- When a student is doing well, the student gets the credit. When she's not, I get the blame.
- Parents who send their child to a school because of its academic reputation (i.e., rigor), then complain because their child isn't getting straight As.
- Parents who tell their 7th grader, "Don't come to me for help, that math is too hard for me." Gee, nice encouragement there! Are these the same people who programmed Barbie? (remember the "Math class is hard!" debacle?)
- Why a parent would ask for a conference with me about something that is seemingly insignificant, then come in with an entirely different agenda (for which I am not prepared) and not even broach the subject they originally inquired about.
- Why I can't give writing assignments for punishment of repeated offenses. (writing the entire definition of "silent" 20 times for repeatedly talking at the silent lunch table)
- Why I can't give silent lunch anymore (it infringes on their "social" time -- wellllll, if they'd just be silent IN class......)
- Why it takes me 10 hours or more a day to prepare and teach five, 50-minute classes.
- Why the just-this-month-turned-12-year-old who made Cs at her previous school in a class of FIVE was put into 7th grade instead of 6th.
- Why a parent is still bugging me about his child's zero on a HOMEWORK grade from the first week of school (she didn't turn it in!).
- My info that went home the very first week stated "All tests will be sent home to be signed by a parent and must be returned the next day." Parents returned a signed acknowledgment. But today I got back a test on which the child had made a 101 with the parent's comment, "WHY am I having to sign this?" I sent back a photocopy of the info sheet he had signed.
- Why I love these kids anyway!
Blessed are those who perservere because....well, just because!
