Posts by Alex Barnes8

wanderingbadger44 said:It’s a bit like when you point out a mistake to someone, show them exactly where they tripped up, and ask them to fix it, yet they just stare at you blankly—it really does leave you feeling like there's a disconnect in their understanding.
Quinn:

We have to make sure the child understands what happened. ☕

That sounds like your personal take, though. I didn't say that, and honestly, I don't think anyone else in this thread did either.

Quinn:

For a teacher, you're either having trouble with reading comprehension or you're just pretending to have issues to suit your own agenda.🥳 Look, I couldn't care less about a grade in PE class, and frankly, whether you believe me or not doesn't change anything for me. As for the other subjects, it isn't that the grades don't matter, it's just that I want them to actually reflect what the student knows. Eventually, a student moves on from that teacher, and we all know how much weight those unearned grades carry in the long run; I just don't want that for my child. See, being an educator involves so much more than just lecturing; it requires genuine partnership and communication, not just with the students, but with the parents too. It’s a two-way street, and you can't have one without the other. Teachers who miss that, or who expect parents to just be a silent audience that nods along to everything they say without question, clearly haven't thought about whether they actually want to handle that kind of dynamic.

I hear you. Though, you could have put it more simply: just playing favorites with the parents. 😉 It can actually be quite entertaining to watch.

But if they genuinely don't know, how are they supposed to fix it?
I guess you didn't always have all the answers back in school, right?

Why would a child be considered slow just because they don't know something yet? 🤷

wanderingbadger44 said:At the end of the day, I'm just pointing out what seems pretty obvious to everyone here. 😁 Her reaction was completely inappropriate—and I want to emphasize that: INAPPROPRIATE—because it was triggered by how the child acted.

She wasn't grilling him on advanced calculus or anything complex like that. It's like when a student freezes up during a basic quiz because they didn't study the material they were supposed to learn; it's a common response. She was asking something incredibly simple, and kids usually have some kind of reaction when you ask them to double-check their work.

Her outburst didn't just happen in a vacuum. I could just as easily turn the question back on you and ask why you're so convinced she's saying these things out of habit, malice, or just for the sake of it.

What kind of behavior?
The kid either stayed silent because he didn't know the answer or because he was confused.
Both happen every single day, I guess.
The mother isn't upset over a bad grade; she’s mad because the teacher insulted her son's intelligence.
To me, it seems foolish for adults to shift all the responsibility onto a child.

Her reaction didn't come out of nowhere. I could ask you why you're insisting she's doing this out of habit, malice, or just for no reason at all.

I'm not insisting.
I'm actually among those who think she should be forgiven and given a chance.

What do you think? Why do people insult others?

Maybe it was just an outburst from pure frustration.
But I don't see a child here doing anything particularly wrong.
And if the teacher hasn't realized how wrong she was, her improvement probably won't last long.

If this is someone who constantly insults people to build "authority"—then yeah, maybe they're just a mean person who does it for sport.

wanderingbadger44 said:It’ll be the whole class traveling together, likely moving from a smaller rural district over to a larger hub like Chicago or maybe Atlanta.

If he hasn't even finished the entire school year yet, I just don't see how his mother could claim to be on such good terms with those parents. It feels like there simply hasn't been enough time in a single school year for that kind of bond to actually form.
Rachel Jones8 said:

I can't help but feel that none of these discussions would even be happening if the teacher had just been honest and owned up to her mistake from the start.

Hjao, I have to admit, I find myself completely captivated by this whole discussion.😁 How would you even go about measuring if her apology is actually genuine? I wonder if we’d need a polygraph test or something just to find out the truth.

Rachel Jones8 said:

It feels a bit like watching a rhinoceros charge through a glass house—all that heavy, unstoppable momentum just crashing into everything in its path without any regard for the delicate things it leaves behind. kaže: I’ve been scrolling through the threads for a while now, trying to find that specific post where someone was asking about getting married or dealing with a cancellation, but I just can't seem to track it down. But honestly, I just can't bring myself to do it. 🤷

I honestly can’t seem to find a single thread where anyone actually defends her actions or considers what she did to be the right way to handle things. 🤷 I feel like I could spend all day scrolling through dozens of different forums where people are constantly being threatened with termination.

It’s almost like there wouldn’t even be a need to offer an apology to a child who hasn't done anything wrong, because if the mistake never happened in the first place, you wouldn't find yourself in a position where an apology is necessary. In a perfect world, the kid would just look over what was written, spot the error themselves, and either fix it right then or reach out to talk about it.

It feels like there’s an underlying implication in what you’re saying, almost as if you’re suggesting she’s hurting the kids just because of the sports they play.
Rachel Jones8 said:

It’s funny how some things just strike you with such heavy, unmovable force, much like the sheer weight of a rhino charging through the brush. I'm not sure I follow what you mean by that. In my view, it’s perfectly fine if the boy didn't explicitly say, "I made a mistake because of my dyslexia," nor did his classmates step in to tell the teacher, "Just so you know, he struggles with dyslexia."😕 If she doesn't have that specific insight, what is she even supposed to do with it?

Following that line of reasoning, there wouldn't be any need for her to receive formal written documentation either. What purpose would that serve?

I still don't really get why you're digging your heels in on this. 🤷
What is he even supposed to say in that situation?
It’s not like this is the first time a kid has gone quiet because they're stumped.

Whether he stays silent or not, it isn't an excuse for her to call him stupid.

Your wording implies she insults kids specifically because of sports.

And what else do people insult others for, if not sports?
Maybe just a misplaced need to be right? 😁

copperlynx22 said:Don't lose track of the clock (😁); the opening post mentioned the child already changed schools. 🙂

Generally speaking, I can't help but feel this whole discussion wouldn't even exist if the teacher had sincerely apologized and owned up to her error. This isn't about a mother seeking vengeance; it's about a desire for the teacher to genuinely realize that treating a student this way is unacceptable. Because that acknowledgment never came, the mother is understandably bitter.
(That is just my take, though I don't actually know what the original poster is thinking).

It just occurred to me that a teacher at my high school once called a girl stupid.
But he apologized right away, and it never happened again.
There was no trip to the principal's office or anything.
He just looked genuinely ashamed, like he knew it wasn't okay.
I suppose if someone doesn't have that kind of conscience, they'll probably just do it again.

Rachel Jones8 said:Not me either, but seeing how much people are freaking out about it... it’s like they think the rest of the class doesn't know and it would be embarrassing to say it in front of them.
But honestly? If everyone knowing was just considered normal, wouldn't saying it be fine?
It's actually kind of weird that none of his friends jumped in to "clarify" to the teachers that their buddy has dyslexia.

It could be anything, I suppose... 🤷

To me, it’s even weirder that the teacher reacted that way, especially since the student's dyslexia is clearly noted in the school records.

If this happened because she's unaware—and if it's common for American teachers to be out of the loop here—then maybe there's a larger issue within the school system.

I'm not saying any of the teachers on this forum are like that, but I guess it's easier for an indifferent or lazy teacher to claim everything is made up.

Easier than actually reading a book, taking extra training, or having a little patience, I guess...

Rachel Jones8 said:Honestly, wouldn't it be super weird if that class didn't already know? They've been together for four years.
If his dyslexia was kept a secret between his parents, him, and the teacher—like it was something shameful to hide from the other kids—then someone really messed up there.

I really hope everyone calling for her to be fired over one mistake—without even considering her apology or her actual effort to fix things—has had a few jobs they lost themselves along the way.
...Not talking about quitting on purpose, but actually being let go because of a mistake that's unforgivable.
Because let's face it, nobody's perfect.

I didn't get the impression it was being hidden from the whole class, per se. It felt more like the kid just froze in the moment.

The teacher is new to him in middle school, so maybe she isn't aware.
Even though the author mentioned it’s noted in his file.

Maybe she missed it, ignored it, or perhaps she just doesn't know anything about dyslexia.

Persephone keeps avoiding my questions about how to work with students facing similar struggles, so I suppose this is probably the most common scenario.

Susan James said:Gosh... there is just so much misunderstanding and generalization happening here...

When a kid makes a mistake in front of the chalkboard—any kind of mistake—you simply ask if they see what went wrong. If they don't, you might ask again, gently point out the error, and ask them to fix it. That’s how you turn a moment into a teaching opportunity.

It is never okay to ask a child if they are stupid or hard of hearing. It's definitely not okay to call them stupid, and it certainly isn't right to demand a child announce their dyslexia to an entire classroom just because they made a slip-up.😕 😲

Let me say it again: teachers serve as a primary behavioral model for kids during those 5 or 6 hours they spend at school every day. You have a chance to provide a blueprint for healthy behavior that a child might not be getting at home—or even if they are, that school model is just as powerful, and in some situations, even more influential.
Kids aren't just in school to learn reading and writing; they're learning so much more than that.

Is that really so hard to grasp?😕
School is still an educational and developmental institution. To me, a massive failure in guidance like this can't just be brushed off with a weak apology—especially when people take the stance of, "Well, it happens, kids these days are even worse anyway," and so on.

By the way, I honestly don't get why so many of you here felt personally attacked by a critique of a "colleague's" mistake and immediately assumed the finger was being pointed at you.
Instead of having a reasoned discussion, you're all jumping to defend yourselves by attacking parents and students, acting like they're the real problem.😢
What exactly are you educators trying to protect yourselves from here?😕
Did any of you actually tell a student they were stupid, deaf, or crazy? Did any of you insult a child in any way? Is anyone actually debating *your* conduct?
I truly don't understand.
Where is all this endless solidarity coming from for a colleague we don't even know?

And yeah.
The teacher did come forward and apologize, which is great, but *when* did she do it?
Did it just occur to her spontaneously, from the heart, three minutes after she let "Are you stupid?" slip out?
Was it after the bell rang? After she saw the look on the child's face?

No.

And that makes a massive difference.

But if a teacher gets reprimanded by the principal, then apologizes to the class in front of everyone, and even tells a little moral story to those same students... what else is there to do?
Is she supposed to just end it all? 🤷

Even if it wasn't coming from a place of genuine remorse, it probably just comes down to the principal being firm or some tactic that actually worked on her.
Because the outcome showed that—it worked.
And I guess that’s the only thing that matters. ☕

wanderingbadger44 said:It's interesting watching how much you underestimate them. You seem to think they're just being foolish, which makes me feel like I'm coming off as some sort of bully toward kids.

Why would they bother pushing an identity in high school if there isn't a clear advantage to it, especially when it risks marking them in front of their peers? That "special class" label is easy to carry when it acts as a VIP pass to certain perks. They aren't stupid enough to wear a badge that offers them nothing in return.

Besides, do you really think the kids who didn't have those easy exits or special treatment were also acting out of stupidity? They see exactly what I'm talking about here: most of them were just regular kids who managed to dodge the hard work through these loopholes, while the rest had to sit there and grind it out. It's no wonder they aren't exactly thrilled about it. Of course they'll stay quiet about it in high school. Just try offering them actual privileges and watch how quickly they start claiming those labels. Oh, they'll be more than happy to be labeled then.

aww, it's almost sweet that parents still try to play that game in high school. 😁 I can't say I'm surprised; they're just used to the way things work.

So, you think his dyslexia is just made up?

I mean, dyslexia isn't exactly something abstract or invisible and impossible to verify.

I might get questioning ADHD, but dyslexia... 🤷

Does it just irritate you that so many students are looking for individualized attention these days?

And what are the most common diagnoses or labels that supposedly get kids this "special treatment," according to you?
Is ADHD the big one? 🤷

hiddenseal14 said:Not a chance.
Thank God I'm not working in an environment where parents raise their kids to be absolute morons and then proceed to wrap them in bubble wrap.

In fact, if I ever dared to mention to a parent that their kid was acting like a complete idiot during math class, they wouldn't ask how to fix the behavior—they'd just demand to know why I wasn't giving the kid two slaps across the face instead.

Reading all this makes me feel incredibly blessed 😁

It's not just that you're working in a different town... maybe you're working in a different century.

crimsongull20 said:How can he be so sure you don't think he's actually just dim? The margin for misunderstanding is way too wide for that question to ever fly... in a classroom setting.

She asked him: 'Are you actually stupid, or are you just pretending to be?'

I guess it ended well enough. Both the mom and the teacher did what they needed to do, I suppose.
If everyone played their part—and they did, including the principal—then maybe we should just give the teacher a break and stop dragging this out.
It's settled, I guess. Everyone should probably just move on. 🙂

Michael Davis9 said:Could we please get the title corrected? The teacher actually questioned whether the child was pretending to be dim, rather than just asking—she flat-out stated that they really are just stupid.
☕

I mean, look, if a kid is pulling straight A's across the board, then we're clearly looking at a case of pure teacher bias, a massive failure in the school system, or something else entirely going on behind the scenes.
It’s just impossible for a child to be truly "stupid." People only start becoming foolish once they hit the real world; until they graduate, they're just little, innocent kids doing their best.

Since when is it a teacher's job to judge whether a student is stupid?

Their job is just to grade the current knowledge level, period.

Whether that knowledge comes from hard work or actual genius isn't their concern.
A teacher's opinion on someone's intelligence doesn't really matter to anyone else, I suppose.

Charles Fox10 said:Fine, here it is:

• Article 6.
• For posts in foreign languages, an English summary is required! You don't need to translate the whole thing; just recap the main point in one or two sentences. Posts without summaries might be deleted.
• Links aren't a substitute for actual content. When you drop a link, include a brief note about what's behind it (title, summary, or a key quote). It needs to be clear why the page matters to the topic at hand.

The other side was flooding the place with links, almost obsessively.
With translations, without them, with summaries, without summaries—it was all the same.

And I guess nobody (or maybe just about nobody) actually faced any consequences for it.

Alex Barnes8 said:I still don't quite get why this post got flagged. 🤷

Sean Cook2 said:Perhaps some technicality regarding the links—nothing too major.

Sean Cook2 said:Which ones didn't end up getting penalized elsewhere.

Daniel Ward87 showed up and left, but he didn't really give us an answer on this. I guess.

Maybe Charles Fox10 could explain things too, since he's the one who handed him that card.

I honestly can't figure out which rule he actually broke. Maybe I'm just missing something. 🤷It seems like you might have cut off your message. I'm not quite sure what you're looking for here. Maybe just a typo? Or maybe I missed something. I guess. Maybe an administrative question for the mods. That's all we have left, I guess.

Sean Cook2 said:A public official has been called out, yet his post—one among many that deserved it—remains untouched. The post directly beneath his, however, was swiftly slapped with a red card long ago. I can't quite wrap my head around the criteria being used here—some sort of fan club mentality, perhaps...🤷

I still don't quite get why this post got flagged. 🤷

Lately, they've been deleting threads like crazy.
A few have already vanished this week.
None of them were offensive or anything like that.
They shut down the 'administrative question' thread, claiming repeatedly that people could just start their own threads for questions and get answers.
But now they’re closing those too, and hiding whatever responses were actually given—assuming they even answered at all.

I don't see why Sean Cook2's response had to be such a state secret, or why we aren't allowed to see it.
To me, it seems pretty obvious that this public official used to be a bailiff, and is most likely a pillar of society.

Administration, look, he doesn't bother me. He can post on Reddit for a hundred years if he wants. Just don't treat us like fools.

brightpuma28 said:It’s honestly wild how those first three years are supposedly the most vital stages of development, yet we don't even have a clue what actually happened back then. But if you ask me, that's exactly when kids start carving out their entire personalities, at least from everything I've seen with my own kids

Of course they do. They just soak it all up without even realizing it.
Maybe someone who feels things deeply without quite understanding why is more vulnerable—those experiences tend to stick a bit harder.
Subconscious learning might actually be more effective than trying to teach something on purpose.

A lot of parents probably cut corners during those early years because they assume the kid doesn't get it, so it doesn't matter. They don't realize they're missing the chance to instill things that are nearly impossible to undo later.
I guess it isn't just about whether kids understand or not... It might be worse if they don't.
They're almost certainly making connections somehow. Linking their experiences and how people react to them to something else.
Whether those connections are right or wrong, they still sink in deep.

It seems pretty hard to go back later, realize what happened, and try to fix the damage.

placiddrifter said:Character is something you're born with, much like the color of your eyes—it’s just part of your DNA, and there isn't much you can do to fundamentally alter it. What you *can* do, however, is teach a child how to navigate it, how to carry themselves with it, and how to embrace it. And honestly? You have to learn how to do that for yourself, too.

In my psychology classes, they taught us that temperament is innate, but character isn't.

dustyranger64 said:Thankfully, just like some chauvinist jerk isn't a valid representative for all men, placidorca16 isn't a valid representative for women or feminism either.

Or generally speaking about any specific type of person:

Even if placidorca16 happens to be aggressive, so what?
I guess why would aggression even be an issue within feminism?
Why is that such a bad thing to you people?

Given the kind of scum feminists have had to deal with, maybe they’re actually being too soft.

How exactly would you fight for your own rights, or anyone else's?
Just acting nonchalant, relaxed, and stress-free? 😁

slycrane94 said:Not really. I just enjoy watching fanatics lose their minds when they get called out for being fanatics. Just declare feminism a religion and watch the sparks fly. Then you could start collecting taxes, too. 🙂

I guess you could just declare stupidity a religion and start a new PDF. Maybe.

I suppose you're also looking for comfort, hope, and salvation. Maybe.

Michelle Alvarez8 said:Anddddd... they're right there in your posts.

Come on, in which one exactly?