08/29/2011:
"I have to agree with the other comments, to simply say you have to adapt
to the teacher's style is one thing but to expect it in the real world is
another - Especially if you want to get anywhere in life.
If you have a employer, project manager, co-worker or counselor that is
slow at performing then you do something about it. I'm not saying to go
off the wall, but the first one is to approach the teacher and ask that
they return grades in a timely manner. If you get attitude or no
improvement, then go to the principal.
Same thing in real life, if you are in a project and your manager is not
performing. Approach them like I said above, and if they don't either go
to their manager or HR. I've seen it way to many times in the past where
an under developing manager will throw their employees under the bus and
have them fired instead. Be proactive, don't bend over and take it just
because they can't do their job.
"
02/1/2011:
"Kathy Glass, you must be kidding. Our child's homework is his and our
way of knowing what is being taught and what our child has learned. The
grade must be important to the school or it would not be given -- if it is
important to the school it is important to our child. Our child's teacher
loses the homework -- on more than one occasion in addition to not
returning homework for weeks and not posting the grades. If our child
turns a paper in ONE DAY LATE the grade is cut in half. Period. A 100%
turns to an F if one day late. We work hard to help our children do their
best. The teacher is slacking and really needs to ask for help and be
accountable. The teacher is in this case is also 'not teaching very well'
as many of the kids have dropped the class because of the poor teaching
style and the lack homework getting returned before a test. I cannot
believe that you recommend that the kids and parents actually tip toe
around the teacher and enable her or him to short change more students
next year. Our kids work hard and deal with bullies, stress, 4 hours of
homework a night and when all is said and done - they put in a longer
'work day' than most of us do at our jobs. Catch the bus at 7:00 a.m. get
home at 3:00 P.M. snack and do homework for 3 to 4 hours every night and
on weekends. "
01/25/2011:
"B.S. The teacher is slacking at work. Write an e-mail to the principal
and the school board that will light a fire under her arse. In life,
adopting a 'style' where we don't do our jobs has consequences."
10/4/2010:
"I completely disagree with this advice. While it is advisable for
students to learn to adapt to different teaching styles, grading homework
is NOT the time for it. Homework is given so that students can practice
what was learned during class and to reinforce those lessons. Without the
feedback of graded assignments, how are students to know whether or not
they are have actually learned the material? Perhaps they misunderstood
something, did the entire homework incorrectly (reinforcing the mistake),
but thought they understood it because they never got feedback on the
assignment until it was too late. That's not a difference in 'teaching
styles' that is just downright poor teaching!
That being said, the parent writing this question should not expect that
her child will be allowed to re-do homework that was done incorrectly.
That is not the purpose of graded homework."
06/20/2008:
"Kathy-
Why do you side with the teacher? I had this problem with Mrs. Ferris a Math teacher at Somers Middle School, NY. If a child is required to be ready to take a test by a certain date why is it okay for the teacher not to hand it back to the child by a certain date? Why aren't the teachers held accountable? THEY ARE PAID!!!! How do the children know how they are progressing in the class without grades? (Three tests were given in advanced math-which requires the student to retain an 85-without return to the students.)They might as well learn the material from a book! It's interesting Somers School district didn't think this was an issue either-BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!"
05/30/2008:
"You know what?...I had the same problem. My child is a straight a A's student. On one of my child progress report, there was a B grade on her math's grade (geometry). I talk to her and try to see why she got a B grade on her progress report. She explained to me that the teacher was not teaching very well and assignment paper was not return to her so she can study. So to a point I was thinking of getting a tutor for her but then I realized. Hey, wait a minute here. She one of smartest in class and the teacher can't just not give out an A's. I explained to her every teachers are different and she just have to adapt to teacher's rules. Some teachers are horrible, but there are always a way to get throught them. I emphazied on that so much and point it out to her. It's a process they will have to expect in the future, the draw back of having one of those teacher(s) and get a lower grade is lessen your child chance of getting into a good college. But, look at the posi!
tive point of it. Your child have to deal with those teachers will strenghten their abilities to deal with college and real world."
03/20/2008:
"I agree with the previous poster. And I had the exact same situation with a math teacher in my son's seventh grade middle school. I believe that all teachers whatever their so called 'style', should post scores and review tests with the students promptly. It is a basic student managment skill and should be a 'best practice' for teachers. Whether a student does poorly or very well on tests, tests represent a vital feedback loop for the student as well as the parent. Reviewing and learning from test results should be the focus of opportunity in a course, not adjusting to the teacher's poor management skill or basic laziness in some cases."
01/23/2008:
"That's a poor answer. I had a similar issue except the teacher was putting the grades online, at first, and my child had failing grades in tests/quizzes but A's in the other grading categories. When asked to see the tests/quizzes so my child could see what to improve the teacher never gave them back. How is a child and a parent supposed to work with that. That's just poor management and that teacher is doing the kids a disservice by NOT providing feedback. I certainly hope this type of unprofessional behavior is supposed to be accepted by parents and children. We need to teach our children not to settle for less. As for asking the teacher about their progress. We did that and she had NOTHING of substance to offer."
