questions and learn to begin adding new knowledge to the field. The only time top colleges get nit picky is in the dissertation submission. There was actually someone in the Dean's office with a ruler who would measure your margins. About 20% of the students were sent back to reformat but they all received their Phd based on the quality of their work, they just didn't get the completion until the margins were exact.

[Anonymous]

Back to the OP, are you in MCPS, FCPS or DCPS? If you do not hear back from the counselor, contact the head of special education. In middle school, you need to be assertive about 504 and IEPs being followed. The worst teacher in terms of following DD's IEP was a long term sub who was a special education teacher! She was terrible and had the perspective that since a 504 did not have a reporting requirement it was optional. I had to get the principal involved and threatened to escalate to a formal complaint. When the original teacher returned, he was fantastic and had no problem following the IEP. He said he had ADHD and completest understood. He structured his class using best practices for ADHD kids which ended up benefitting all the kids. DD loved that class in the end.

He also shared with us that 6th grade is brutal on ADHD kids especially within MCPS. The short transition between classes, multiple classes, electives that are more academic than exploratory, and range of teachers using various inconsistent ways of giving assignments, grading and communication is difficult for any 6th grader to navigate but its torture to an ADHD 6th grade.

Middle school is also where hormones kick in and kids have a harder time with social aspects of tween life. Its a dangerous time for a kid to become depressed that he can never do anything right no matter how hard he tries.

Don't site back and wait for the school to give you the response you deserve. Go after if you must, its important.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Just wanted to update ya'll. We emailed DS's school counselor and 504 coordinator and they both emailed us back very promptly and were concerned, saying that of course his teachers should be following his 504 plan and that they would reach out.

The teacher emailed us back the following day and said DS could take a retest today.

So I guess it is true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Just wanted to update ya'll. We emailed DS's school counselor and 504 coordinator and they both emailed us back very promptly and were concerned, saying that of course his teachers should be following his 504 plan and that they would reach out.

The teacher emailed us back the following day and said DS could take a retest today.

So I guess it is true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

But you knew that because you’ve been squeaking by your entire life. And came back to further squawk. Good on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Just wanted to update ya'll. We emailed DS's school counselor and 504 coordinator and they both emailed us back very promptly and were concerned, saying that of course his teachers should be following his 504 plan and that they would reach out.

The teacher emailed us back the following day and said DS could take a retest today.

So I guess it is true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Ok Karen

[Anonymous]

This is a really hard one because while I applaud you OP for advocating on your child's behalf relative to the 504, in LIFE he won't get that opportunity. What does it teach him that he doesn't have to follow directions and gets a redo?

If a client asks me to do Y, and I do YZ or X, I cannot bill for it, damage the relationship, and/or get fired. I guess the hope is that those skills and life experiences are taught by the time the kid gets into the real world, but I just wonder where that balance is best.

To the college professor, good on you for sticking to your guns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a really hard one because while I applaud you OP for advocating on your child's behalf relative to the 504, in LIFE he won't get that opportunity. What does it teach him that he doesn't have to follow directions and gets a redo?

If a client asks me to do Y, and I do YZ or X, I cannot bill for it, damage the relationship, and/or get fired. I guess the hope is that those skills and life experiences are taught by the time the kid gets into the real world, but I just wonder where that balance is best.

To the college professor, good on you for sticking to your guns.

In real life the Teacher has to follows the rules and directions and abide by the 504 Plan or the IEP. These plans are not written so that the child does not have to follow rules or directions but to help a child learn to follow rules and directions by teaching the child in a manner that supports the child. Many times this includes things like the Teacher is required to review the directions with the child individually.

So the Teacher is partially at fault for not following the rules and directions.