LAUGH
Parent-teacher conferences are really a hit-or-miss event. Sometimes they go smoothly, a quick update on the student’s progress, couple things to work on, couple other things to be proud of, boom, next. But sometimes (OK most of the time), things can escalate quite quickly. Here are a few of those kinds of times.
1.
Michele W. Had a parent conference with a 7th-grade girl and her “parents” because of behavior. Dad walks in with pants down to his knees and wife beater on and “mom” with booty shorts and a shirt that says “I’m the mother fucking princess”. Ya, no need for the conference….. I get it.
2.
Beraru D. A father once told me,” You have to do what I say because I pay your salary.”
To which I replied, “No. I don’t have to do anything you say because I’m self-employed…I pay taxes and I’m paid from taxes….therefore, I’m self-employed!”
3.
Kristevia P. Parent: I know my child is telling the truth because he may be bad but he never tells lies. Me: So you mean to tell me that it’s true that all you do is sit around and smoke weed ALL day? I mean since he NEVER tells lies!
4.
Jennifer M. But he reads so well at home! 
5.
Teresa J. This year’s doozy…..”You said that my son refused to work in class and although that might be accurate, it hurt his feelings. From now on, I don’t want you to talk to my child unless you’re complimenting him.”
6.
Janne E. It’s not only parents who have wrong ideas about teaching. The principal in my former school tried to explain to a substitute teacher what my job was about with these words: “It’s just mathematics and science. To teach mathematics, you only have to follow the book, and science is like…Well, just tell them about the globe”…
7.
Stephanie C. Parent tells me that I should open school 30 minutes earlier because she needs to be at work. Another parent actually drove off and left her five-year-old knocking on my door at 7:40. Teachers report at 8, students at 8:30, luckily I was there early.
8.
Casey W. A student got a yellow mark in my class and the parent demanded a note of explanation every time he wasn’t on the green. So I wrote that he continued to talk at inappropriate times, refused to work, etc.. parent response back “I don’t really care. Learn to deal with it.” Jaw on the floor. Just one of the dozens of encounters like this with this parent!
9.
Jen G. Me: Your daughter has a lot of strengths, but she struggles with organization.
Parent: Mrs. G, perhaps you don’t realize that this is a VERY upscale community! We don’t expect our children to organize themselves-we pay people to do that!
10.
Joan P. I was a 6th-grade teacher. At 6th grade orientation a week before school started, parents told me that their son didn’t get along well with old teachers. I was 57 at the time. So they switched him to a 30 yr. old’s class. She had an awful time with that student the whole year.
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