Last week, just before I picked up the boys to bring them home and change into their Halloween costumes, I opened my email and checked for messages. I got one from our 5th graders teacher. Uh-oh. It wasn't good.
Since first grade, our son has gotten nothing but glowing reports from his teachers. It always puzzles me how kids can act completely different in school than they do out of school. He can be a handful at home with his younger brother but we have been told he is a very enthusiastic and cooperative student.
Anyway, as I read along, I discovered that he had corrected his math teacher in front of the class. The Swede and I try very hard to raise our boys to have respect for authority so I was very angry at his behavior. I ruined the rest of his Halloween by telling him he was in big trouble. Now, this boy hates to let people down. He was sick about the situation.
Anyway, The Swede and I talked to him, punished him, made him write a letter of apology and sent him in early the next day to discuss his behavior with his teacher.
When he came home, I had my first chance to really talk it through with him. As we discussed it, he told me how he "corrected" her.
She gave the kids an oral math problem. She said "If I took six of you trick-or-treating to X amount of rooms and each person got 6 pieces of candy...blah blah blah...how many pieces of candy would there be?"
All the kids started figuring 6 x 6 x number of rooms... when my son spoke up and said, "but you were with them so wouldn't it be 7 x 6 x.....?"
WTF??
What do you think?
6 comments:
I would tell him to correct her on a one-to-one basis next time instead of in front of the class. Nobody likes to be made a fool of in front of other people.
However, your son was definitely correct. It's just a matter of whether his tone was smartass-ish or not when he corrected the teacher.
Gosh, I have so side with your son on this one. I mean did he really correct her or more ask a question? I think his teacher overracted. That's just my opinion.
I have to admit that well out of range of number one son, I uttered the C word in reference to this teacher. Now the other part of me also wonders if that is exactly how it went down....
I also agree that he still should not have done it, but I'm still sticking with that she is a C! (said his overbearing father)
I think it is the teacher that has issues.
If I were the teacher I would have commended him for thinking about it in a way even I hadn't. What an example for the rest of the children....ya know...to think outside the box.
I have to side with your son and believe that the teacher has some issues with insecurity.
KF-
I totally agree with you. She is just out of college and I think she has the attitude that she's young and has to be mean to get respect.
That being said, I also agree with The Swede that our son's version may not be exactly the way it went down.
When I was a kid my uncle would always pull out the dictionary and teach me new words. One time in 2nd Grade I used a new word with my teacher (I'll have to ask my mother she remembers). When she asked what that word was I said "Well look it up!" not being condescending, just knowing that if you don't know the meaning of a word you look it up!
She did not like that!
I don't think that called for an email to you, I mean he was only asking for clarification on a possible trick question. You have to watch out for those 5th Grade Teachers!
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