Reply to I hate how the teachers at our school won't tell you where your kids really stands. Anyone else?

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Reply to "I hate how the teachers at our school won't tell you where your kids really stands. Anyone else?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Seasoned teacher here.  As a younger teacher, I used to give parents how I saw their kids doing relative to peers.  Now I will only do it if asked directly.

TBH, sometimes when parents ask exactly where their child stood relative to peers, it creates problems for me.   On one occasion, the parent was attempting to get me to admit that their kid was the smartest in the class.  When I did not give her that answer, she questioned my competence.  Another parent demanded to sit in the class and she gave me her assessment of every child in the class and why her child was better.  Another parent broadcasted to other parents that I said her child was the smartest kid in the class. 
Mostly, I try to limit my remarks to what that particular kid needs and I steer the discussion away from the peer group.  A good teacher can give you the feedback you want without a peer ranking. [/quote]

Yes, this is exactly why teachers should NOT compare kids to their peers. Teachers do not want to deal with parents bragging that their kid is smarter or the smartest in the class to other parents.  I do believe that teachers can and should give feedback on whether the child is in a certain math or reading group.  That is useful information and not a direct comparison to another student.  It just tells you if they are high, average, or low and may influence a decision to get assistance.

I was very impressed with a recent parent - teacher conference for my son and felt the teachers knew him for all his strengths and weaknesses.  They clearly conveyed to me that he is further ahead in math and reading because they were differentiating him in those subjects.  They never once compared him to or mentioned other kids in the class.  They told me all his weaknesses and also gave ideas for how to address them.  It was a very insightful meeting.     [/quote]

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