2012 VoyagerSopris Blog Contest Winner

By Michelle George

    My sister called me last night and started out telling me how her fifth grade son, Nick, had earned honor roll this past semester. The whole family had gone for Award Night, and everyone was duly proud. She then moved on to the real reason she had called me. … She wanted some advice on how to deal with her son’s teacher. I’ll call her Mrs. Smith.  

     At the end of this celebratory evening, report cards were handed out. Even though Nick had happy news in the grades department, the teacher had typed in some analysis of his behavior, which seemed cryptic to my sister. The teacher had essentially said that Nick was easily distracted and often had to have directions explained multiple times. The event was effectively soured, and the ride home was overshadowed with a mini-inquisition of Nick, trying to determine what Mrs. Smith was talking about. For Nick, the culmination of Award Night was loss of game time, earlier bed time, and extra study time on the weekend. 

     As a teacher, I'm sure I could honestly type those lines about nearly half of my students. It’s still surprising to me, but my students aren’t always hanging on to my every word, anticipating the next tidbit of wisdom I have to offer. What is nearly as surprising is that Mrs. Smith chose the report card as the first and only way to share her concern.

     I have no doubt that Nick has indeed taken a mental holiday or two in her class. He is a highly imaginative kid who is often in a world of his own making. I’m also sure that my sister and her husband want to know the academic strengths and weaknesses of their son. The problem came in the delivery.

    Nick’s parents are highly involved. They come to parent/teacher conferences. They volunteer at movie night and bring treats for the class bake sale. Each night after school their children sit at the kitchen table and complete homework before eating dinner together as a family. My sister checks grades regularly on the school’s Internet grade reporting system. The opportunities for a less threatening discussion of Mrs. Smith’s concerns were numerous. Reading those words on a formal evaluation tool with no context and no explanation made them seem much more damning than I’m sure Mrs. Smith intended. 

     The conversation with my sister challenged me to rethink how I approach parents with concerns about my students. I can easily relate to Mrs. Smith. I am busier than ever these days. The changes in assessments that drive education, along with new technology and the increase in recordkeeping for data-driven planning, have us all scrambling to keep up. Add on fundraising and positive behavior supports, and the task list can be overwhelming. Amid the deluge, I often try to stop and remind myself the reason for it all … the kids.

    After last night, I am adding the families of those kids to my priority list. When educators and families work together, the task of education is much more manageable. After all, those families have more invested in their kids than we do. The key, I think, is communication. If a student is truly struggling with attention or behavior in the classroom, families should probably hear about it long before semester grades come out. And a personal conversation is a much more effective way to communicate than the canned option of a standardized report card.

    We’ve all learned by now how an email’s text can be easily misinterpreted. It’s no different with isolated comments on a grade sheet. From now on when I type up my concerns on a report card or any other form, I’m going to try to view those words from the reader’s perspective. Better yet, I’m going to share those concerns with the family in a more personal way. Perhaps then we can collaborate on solutions rather than classifying the child as a problem. 

    In the end, I suggested that my sister first step back and breathe a bit. Nick made honor roll, so clearly he is not doomed to failure and a future of disappointment. I recommended that she ask for a personal meeting with the teacher, and calmly talk over the concerns. If Nick is struggling, this is a great opportunity to find out why and work on ways to help him succeed. It’s also a perfect time to remind Mrs. Smith that Nick has parents who care and are willing to take the time to help. All they need is timely and informed notice.

    After I hung up the phone, I wondered how many of my students’ parents had made a call to a friend or sibling after dealing with me. I suppose that my sister has helped me to step back and breathe a bit as well before I send a message that causes the parents of my students to hit their panic buttons. 

    Michelle S. George is a language arts middle school teacher in Orofino, Idaho. She has a B.A. in English and secondary certification in English, reading, and journalism. Michelle has been teaching seventh and eighth grade for 20 years, and still loves going to school—as a teacher and a student. She has published a variety of lesson plans and written several award-winning grants.