Teacher still hasn’t submitted letter of recommendation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DW is a teacher and got 9 done yesterday (took a personal day under the weight of all the 50 she has). Only 4 left and they will indeed get done. BTW, for those kids and parents who were rude right as she was writing the rec letter, guess what the letter is going to say..... As others have said, letters of rec are a gift to your child. They are not a right. They will get done people. I hope all of you pay all bills weeks early and get projects done at work a month ahead of time. Because that is what you are asking the teachers to do.

Many of us do pay bills early and get projects done early to avoid any last minute rush/disaster/surprises. Surely, you understand that?

It’s so easy to judge from the outside, isn’t it?

I’m one of the several teachers posting on this thread. My department is taking turns using personal days so we can stay home and get letters done.

And, to add insult to injury, we have to cover each others’ classes since we have no subs.

So we are taking leave AND losing planning periods in order to write these letters, some of which we were just asked to do this week.

You’re right. I guess we could simply knock them out at home. It’s not like we have our own families or other obligations. And it’s not like we have other work (planning, grading) that we already use our evenings and weekends to do.

So simple to judge. Much harder to live the reality.

I would probably have a lot more sympathy if I met you in real life and you said it. But here you are wasting time on a message board while complaining that you have no time.

My point is that there are people who do things early. Many of the posts from teachers act like everyone works until the last minute.

Well, I’m entitled to my breaks. You may not like that, but I feel like the occasional break from my work actually helps me focus better when I am grading and writing letters. Is that okay with you? That I take occasional breaks when I am at home?

Those of us sitting with stacks of letters, some I was asked for this week, are getting criticized right now because we aren’t doing unpaid, elective work fast enough for you.

While you’re at it, why don’t you head to the thread about teachers not grading fast enough, too? Or the one demanding that teachers take shifts monitoring bathrooms during their “free” period at work? Because how we use our time is definitely your business.

Well it doesn't seem healthy for you to be reading DCUM. And it's not healthy for me as a parent to see teachers bashing students on here either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't your school counselors help manage the recommendations? Ours do and set deadlines for the teachers to meet much like they set deadlines for the kids to request transcripts. Since their office is the one sending all the supporting documents it seems to work well.

Nope, this would be great, but they do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DW is a teacher and got 9 done yesterday (took a personal day under the weight of all the 50 she has). Only 4 left and they will indeed get done. BTW, for those kids and parents who were rude right as she was writing the rec letter, guess what the letter is going to say..... As others have said, letters of rec are a gift to your child. They are not a right. They will get done people. I hope all of you pay all bills weeks early and get projects done at work a month ahead of time. Because that is what you are asking the teachers to do.

Many of us do pay bills early and get projects done early to avoid any last minute rush/disaster/surprises. Surely, you understand that?

It’s so easy to judge from the outside, isn’t it?

I’m one of the several teachers posting on this thread. My department is taking turns using personal days so we can stay home and get letters done.

And, to add insult to injury, we have to cover each others’ classes since we have no subs.

So we are taking leave AND losing planning periods in order to write these letters, some of which we were just asked to do this week.

You’re right. I guess we could simply knock them out at home. It’s not like we have our own families or other obligations. And it’s not like we have other work (planning, grading) that we already use our evenings and weekends to do.

So simple to judge. Much harder to live the reality.

I would probably have a lot more sympathy if I met you in real life and you said it. But here you are wasting time on a message board while complaining that you have no time.

My point is that there are people who do things early. Many of the posts from teachers act like everyone works until the last minute.

Well, I’m entitled to my breaks. You may not like that, but I feel like the occasional break from my work actually helps me focus better when I am grading and writing letters. Is that okay with you? That I take occasional breaks when I am at home?

Those of us sitting with stacks of letters, some I was asked for this week, are getting criticized right now because we aren’t doing unpaid, elective work fast enough for you.

While you’re at it, why don’t you head to the thread about teachers not grading fast enough, too? Or the one demanding that teachers take shifts monitoring bathrooms during their “free” period at work? Because how we use our time is definitely your business.

Unpaid elective work? Writing letters of recommendation is literally part of a high school teacher's job. If you don't like that, do something else. If you can't get letters in on time, don't agree to write them.

Wow. It absolutely is not. For the hundredth time.....the letter is not late. It is amazing how much energy you are putting in to this. You have idea the pressure on teachers from every angle this year. If you are so sure this teacher is not going to make the deadline, that is on your student. Kids know which teachers they can count on. Should have chosen a different teacher.

So now the teacher being late is somehow the kid's fault? okayyy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid asked teachers last spring as instructed but one hasn't submitted yet for a Nov 1 deadline. There's no excuse for this.

But it’s not late. Honestly if you have a personal deadline that doesn’t align with the actual deadline i would think that you would negotiate this with the teacher that is doing the recommendation. That way you’d have clear expectations for a letter before the deadline. If you didn’t then you have no reason to complain.

Ok but why wait until literally the last minute. Tomorrow is 10-31 and the deadline is Nov 1.

Because it doesn't matter. Other things take priority.

It matters to my kid and his chance of admission which is nil if she doesn't get it in.

As long as it meets the deadline, it doesn't matter when.

well that's the point, it's not clear she will meet the deadline.

Did your child write a thank you note as a gentle reminder?

not a thank you note yet as it hasn't been submitted and you usually don't thank for something not yet done, but yes my kid did politely follow up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid asked teachers last spring as instructed but one hasn't submitted yet for a Nov 1 deadline. There's no excuse for this.

But it’s not late. Honestly if you have a personal deadline that doesn’t align with the actual deadline i would think that you would negotiate this with the teacher that is doing the recommendation. That way you’d have clear expectations for a letter before the deadline. If you didn’t then you have no reason to complain.

Ok but why wait until literally the last minute. Tomorrow is 10-31 and the deadline is Nov 1.

Because it doesn't matter. Other things take priority.

The issue is we don't know if she will actually get it in.

NP. You may have an issue but it is your own issue. If you get a bill and pay it on the due date, are you in the wrong? Sure the business would prefer you send it in earlier but you really aren’t required to. Your anxiety and lack of ability to trust your kid’s teacher to do what he or she has committed to is a “you” problem.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable to wonder where the letter is when it's the last minute before the deadline. It's not like my kid's future is riding on this or anything.

If you were my mom, I wouldn’t tell you about the status of the teacher recs or flat out lie to you if you asked - that’s would be the only way to deal with your anxiety.

If you were my kid who is stressed that people don’t do what they are asked to do, I would talk to you about how trusting people often leads to better outcomes in interpersonal relationships.

If I were the kid worried that my teacher wouldn’t meet the deadline because I am a stress basket, I would have talked to them ahead of time and asked if they would be willing to get the letter in a week early because I have anxiety. I would explain that I am working on it but wanted to ask for their support in addition to the huge favor they are already doing by writing a rec. And I would never choose a teacher who had a reputation for being late.

If you were my kid, I would counsel you to take responsibility for your college application and check to ensure everything is being handled because you can't just assume everything will get turned in otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid asked teachers last spring as instructed but one hasn't submitted yet for a Nov 1 deadline. There's no excuse for this.

But it’s not late. Honestly if you have a personal deadline that doesn’t align with the actual deadline i would think that you would negotiate this with the teacher that is doing the recommendation. That way you’d have clear expectations for a letter before the deadline. If you didn’t then you have no reason to complain.

Ok but why wait until literally the last minute. Tomorrow is 10-31 and the deadline is Nov 1.

Because it doesn't matter. Other things take priority.

The issue is we don't know if she will actually get it in.

NP. You may have an issue but it is your own issue. If you get a bill and pay it on the due date, are you in the wrong? Sure the business would prefer you send it in earlier but you really aren’t required to. Your anxiety and lack of ability to trust your kid’s teacher to do what he or she has committed to is a “you” problem.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable to wonder where the letter is when it's the last minute before the deadline. It's not like my kid's future is riding on this or anything.

If you were my mom, I wouldn’t tell you about the status of the teacher recs or flat out lie to you if you asked - that’s would be the only way to deal with your anxiety.

If you were my kid who is stressed that people don’t do what they are asked to do, I would talk to you about how trusting people often leads to better outcomes in interpersonal relationships.

If I were the kid worried that my teacher wouldn’t meet the deadline because I am a stress basket, I would have talked to them ahead of time and asked if they would be willing to get the letter in a week early because I have anxiety. I would explain that I am working on it but wanted to ask for their support in addition to the huge favor they are already doing by writing a rec. And I would never choose a teacher who had a reputation for being late.

Weird take but I think we'll follow the counselor's advise rather than yours. The counselor is worried about this too and flagged it and suggested following up with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DW is a teacher and got 9 done yesterday (took a personal day under the weight of all the 50 she has). Only 4 left and they will indeed get done. BTW, for those kids and parents who were rude right as she was writing the rec letter, guess what the letter is going to say..... As others have said, letters of rec are a gift to your child. They are not a right. They will get done people. I hope all of you pay all bills weeks early and get projects done at work a month ahead of time. Because that is what you are asking the teachers to do.

Many of us do pay bills early and get projects done early to avoid any last minute rush/disaster/surprises. Surely, you understand that?

It’s so easy to judge from the outside, isn’t it?

I’m one of the several teachers posting on this thread. My department is taking turns using personal days so we can stay home and get letters done.

And, to add insult to injury, we have to cover each others’ classes since we have no subs.

So we are taking leave AND losing planning periods in order to write these letters, some of which we were just asked to do this week.

You’re right. I guess we could simply knock them out at home. It’s not like we have our own families or other obligations. And it’s not like we have other work (planning, grading) that we already use our evenings and weekends to do.

So simple to judge. Much harder to live the reality.

I would probably have a lot more sympathy if I met you in real life and you said it. But here you are wasting time on a message board while complaining that you have no time.

My point is that there are people who do things early. Many of the posts from teachers act like everyone works until the last minute.

Well, I’m entitled to my breaks. You may not like that, but I feel like the occasional break from my work actually helps me focus better when I am grading and writing letters. Is that okay with you? That I take occasional breaks when I am at home?

Those of us sitting with stacks of letters, some I was asked for this week, are getting criticized right now because we aren’t doing unpaid, elective work fast enough for you.

While you’re at it, why don’t you head to the thread about teachers not grading fast enough, too? Or the one demanding that teachers take shifts monitoring bathrooms during their “free” period at work? Because how we use our time is definitely your business.

Well it doesn't seem healthy for you to be reading DCUM. And it's not healthy for me as a parent to see teachers bashing students on here either.

Oh, please. Nobody on this thread has been bashing students. Nobody.

All you have is overworked, burned-out, unappreciated teachers graciously giving up their time. And instead of being supportive, the only question coming from some posters is why aren’t these teachers doing it faster.

And we face pressures, too. A couple years ago I finished all of my letters by late September, except for several last-minute requests. On Halloween I received 2 panicked requests for letters due the next day. My neighbors took my young child trick-or-treating so I could stay home and help out. And it’s not just letters. I had to proofread their application essays, too. So I missed out on family time I should have been able to enjoy. And no, I was never thanked. Teachers bend over backwards, so I don’t get the rudeness coming our way.

[Anonymous]

The deadlines are mainly for the student submissions (application, essays). Colleges give leeway for school submitted files (transcripts, letters).

[Anonymous]

FYI.....even today....still not late!
Some of you parents really need to back away and trust the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI.....even today....still not late!
Some of you parents really need to back away and trust the process.

They're the ones harassing university professors too.

[Anonymous]

Well, the current seniors are probably sweating it (or not). BUT, the correct way to do this is

1) Start Junior year - send an email to your Humanities, Science and Math teachers requesting them a time to meet with them. When they accept and give you the time, you go and meet them. If they tell you to email them then the email should only be about if they would agree to give you strong recommendations next year. This can happen in the professional days before school opens.

2) You take your transcripts, SAT scores, ECs, subjects taking for senior year, internships, how many APs, class ranking, RESUME, Brag Sheet - etc and ask them the following questions -
a) how do they rank you among all their students?
b) would they be willing to give you [b]a very strong recommendation [/b]next year
c) if you plan to apply in the EA/ED cycle when do they need the brag sheet etc from you
d) Do they have any plan to go to another school in the summer. Because it is common for teachers to switch schools and then suddenly you do not have a teacher to give you recommendation.

3) Have more then 2 or 3 teachers. In fact have 2 humanities, 2 Science and 2 Math teachers - agreeing to give you recommendations.

4) Have your brag sheet, resume, transcript, SAT scores, AP scores etc prepared before school opens.

5) Have your college list prepared. Have your naviance accounts and common app accounts etc prepared.

6) Common App practise account can be opened by parents too, just for them to get familiar with the content. It has a section for teachers to fill out questions. Now, when you write your bragsheet - you should use the verbiage for the questions your teachers will be answering. Use AI if you need help. Your teachers will use or be influenced by what you have written and you will stand out.

7) You want a teacher recommendation that adds some other details and gives proof to your entire story in the application. A strong recommendation praising the academic skills of a student will not work if the transcripts tell a different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, the current seniors are probably sweating it (or not). BUT, the correct way to do this is

1) Start Junior year in the end of second quarter - send an email to your Humanities, Science and Math teachers requesting them a time to meet with them. When they accept and give you the time, you go and meet them. If they tell you to email them then the email should only be about if they would agree to give you strong recommendations next year. This can happen in the professional days before school opens.

2) You take your transcripts, SAT scores, ECs, subjects taking for senior year, internships, how many APs, class ranking, RESUME, Brag Sheet - etc and ask them the following questions -
a) how do they rank you among all their students?
b) would they be willing to give you [b]a very strong recommendation [/b]next year
c) if you plan to apply in the EA/ED cycle when do they need the brag sheet etc from you
d) Do they have any plan to go to another school in the summer. Because it is common for teachers to switch schools and then suddenly you do not have a teacher to give you recommendation.

3) Have more then 2 or 3 teachers. In fact have 2 humanities, 2 Science and 2 Math teachers - agreeing to give you recommendations.

4) Have your brag sheet, resume, transcript, SAT scores, AP scores etc prepared before school opens.

5) Have your college list prepared. Have your naviance accounts and common app accounts etc prepared.

6) Common App practise account can be opened by parents too, just for them to get familiar with the content. It has a section for teachers to fill out questions. Now, when you write your bragsheet - you should use the verbiage for the questions your teachers will be answering. Use AI if you need help. Your teachers will use or be influenced by what you have written and you will stand out.

7) You want a teacher recommendation that adds some other details and gives proof to your entire story in the application. A strong recommendation praising the academic skills of a student will not work if the transcripts tell a different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DW is a teacher and got 9 done yesterday (took a personal day under the weight of all the 50 she has). Only 4 left and they will indeed get done. BTW, for those kids and parents who were rude right as she was writing the rec letter, guess what the letter is going to say..... As others have said, letters of rec are a gift to your child. They are not a right. They will get done people. I hope all of you pay all bills weeks early and get projects done at work a month ahead of time. Because that is what you are asking the teachers to do.

Many of us do pay bills early and get projects done early to avoid any last minute rush/disaster/surprises. Surely, you understand that?

It’s so easy to judge from the outside, isn’t it?

I’m one of the several teachers posting on this thread. My department is taking turns using personal days so we can stay home and get letters done.

And, to add insult to injury, we have to cover each others’ classes since we have no subs.

So we are taking leave AND losing planning periods in order to write these letters, some of which we were just asked to do this week.

You’re right. I guess we could simply knock them out at home. It’s not like we have our own families or other obligations. And it’s not like we have other work (planning, grading) that we already use our evenings and weekends to do.

So simple to judge. Much harder to live the reality.

I would probably have a lot more sympathy if I met you in real life and you said it. But here you are wasting time on a message board while complaining that you have no time.

My point is that there are people who do things early. Many of the posts from teachers act like everyone works until the last minute.

Well, I’m entitled to my breaks. You may not like that, but I feel like the occasional break from my work actually helps me focus better when I am grading and writing letters. Is that okay with you? That I take occasional breaks when I am at home?

Those of us sitting with stacks of letters, some I was asked for this week, are getting criticized right now because we aren’t doing unpaid, elective work fast enough for you.

While you’re at it, why don’t you head to the thread about teachers not grading fast enough, too? Or the one demanding that teachers take shifts monitoring bathrooms during their “free” period at work? Because how we use our time is definitely your business.

Unpaid elective work? Writing letters of recommendation is literally part of a high school teacher's job. If you don't like that, do something else. If you can't get letters in on time, don't agree to write them.

Wow. It absolutely is not. For the hundredth time.....the letter is not late. It is amazing how much energy you are putting in to this. You have idea the pressure on teachers from every angle this year. If you are so sure this teacher is not going to make the deadline, that is on your student. Kids know which teachers they can count on. Should have chosen a different teacher.

Please explain how my kid - who has never applied to college before - was supposed to somehow know ahead of time which teachers would submit a letter on time or not?

Because I'm assuming they knew the teacher they were asking? Were they the type of teacher that had calendars, returned work in a timely manner and held kids to high expectations? Or were they the type that put off grading until the last day of the quarter?

[Anonymous]

This is where private school makes all the difference.

There is a system in place to request recommendation letters from teachers. If a teacher is late, it is the college counselor's job to follow up. We didn't run into this, but my student was concerned because one submitted it in September, and the other not until mid October. But the counselor was familiar with how these teachers operate and was able to calm her concerns. No teacher should get away with not submitting on time. That should be grounds for dismissal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is where private school makes all the difference.

There is a system in place to request recommendation letters from teachers. If a teacher is late, it is the college counselor's job to follow up. We didn't run into this, but my student was concerned because one submitted it in September, and the other not until mid October. But the counselor was familiar with how these teachers operate and was able to calm her concerns. No teacher should get away with not submitting on time. That should be grounds for dismissal.

Grounds for dismissal? Seriously?

Provide no time and no support. And then fire teachers if they don’t fulfill a favor?

I’m all for teachers doing what they say they’ll do, but I don’t get how rude and abusive some parents are being.