I have a plan...

[MsCoffeeLover]

I am going to start working my way over to the carpool area and find some parents. I will patiently wait just for that one student who wouldn't want me to EVER meet their parent, you know, the one whose parents really need to come in. The parent we just can't get a hold of or doesn't try to get a hold of us.

Just went though the files to see who rides what bus, who is a walker, and who is a car rider. There are some much needed parent meetings in that car pool area.

I am going to wait for them, "just like a spider....":eek::p:)

[Chef Dave]

I am going to wait for them, "just like a spider...."

Good luck and good hunting!

Just remember to discretely ease them away from other parents and children. If you plan to talk to them about their child, you will want to observe a certain measure of privacy otherwise the parent could complain about a breach of confidentiality.

[MsCoffeeLover]

Chef Dave, of course I will, but don't take the fun out of it for me. It is the surprise attack.:p

[Spectre]

:DI love it!!!

You make an ex special ops guy proud!!!

[MsCoffeeLover]

:DI love it!!!

You make an ex special ops guy proud!!!

Thank you! It is one of the few ways I can think of that makes this kind of stuff fun! You send notes home, you leave messages, sign agendas, whatever. They have to come and pick up their kid at some point in time. When there is a dance, and I have to chaperone, I am right in that bus loop waiting for parents.

Anywhere parents may be at the school, I WILL find them.

[Boxcar]

Ohh... I see some students deciding to start walking. ("Mom, I need the exercise. You really don't have to drive me. I like the pouring rain. Its...refreashing.") lol.

Good luck on your hunt. :) I'd suggest having a few appointment cards on you, so you can give the parents a reminder of what you've scheduled. Also, I'd have little business cards with your phone number on them.

[MsCoffeeLover]

We can't schedule our own conferences. I guess we could, but it isn't standard practice at our school. Parents must contact the front office, and they will schedule a time where parents can meet all teachers at the same time.

I don't have appointment cards, but I did devise a parent conference request on a half sheet of paper. It is a request from our entire team that has all of the information, phone numbers, date and time for conference, parent signature, and they must return it to the school with their child. Usually they are stapled to the students agenda for them to take ownership and give to parents. If the parent is on email, I will request a conference via email as well as let the parent know a conference request form was attached to their child's agenda.

GET READY FOR THE BEST STORY EVER

It was the parent conference of a lifetime. It was the best! The student is delightful to be around, liked by all, and it is hard to keep a straight face around him. However, he can be quite the talker. He is giving one of his other teachers grief about something, which is why his mom was there.

Every morning that same child call out my name from across the parking lot, "Hey! Miss Coffee Lover!!" and he keeps doing it, and has been doing it since the beginning of the school year. He doesn't call out my name just once, you hear it at least 5-7 times. Sometimes he runs all the way across the parking lot to follow me, and sometimes he gets louder and louder and louder as I get close to my class. He gets his friend to do it too!! They are just messing with me, and I know it. I ignore them every day and just keep walking. Who knew they would have kept it up this long?

Well, his mom came in this morning, and I asked him to come to the conference with us. He said he wasn't going, and I didn't argue with him, but instead smiled that famous "plotting" smile. Told mom what he said, and she offered to go outside and get him as he needs to be in that conference. Told her about the screaming out my name and asked if I could scream out his name and tell him in front of the entire 7th grade that his momma said he better come to the conference.

And I did. I screamed that kids name as loud as could, more than once, and made sure everyone could hear his momma was in the school and waiting for him.

It was awesome!!

[Mountshasta]

...And I did. I screamed that kids name as loud as could, more than once, and made sure everyone could hear his momma was in the school and waiting for him.

It was awesome!!

That (screaming so all can hear) has the trappings of revenge, pay-back, public humiliation, you've hurt me so I need to hurt you back, a personal vendetta. Help me understand how this "technique" is protective of the student and attempts to save him from public embarrassment? I hope you are not suggesting public humiliation is an attribute of an effective disciplinarian which the literature would describe as "awesome!".

[Spectre]

For pity sakes....chill out Mount....

I suspect you have never been around middle schoolers or are brand new at education. You've no right to be casting blame and passing judgement here.

If you wanted to question Coffeelover's technique, you could have done it in a much less hostile manner. Differing with someone is one thing, but attacking their person is quite another.

The boy's Mother does not seem to have had an issue over this. Why should you?:(

[MsCoffeeLover]

Actually, the boys mother preferred my calling him in lieu of her going out there because what she had to say wasn't that nice at all.

Truth be told, you just have to know this particular child and his mom. Out of all the parent conferences I have ever been to, all of us has a genuinely good time. We took care of business, got to the heart of the matter, and it was just an easy going and actually fun conference. I don't recall ever really having a good time at a parent conference. You just have to know their personalities.

Before I got out there, you could literally hear those same friends say, "You better go with her. She is gonna tell your momma!!" Apparently all he and his friends scream to be heard because they are a loud bunch.

Also, I really am this child's favorite teacher, and I am not just saying that. He doesn't even like science, but he likes me. He doesn't even deny it. Even when asked by other teachers, he doesn't suck up at all. He will tell them point blank that I am his favorite teacher.

This is one thing I am not about to sweat because everyone was in agreement on this.

Thank you Spectre.

Many of the parents I have met so far are the best. They offer to come sit in class with their child if needed. Some of them have shown up unannounced. Some have even sat next to their child and raised their hand and made their child answer. Some have actually asked the entire class for missing assignments and made their child complete them in class.

[Mountshasta]

For pity sakes....chill out Mount....

I suspect you have never been around middle schoolers or are brand new at education. You've no right to be casting blame and passing judgement here.

If you wanted to question Coffeelover's technique, you could have done it in a much less hostile manner. Differing with someone is one thing, but attacking their person is quite another.

The boy's Mother does not seem to have had an issue over this. Why should you?:(

I said nothing about Coffeelover as a person. I did not blame nor pass judgment. I was questioning her method(s) and asking for clarification. And, yes, I have been around middle schoolers in my 24 years of teaching and observing in over 35 schools as an instructor, demonstration teacher, and staff development trainer. In addition because Mom did not have an issue does not make it right. I've known parents who wouldn't have an issue if teach used a belt to to teach the lesson.

[Chef Dave]

That (screaming so all can hear) has the trappings of revenge, pay-back, public humiliation, you've hurt me so I need to hurt you back, a personal vendetta.

Oh heavens ... sometimes I think you just have to have a sense of humor about things like this. :)

For example, the assistant manager of our student operated restaurant moonlights as a waitress.

One night as she was seating the family of one of our culinary arts students, she asked the parents how they had liked Joe's pie. (Joe is not the real name of this student).

"Pie? What pie?"

The AM explained that we had baked fresh apple pies earlier in the week and that Joe had never come by the culinary arts department to pick up his pie.

The parents glared at Joe.

"Please tell us that this was a one time occurrence," said the mother.

The AM began ticking off culinary arts projects on her finger ... fresh fruit salad in a carved melon basket ... shortbread cookies ... French bread ... pumpkin rolls ...

I am told that Joe was mortified and that his parents were horribly annoyed that he had abandoned all of his culinary arts projects.

The end result is that Joe now takes all of his projects home.

From time to time, my AM and I gently razz Joe in class. "Now Joe ... are you going to take your food home or is Ms. ---- going to have to speak to your parents the next time they walk into her restaurant?"

Joe always grins and tells us that he'll be the first person to see us come the end of school.

[Spectre]

I said nothing about Coffeelover as a person.

Au contraire, I fear you did, if not in words, in your actions, with your hostile attitude and your judgmental tone - you spoke volumes about Coffeelover as a person. I don't care if you've spent 24 years or 24 minutes in schools, you don't have the knowledge or the right to do that.:confused:

So now you know what is better for the boy than his mother does?

Ah, you must be wise indeed!:eek:

[Bananas]

A lot of times it is a matter of knowing all the people involved and the atmosphere to know if it was a positive experience or embarrassing.

[Mountshasta]

Au contraire, I fear you did, if not in words, in your actions, with your hostile attitude and your judgmental tone - you spoke volumes about Coffeelover as a person. I don't care if you've spent 24 years or 24 minutes in schools, you don't have the knowledge or the right to do that.:confused:

So now you know what is better for the boy than his mother does?

Ah, you must be wise indeed!:eek:

My intent was not to pass judgment nor come across as hostile. If I did, I need to check myself and I apologize to Coffeelover, you, anyone else I offended.

The irony is upsetting in that you choose to practice the same verbiage for which you object.

[Boxcar]

I thought it was a funny story. You obviously know your student and his parent. That was the key to this. You thought quickly and choose to take a humorous approach to dealing with the student. That was right for this student, as you noted above. I laughed when I read the post.

[Boxcar]

Opps. I didn't realize there was a second page. Didn't mean to butt into an ongoing discussion. I seem to be late for everything today. Sigh.

[MsCoffeeLover]

Today in class, I smiled at the student and said, "Thank you for not calling my name out for the entire school to hear." He got this super huge grin on his face and said, "Just wait 'till tomorrow."

I smiled at him in return and said, "After that, we will call your dad."

Then he said, smiling, "No, I'm straight"

And we just chuckled to ourselves.

That same student made a cell, but it was a football field, and the different roles on the football represented each of the different parts of the cell. I am so lucky!!

[Spectre]

Excellent.

You see, some just don't understand that "warped" sense of humor that it takes to get through to middle schoolers. You clearly do.

Keep on keepin' on!

[MsCoffeeLover]

Excellent.

You see, some just don't understand that "warped" sense of humor that it takes to get through to middle schoolers. You clearly do.

Keep on keepin' on!

It's funny, I say "Keep on keepin' on" just about everyday to the kids when they are doing something they aren't supposed to be tone. The tone that comes across is something else.

You are right about the warped sense of humor among middle schoolers. Seventh graders are a quirky little lot and seem to have a few extra kinks in their chain.

I kinda like it:D

[MsCoffeeLover]

Progress reports are distributed this Friday. We have a grading system where we can print up the assignments and grades for each student. Tomorrow I am going to print up a few of those grade sheets, staple them to the students agenda, and then the student and I are going to call their parent to let them know these sheets are coming home.

That right! I said it!! We are going to call the parent to let them know to expect the grading sheet, conference request, and parent signature. I want them to see EXACTLY EVERYTHING that is documented so nicely on the grading sheet. We have cool little abbreviations and codes for all kinds of comments. I love those comments and codes. I also discovered that you can create comments/codes and place a numerical value with them as well, so if a student gets an NHI (not handed in), it automatically factors in a zero into their grade.

One or two of the parents are going to be called in the middle of class!! Well, during independent enrichment/reinforcement activities. You know....the kids whose parents aren't on email. :D

Again, I am waiting for just the right time. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA:D

[Boxcar]

Sounds clever. I hope it works for you.

ONe question: What do you plan to do about the parents who work at jobs without phone contacts? I mean, if you have any of those.

[MsCoffeeLover]

Sounds clever. I hope it works for you.

ONe question: What do you plan to do about the parents who work at jobs without phone contacts? I mean, if you have any of those.

Oh! Have no fear! I WILL find them. :cool:

I have gone through all of the parent contacts and tend to do so periodically. I have my forms with multiple contact areas, and our district is really good about updating all information and then some. I have never had such great information at my fingertips.

It is all part of my master plan and a personal mission. Parents can't avoid me. ha ha ha ha ha ha

Parents can work with me or not. If the balls drops, it ain't dropping from my end, and I derive sheer pleasure on being able to say that on a regular basis. I LIVE for it. ha ha ha ha ha

It is a challenge that I love taking on! BAM!

[MsCoffeeLover]

Oh, and another thing.

We had an IEP for a student or something for a student to possibly recieve special ed services. Mom cancelled this morning.

With me was lots of documentation was there. It was a nice record of lots of attempts to contact the parent at home and at work, lots of notes sent home, notes in the agenda, detentions and referrals, printed out assignments of what was completed and not completed, a list of interventions, and then they asked what bus he rode and where could mom be contacted.

That's right! The student lies! He doesn't walk home at all. He rides a bus, and I hang onto him until his very bus is called. He can't leave or take alternate ways to get home unless his mother contacts me.

Mom also has a work phone number.

Oh yeah! This kid really is lazy.