Well, I made it-- it's FINALLY our Winter Break!!  Honestly, I didn't think that I would last this long considering how stressed out I was!  I found myself getting snappy with the kids and even more sarcastic than usual-- not a good sign.    The reason for my stress at work is not the students but a particular set of parents.  I've moaned and vented about these crazy parents to just about anybody who has been unlucky enough to cross my path (sorry!) but I still can't get over it!

For those who don't know the story, here is my attempt at a brief synopsis: In November. when we had our parent-teacher interviews, this particular set of parents told me that they were not going to leave my classroom that night nor will they sign the report card until I gave them a satisfactory answer as to why and how their son got those marks (I gave the student a C- in Reading and another C- in Writing, and a C+ in one strand of Math; the rest were B's).  When I tried to explain to them as succinctly as I could in the shortest amount of time (I had a backlog of parents waiting for me already!), they refused to accept my explanation.  I told them their son was reading at below grade level at the TIME OF WHEN THE REPORT CARD WAS WRITTEN (we write them at least 2-3 weeks before they get sent home--- leaps and bounds in progress during this period is not unusual!).  Anyway, I finally got them to leave, and set up another appointment to discuss this further.  They even tried to "scare" me by claiming that they've been to the Ministry website already and read all the documents, and they've also been on the phone with the Board!!  Seriously, these parents really need to take a crash course in bluffing if they want to be taken seriously!!  1) I don't think they really went on to the Ministry website and even if they did,  good for them-- they wouldn't understand the language anyway!  Besides, they didn't have to waste that much effort-- I have all the documents in my classroom in my room anyway!  2) It's hilarious that they thought they could scare by saying that they called the Board of Ed. because really, who would gave them the time of day??  If the people at the Board answered calls from angry parents who wanted to complain about their children's report card grades, I don't think anything useful would get done there!

Anyway, I am thankful that I have very support adminstrators, and the principal made it very clear that he supported me and even agreed to sit in on the appointment I had with these nutso parents.  Actually, it was an "appointment", it was more like a summit because the parents were dissatisfied with EVERYTHING and insisted on finding something wrong with the way I teach.  We talked about EVERYTHING about their child!  This "appointment" lasted for--get this-- ONE HOUR and 15 MINUTES!!! What killed me in the end though, was when the father summed up his concerns: "This has nothing to do with grades but more of his comfort level in your class..."!!!!!  NOTHING TO DO WITH GRADES!!!  They refused to leave my classroom on the night of the interviews because they said they were not happy with the marks!!!  (Sidenote on the concern about his child's so-called "comfort level" in my classroom: this child runs into my classroom every morning, laughing and shouting!! Yes, this MUST mean that the child is highly uncomfortable! But what do I know??  I've only got a graduate degree in Education...).

Ok, so after that saga, I thought everything was over. How naive of me to think so.  The principal walked into my classroom on Monday of this week, telling me that the same psycho mom called and left HIM a voicemail, complaining how I was still sending the child home with Level 6 books when I told her that he tested out to be reading at Level 9!  Ok, 1) WHY didn't she come to talk to ME, the classroom teacher about it??  As a matter of fact, I saw her and she saw me that very morning when she dropped off her son!! It's not that I'm afraid of her complaining to my boss (I know he's got my back anyway) but the fact that she didn't think that it was worth her while to talk to me or given me a chance to explain and dispel her misunderstandings; 2) I NEVER said that her son tested out at Level 9 nor did I tell her that I would be sending home Level 9 books; 3) teaching someone to read is far more complex than she thinks, and it's not just about what level their child is reading at!  Sheesh. 

Later on, the principal told me more about what she had to bitch about.  Apparently, she kept accusing me of being inconsistent but really, SHE'S the one who's inconsistent because she keeps asking such complex questions that require very detailed answers, and yet, she doesn't completely comprehend! According to the principal, she kept at it, trying to find any holes she could in my teaching and in my program, to the point of ridicule (i.e. "Why did Ms. Ng put Henry and my son into the same reading group when she told them to not to play with each other at recess anymore (Henry had bullied her son earlier in the year but it has since stopped)??"  What an idiot-- reading groups are formed based on the students' reading levels and not based on whether they like each other!!)

Like I have blogged about before, it really, really disgusts me how so many parents these days think that is ok for them to bully and completely disrespect teachers.  It's not just parents but a large section of the public, that have total disrespect and disregard for teachers.  Think about it: teachers don't get year-end bonuses, overtime pay or make an profits, yet we work hard.  We don't work hard so we can climb the corporate ladder (there is none to climb!) nor to make a large profit.  We work hard purely for the love it.  So why can't we command any respect for that?  Yes, we get great vacation time, great pension, and benefits but do we not deserve it?  Since we don't get bonuses or promotions or make profits, we SHOULD get rewarded in some way!  Besides, the great vacation time, benefits, and pension are definitely perks of our jobs-- every job has its own! My response now to those people who say, "Wow, you have summers off!" as soon as I tell them that I'm a teacher is, "Yes, I have great vacation time.  You should get into teaching too!"  Most of the time, these people then say, "Oh, no, I can never do what you do!"  And the victory is mine.