P.S. In the interest of full disclosure: last week in a borrrrring meeting, I was struggling to stay awake so I literally typed in my notes, "Just looking busy, typing things and nodding thoughtfully. Note to self - ask 'big picture' question in a few minutes so people think you're listening." So, well, your DS is not alone.
You made me laugh so hard, Sue! Especially the "ask big picture question" thing--maybe I will teach DS that trick while I'm trying to teach him all the other ones. I hope your DS outgrows the snark earlier than mine has...
I'm confused. Did DS not answer a 15-point question and write that comment instead, or did he just write the comment but otherwise answer all of the questions? If it is the latter, the teacher has no business taking off points.
I don't know yet. It wasn't the kind of assignment that had actual questions, more like a graphic representation of something. I asked if he had left out information but haven't received a response. My hunch is the teacher thinks DS was being inappropriate by putting that in the space. DS said he should have written larger on the rest of it, and then he wouldn't have had the space. No biggie--just another day in the life. I don't expect to hear back from the history teacher, based on history. :P
After knowing quite a few teachers and having been through many different teachers as my kids move through secondary school, I think that it's important to remember that teachers have a responsibility to grade fairly, give feedback to students, but I don't necessarily think it's a responsibility to update online grade books by a certain date or answer each and every email a parent sends (unless their prinicipal/school district requires it).
Nope, I don't think you are nuts but as a former teacher myself, I do think it's a teacher's responsibility to monitor and make sure any child isn't failing before the last day of a quarter. The grade-book thing is just a communication piece for us--it could be accomplished some other way, certainly.
Same goes for email. Maybe some email isn't urgent, but I'm thinking about last year when my child was circling the drain and two of his three core teachers were ignoring my "weekly check in" email (504) and not letting me know about (what must have been--I still don't even know!) serious behavioral issues. My child was clinically depressed and I thought he was okay when he was so not okay they rated him as at-risk or clinically significant on every. single, area. of the BASC-2, BRIEF, and sensory surveys they filled out! That's not responsible and it's not okay--but I don't think that's the sort of thing you are talking about, probably.
