Youtube video about parents in teacher conferences

[PridesnotPower]

This video bothers me for many reasons. I have to pick up my baby from daycare but I will post why it angers me when I get back. The video is from a teachers point of view. Its supposed to be a conference with a parent where the parent is making excuses for her child,ect...

[Jen1]

i can't get you tube right now - will check it out later though...

[PridesnotPower]

Its a computer generated movie. Someone wrote a script for the teacher character and the parent character.

Okay I understand the video is from a teachers point of view but I really don't think this is the majority or representative of most parents. I think most parents want a good education for their kids and they want teachers who care and we are not finding that. About the "504" plan I understand the point the video was tyring to make. The parent in that video probably did not have a special needs child I guess her child was simply lazy. The thing is there are a lot of teachers who honestly don't like accomodating special needs kids and ensuring they have equal access to education. I have read a lot of comments on internet sites where they complain that the special kids shouldnt be in school and that they take up all the class time. There is a lot more I don't like but the way it was set up was unrealistic. I have never heard of a situation where a teacher saw a child having problems and they took the initiave to call the parents and try to help the child. Usually its the parents calling trying to get the teacher to do something. I mentioned my son has autism and he had problems in math and the teacher would simply send home "F" papers while I had to continually try to get her to do something and I eventually called another IEP meeting.

[Macaela25]

This seems to be a compilation of EVERY excuse and threat parents commonly use. As a former public school teacher, I've heard most of those myself, just out of different parents at different times.

I think it's much more interesting to look at the psychology behind the excuses and threats, rather than to become offended by someone using them all at once in a video which was quite probably meant to rile some people up while making others laugh.

If a teacher herself had sat down and faked a conference with a crazy parent or taped one without consent, that's unprofessional. This? Looks like some basement tech head made a movie with the Sims.

[Macaela25]

Okay I understand the video is from a teachers point of view but I really don't think this is the majority or representative of most parents. I think most parents want a good education for their kids and they want teachers who care and we are not finding that. About the "504" plan I understand the point the video was tyring to make. The parent in that video probably did not have a special needs child I guess her child was simply lazy. The thing is there are a lot of teachers who honestly don't like accomodating special needs kids and ensuring they have equal access to education. I have read a lot of comments on internet sites where they complain that the special kids shouldnt be in school and that they take up all the class time. There is a lot more I don't like but the way it was set up was unrealistic. I have never heard of a situation where a teacher saw a child having problems and they took the initiave to call the parents and try to help the child. Usually its the parents calling trying to get the teacher to do something. I mentioned my son has autism and he had problems in math and the teacher would simply send home "F" papers while I had to continually try to get her to do something and I eventually called another IEP meeting.

(bold mine)

You are painting with a really, REALLY broad brush here. I'm not trying to be oppositional, but to make the statements above is really unrealistic and unfair. Are you really in a position to know how "a lot" of teachers feel, and how the majority of teachers nationwide approach children who are struggling?

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but perhaps your experience with your own child's teacher(s) has colored your opinion and made you jaded. I've had a few bad experiences with cashiers, but that does not give me the right to make blanket statements about cashiers.

There are phenomenal teachers out there, and there are awful ones. There are phenomenal parents out there, and there are awful ones. Making the assumption that no teacher would ever bother to reach out to the parents of a struggling child is just as unfair and unrealistic as this video portraying parents as liars and blamers.

Just trying to get you to see the other side.

[PridesnotPower]

I'm not offended by your response. I read some of the replies on the youtube page and a lot of teachers were supporting it and I disagreed that this is an accurate portrayal of parents.

Okay here's a question: If a child is failing who is held accountable? If a teachers job is to teach and the children don't learn, why assume the parents are neglecting them?

Yes I am bias. My opinions about many issues are formed by my life experiences. I know there are some good teachers out there, but there was someone just now in another thread complaining about the time it takes to handle a special needs child.

[momof2inohio]

I'm not offended by your response. I read some of the replies on the youtube page and a lot of teachers were supporting it and I disagreed that this is an accurate portrayal of parents.

Okay here's a question: If a child is failing who is held accountable? If a teachers job is to teach and the children don't learn, why assume the parents are neglecting them?

Yes I am bias. My opinions about many issues are formed by my life experiences. I know there are some good teachers out there, but there was someone just now in another thread complaining about the time it takes to handle a special needs child.

If a student is failing, it is not soley the teachers fault. It is the job of the teacher to teach but if a student is struggling it is the parents responsibility to get the child more help such as tutoring or spending extra time helping the child at home.

[Macaela25]

I know there are some good teachers out there, but there was someone just now in another thread complaining about the time it takes to handle a special needs child.

That was probably me, if you're referring to the teacher strike thread. I had a child with severe cognitive impairment in a class with 31 other children for nine weeks and no help whatsoever. The child was later placed in a class with a maximum of 1:3 adults per student due to the severity of his disability. I'm sure you can understand how awful that was for the child, his parents, the other students, and for me. The complaint was meant to point out the inadequacies of my (then) school and district, not to make a statement about the child.

I'm glad you didn't take offense.

[PridesnotPower]

Oh well that is awful Macalea. That is not a fair or appropriate education for him at all and as his parent I would asssert his right to a better placement.

Okay Jen thanks for the answer. I've always wondered if its even possible to say a teacher has failed to do their job. If a student has problems a teacher can blame: the parents, home environment, childs issues, administration, standardized tests, class size, curriculum requirements, politicians, ect.

Have you guys heard of movies like: Lean On Me, Ron Clark Story, Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers. I am not asking all teachers to care this much. Teachers are entittled to have lives. Its just in my life experience there aren't many who care. They are there for the: salary, benefits, vacation time, job stability, ect.

[Macaela25]

It is hard for teachers, as they are held to a much higher standard than other professions. I'd have to say that a vast majority of people with jobs are there for (gasp!) salary and benefits. Teachers, and possibly doctors and research scientists, are the only professions out there from whom the public demands that they approach their job with almost a religious zeal and 24/7 commitment.