Elementary school teachers

Lisa Rivera said:@James Perez54, I honestly can’t begin to fathom what kind of friction you have with educators, but my own experience was quite different... I was fortunate enough to have such incredible professors—and even a teacher <3—throughout my schooling who approached their work with genuine care, attention, and immense professionalism. They left such a lasting impression on me that, even now, I feel a certain melancholy knowing I won't see them again or get to tell them just how much they inspired me. Given that context, all I can say in response to comments like yours is this:
👎To the power of two.

@Kimberly Robinson2, I think it might be time to teach the child that borrowing money from others isn't the way to go. I remember back when I was growing up, there were times my parents would scrounge together every spare cent around the house just to afford bread, so the idea of borrowing money never even crossed my mind. He's old enough to grasp these realities. If he was truly that hungry for something at McDonald's, $7.50 for a burger should have been plenty, rather than $7.00, especially if he understands his mother isn't working and things are tight. A five-year-old shouldn't be navigating these things...

hiddendriver34 said:After reading this, I've decided I'm done arguing with you. I truly hope you can work through whatever personal baggage you're carrying, because this kind of bitter, pure hatred toward a profession isn't objective... it's clearly personal.
I genuinely wish you the best.

And I wish you the same.
Why does everything always have to turn personal?

I was responsible, maintained straight A's, and never had any (major) problems in school.

copperheron18 said:It seems you have a bit of a grudge against professors in general. Or am I just being overly critical of every single profession I come across?

As for that final remark—suggesting they should just shut up like cowards while pretending none of this affects them—I might actually agree if we were talking about certain professors at state universities who lack even a shred of competence. In those cases, they probably shouldn't be anywhere near students because they simply aren't qualified for the job. However, I would never dream of applying that logic to this teacher, nor to the vast majority of educators working in our local elementary and high schools.

I am a parent, and being critical of teachers is my right.

This teacher is just one more insignificant, pathetic soul among many, but unfortunately, she's the one working with children.

And no, I’m not bitter about my own grades or my child's; I was an honor student myself, and my son is (so far) an honor student too.

Personally, I find this whole story a bit strange and full of holes...

As a mother of three children of various ages (including school-aged kids, so I can grasp certain things),
I’ve also navigated different seasons of life; I know what it means to have something and to have nothing.

- To start, it strikes me as odd that the teacher sent out a notice about going to McDonald's just one evening (or day) before the field trip (especially since everything was already settled and paid for). If that's really how it went down, then that's her mistake—and honestly, the only real mistake in this entire tale.

- You knew they were going there, so you really should have exchanged some cash ☕ and made sure your child had at least enough for some fries. Besides, given your parenting style and the circumstances, you shouldn't be trying to scramble for money in much more intelligent situations.

- In any case, you should have called the teacher the VERY SAME EVENING you found out about the McDonald's trip to prevent all this drama from happening in the first place.

- And if you didn't call her then, you should have gone to the school the very next day.

- If you didn't even have three days to spare, you should have called her on the actual day they returned and when you first learned about the event.

- All in all, I support what the teacher did, because she was actually thinking about your child's feelings (unlike you).

P.S. I highly doubt a teacher acting this way would be dragging a kid by the sleeve through the hallways chasing them over $7.00. The two of them just don't seem to fit together.

P.P.S. (but not least important) — the fact that someone lives with a boyfriend and together you have FOUR children, neither of you working, living solely off his occasional gigs and child support, tells me a great deal about you as parents.

Look, I am truly aware of situations where life breaks you and you can't find work, but please—waitressing, cleaning offices, working at bakeries, bars, or private apartments, ironing, catering at weddings, washing dishes at weddings, handing out flyers, construction work... YOU CAN ALWAYS DO THAT! Instead of relying on sporadic paychecks and welfare while supporting FOUR CHILDREN. To me, that feels incredibly irresponsible, and it doesn't sit right with me as good parenting or setting an example for kids. You aren't teaching them anything except that we'll get by if someone just gives us something.

IF both of you are ill or have been rendered unable to work—then I take back every word and I apologize.

Joshua Parker11 said:Honestly, people like that wouldn't even make good parents, yet here we are.🤷

And you actually think that's a valid excuse?

Mom, some rigid, zero-empathy teacher is going to instill lifelong complexes or psychological blocks in someone's child, while somewhere else, her warm, kind, and highly praised colleague will be sitting behind a desk, coasting through life...

Awesome! 😁

copperheron18 said:Exactly. It is the parents who are constantly hovering over schools, badgering for better marks, pleading, and exerting pressure on professors, lecturing them on why their child "clearly knows more" than the curriculum suggests...

But has it occurred to you that someone might fail because they aren't paying attention, or they talk too much, or they don't concentrate? Are the teachers supposed to be held accountable for those lapses, too?

As for your claim that people enter academia just to vent their frustrations on their children because they failed at everything else—honestly, I have no comment. It sounds so pathological that it borders on being detached from reality. 😕

It seems to me you are projecting your own personal grievances through these insulting remarks toward everyone who is, or will be, an educator. I am genuinely curious: what degree did you earn, and what exactly do you do for a living that allows you to be this vitriolic toward a group of people who actually put in the work to finish their degrees just to serve society?🙄

I am an astronaut.😛

As for what I do for a living, this isn't a thread about me...

If you consider yourself part of that untouchable academic elite, then please, do me a favor and explain why you bend over backward for those tedious parents who constantly nag about grades and act like their kid is some kind of misunderstood genius...
Will you actually miss them?

Or does that apply to the kids of friends, acquaintances, or just anyone with enough cash to throw around...

My neighbor—who runs that high-end boutique downtown—was just bragging to me about how some local professor shops exclusively at her store...
What a coincidence... handing it right over to her daughter, and just imagine—the kid even pulled a perfect score on her exams...😍

Rachel Jones8 said:Ever run into those families that just hit up the malls to blow cash on gifts and candy?
Those families on tighter budgets... you know, the ones who might just get a single candy bar under the tree, maybe some socks or gloves, or just a little something small to make it feel like Christmas? $3.25Can they ever just be happy?
Wait, they don't even have a family?!?!
If you really think that, the guy is seriously pathetic... but what's your deal? Are you his sister, his girlfriend, or some random grandparent?

It’s not about who’s right or wrong, it’s just me. I couldn't stand watching my kid deal with all that fighting and crying every single time... honestly, I ended up divorcing his father because he was too busy catering to his own mother instead of actually stepping up for his kids. Is it the child's fault? No. But seeing them look on like that—seeing how they compare themselves to other kids who get everything handed to them—it's heartbreaking. Though, if I'm being real, I haven't actually seen him look that sad yet.

So, what’s the deal now? Does he actually look bummed out or what? Is he feeling down because money is tight? Or maybe it's because he doesn't have any family around—you know, with his mom and siblings still in the picture?

So, for Saint Nicholas, you only wanted candy and firecrackers? That's it?

That's it?
What should you even expect for Saint Nicholas Day? Honestly, mine never got anything more than some candy.

You’re totally overreacting and making a mountain out of a molehill. What’s the big deal if I told her to bring the cash herself instead of having her mom send it?
If I had to drop my mom off at school, I’d act like it was some huge ordeal, you know? And if she had to pay back money I lent her—even if I just did it to be helpful—I wouldn't mind at all. Once that's out of the way, if there's still drama, nobody's stopping you from heading over there and talking it out face-to-face. Right?
Look, paying back money you borrowed isn't some huge deal. Even a ten-year-old should be able to do that without making a whole thing out of it. Unless, of course, someone else decides to turn it into a massive drama—kind of like how you’re acting right now.

Facts!

James Perez54 said:I am a parent, and being critical of teachers is my right.

This teacher is just one more insignificant, pathetic soul among many, but unfortunately, she's the one working with children.

And no, I’m not bitter about my own grades or my child's; I was an honor student myself, and my son is (so far) an honor student too.

Better to just let this one slide.:🤦

James Perez54 said:It’s his results.

Look at the students and the actual knowledge they walk away with after learning from that same educator—not just some random tutor found on Craigslist who was paid out of a parent's pocket for a few hours of instruction.

Do I really need to point out that being perceptive, balanced, and decent matters too?

If we're looking at student achievement through the lens of test scores, let’s be real: today's teachers are more skilled and better prepared than they've ever been.😉 Inflation has gone absolutely haywire, and honestly, it’s made every other grade on a report card feel totally meaningless. It’s like we’ve hit this weird era where a single "A" is the only thing that carries any weight anymore. Because of that, parents are panicking. They see that one crucial grade and start throwing money at private tutors like crazy, just terrified that if their kid slips even an inch, they'll fall behind for good. It's a total scramble to keep up.😲Look, maybe they got a B. Or maybe you think a truly skilled, competent teacher should be expected to carry every single student on their back all the way to an A? That’s just not how it works.

James Perez54 said:It’s his results.

Look at the students and the actual knowledge they walk away with after learning from that same educator—not just some random tutor found on Craigslist who was paid out of a parent's pocket for a few hours of instruction.

Do I really need to point out that being perceptive, balanced, and decent matters too?

Are those qualities we want in an auntie looking after kids at daycare? Or maybe in a doctor? Or even just your local clerk at the grocery store? Of course they are. I mean, come on. We want everyone to be observant, level-headed, and genuinely polite, right? But for some reason, it feels like that standard just vanishes whenever you deal with teachers. It’s like they’re the only ones allowed to skip out on basic decency!
The whole problem boils down to this: the entrance exams for teaching certifications actually end up rewarding the wrong traits. It’s like they’re inadvertently scoring people higher based on how blunt, rude, or totally oblivious they are. Because of that, you constantly see these abrasive, ill-mannered types sliding right through the door and enrolling in programs where they clearly don't belong.😁

Megan Gray78 said:Personally, I find this whole story a bit strange and full of holes...

As a mother of three children of various ages (including school-aged kids, so I can grasp certain things),
I’ve also navigated different seasons of life; I know what it means to have something and to have nothing.

- To start, it strikes me as odd that the teacher sent out a notice about going to McDonald's just one evening (or day) before the field trip (especially since everything was already settled and paid for). If that's really how it went down, then that's her mistake—and honestly, the only real mistake in this entire tale.

- You knew they were going there, so you really should have exchanged some cash ☕ and made sure your child had at least enough for some fries. Besides, given your parenting style and the circumstances, you shouldn't be trying to scramble for money in much more intelligent situations.

- In any case, you should have called the teacher the VERY SAME EVENING you found out about the McDonald's trip to prevent all this drama from happening in the first place.

- And if you didn't call her then, you should have gone to the school the very next day.

- If you didn't even have three days to spare, you should have called her on the actual day they returned and when you first learned about the event.

- All in all, I support what the teacher did, because she was actually thinking about your child's feelings (unlike you).

P.S. I highly doubt a teacher acting this way would be dragging a kid by the sleeve through the hallways chasing them over $7.00. The two of them just don't seem to fit together.

P.P.S. (but not least important) — the fact that someone lives with a boyfriend and together you have FOUR children, neither of you working, living solely off his occasional gigs and child support, tells me a great deal about you as parents.

Look, I am truly aware of situations where life breaks you and you can't find work, but please—waitressing, cleaning offices, working at bakeries, bars, or private apartments, ironing, catering at weddings, washing dishes at weddings, handing out flyers, construction work... YOU CAN ALWAYS DO THAT! Instead of relying on sporadic paychecks and welfare while supporting FOUR CHILDREN. To me, that feels incredibly irresponsible, and it doesn't sit right with me as good parenting or setting an example for kids. You aren't teaching them anything except that we'll get by if someone just gives us something.

IF both of you are ill or have been rendered unable to work—then I take back every word and I apologize.

Signed! Besides, the OP forgets that the teacher is also a human being with her own flaws and virtues. Given that she's aware of their lifestyle, the divorces, the marriages, etc., why wouldn't she have potential biases toward them (whether moral, religious, or otherwise)? So, why would she feel compelled to be extra gallant and treat her child to $7.00?

And I have to say, Laura's claim that her child doesn't have a family while living right next to her is such a sad observation... 😲 Maybe they don't, but I know I would do everything in my power to ensure my kids feel like they have a family. And besides, things aren't always rosy within a family... 🤷🙂

Gita xy you really gave me a laugh! Count me in!!! 🤣

You can't win with teachers. If they do nothing, you're mad. If they actually step up, you're still mad.

Just think about it. A mom lets her kid go on a field trip without enough cash for McDonald's—which is what everyone else is getting—and the teacher has to lend them the money. Otherwise, the kid just sits there feeling left out. And we all know how that goes. At best, kids whisper behind their back. Honestly? They’ll probably get teased right to their face. And what’s the fix? Is it "parenting"? Should the teacher jump in? Yeah, obviously it's a parenting issue, but regardless of who's at fault, that kid is going to feel like absolute garbage. They’ll shut down and become even more withdrawn. Sure, the teacher should act, but she isn't with them 24/7, and the bullying is still gonna happen. There will always be jerks, and they aren't going to stop picking on your kid. In that moment, the kid doesn't care if those bullies are "well-raised" or not.

Just scrape the money together so the kid doesn't feel different or miss out. They don't need the humiliation on top of everything else.

As for what the teacher did, you can't really say anything until Kimberly Robinson talks to her. The only weird part to me is that she was hounding the kid in the hallway every day about the money. Everything else seems fine to me, though I wouldn't dream of asking for the money back. Then again, maybe that money is a huge deal for her, so I get why she's doing it...

I mean, the professor’s got a point. Honestly, this whole thing could've been handled way more gracefully. Like, once they realized the meal was paid for, they should've just sent over the cash the next day and called it a day... I guess she would've rather gone into debt than have some school administrator footing the bill for a kid's lunch...

I’ve been sitting here watching this series on the Discovery Channel about that British chef, Jamie—he headed down to some rural province in Italy, found a local cooking school, and is basically just documenting how they do things there.

One thing that really jumped out at me from the cookbook descriptions is that they don't even bother with meat dishes there; you won't find any burgers unless you hit a McDonald's. They even mentioned that a local McDonald's actually shut down after just three months because the kids there simply refused to eat it!

Man... if our public school cafeteria staff saw that, they’d probably try to keep those doors open for another few months just to stay in business....🤣

It’s pretty interesting stuff, honestly. Check it out.

hiddendriver34 said:If we're looking at student achievement through the lens of test scores, let’s be real: today's teachers are more skilled and better prepared than they've ever been.😉 Inflation has gone absolutely haywire, and honestly, it’s made every other grade on a report card feel totally meaningless. It’s like we’ve hit this weird era where a single "A" is the only thing that carries any weight anymore. Because of that, parents are panicking. They see that one crucial grade and start throwing money at private tutors like crazy, just terrified that if their kid slips even an inch, they'll fall behind for good. It's a total scramble to keep up.😲Look, maybe they got a B. Or maybe you think a truly skilled, competent teacher should be expected to carry every single student on their back all the way to an A? That’s just not how it works.

Are those qualities we want in an auntie looking after kids at daycare? Or maybe in a doctor? Or even just your local clerk at the grocery store? Of course they are. I mean, come on. We want everyone to be observant, level-headed, and genuinely polite, right? But for some reason, it feels like that standard just vanishes whenever you deal with teachers. It’s like they’re the only ones allowed to skip out on basic decency!
The whole problem boils down to this: the entrance exams for teaching certifications actually end up rewarding the wrong traits. It’s like they’re inadvertently scoring people higher based on how blunt, rude, or totally oblivious they are. Because of that, you constantly see these abrasive, ill-mannered types sliding right through the door and enrolling in programs where they clearly don't belong.😁

Regarding grades, I am talking about actual, non-fictional student knowledge (measured by As) and you are intentionally twisting my words.

Who is to blame for the inflation of As and honors? Are parents writing the grades in the report cards? Are they threatening teachers at gunpoint?
You tell me, what's really going on here? 😁

I don't know anyone who pays for tutoring to get an A (sic!), let alone to fix an F.

By the way, I have never encountered such a massive collection of hypocrites, emotional wrecks, insecure people, and frauds (exceptions exist, obviously) as I have within the education system.
Why is that?
Back in my day (I'm 43), anyone who couldn't get into their preferred college (lower-performing students) or couldn't find a high-paying job in their field (unrelated) would regularly end up working in a school, taking out their frustrations on children.
I highly doubt things have improved since then.

Hannah Davis18 said:I mean, the professor’s got a point. Honestly, this whole thing could've been handled way more gracefully. Like, once they realized the meal was paid for, they should've just sent over the cash the next day and called it a day... I guess she would've rather gone into debt than have some school administrator footing the bill for a kid's lunch...

Nobody actually asked her to...

And besides—if you rack up debt knowing your income is about to dry up, how exactly do you plan on paying it back? You think you'll just work off the interest? 🤷🤣

Whatever. I'm going for a run...😛

Kimberly Robinson2 said:Nobody actually asked her to...

And besides—if you rack up debt knowing your income is about to dry up, how exactly do you plan on paying it back? You think you'll just work off the interest? 🤷🤣

Whatever. I'm going for a run...😛

well you don't have to ask. even if you don't have money to throw around right now - maybe just act like a lady and deal with that $3 issue...🙂

Look, you literally admitted right here that you take your kid to McDonald's whenever you get the chance. From what I can tell, you weren't even bothered by the fast food trips or the fact that the teacher covered the kid's lunch. The real issue is that she actually had the nerve to ask for that money back.
Yeah, this whole mess wouldn't even be an issue if the woman hadn't demanded repayment.
If she hadn't, everything would be fine.☕

Kimberly Robinson2 said:Nobody actually asked her to...

And besides—if you rack up debt knowing your income is about to dry up, how exactly do you plan on paying it back? You think you'll just work off the interest? 🤷🤣

Whatever. I'm going for a run...😛

No one pressured your kid to take it, yet he did.
When you take something, you pay it back. Period. Even if she hadn't asked for the money back, the decent thing would be to return it.

I’d honestly rather eat gravel for a week than knowingly put a child in that kind of spot—especially since you mentioned he's already shy and anxious. All this just so you could have $3.25(which you already had)... Honestly, I wouldn't even let him go on the trip. At least then I'd know there won't be another one in a few days just because a teacher needs a new bag. It's pathetic how this conversation turned into a total smear campaign against educators. Seriously, shame on you.

This whole discussion really shows what our society and school system are up to lately.

BlackLotus;37133761@ said:Laura, I honestly think it’s time to teach your kid not to borrow money from others. Growing up in the States, my friends and I used to scrape together pennies just to buy bread, so the idea of borrowing never even crossed my mind. He's old enough to get how this works. If he really wanted food at McDonald's, $7.50 for a burger would have been plenty, rather than $7.00, especially since he knows Mom isn't working right now. He's not five years old.

josh once said, the kid didn't actually ask for money; the teacher just decided on her own to hand it over.

When someone gives you something without being asked, that's a gift.

Expecting a ten-year-old who just wants to fit in with his friends to turn down money is unrealistic. Honestly, reading comments about how a kid who lacks something should act like some perfect xyz makes me sick. But whatever.

She gave him the money for a Happy Meal, and now she’s looking for a gift in return.

Since he won't talk to his mother, she's trying to pass lessons through him instead. Mom made a bad call by not sending the money with him due to her own issues, and she should have just gone to talk to him herself.

Basically, adults messed up again. Typical.

It would be interesting to hear the other side of this.

Regardless of what the original poster says, I can't help but wonder if the story her child told her is actually 100% accurate and truthful... Kids have this way of twisting entire situations, whether they realize it or not, and you end up dealing with a much bigger mess and a misunderstanding far worse than reality.

Ariana Grande—I feel like there’s been more than enough coverage in the news about parents threatening teachers, parents physically assaulting professors, or even those who show up to school armed... and so on, and so forth. When you work in an environment where these things are becoming increasingly common, it is perfectly natural to fear which parent might act out next. You find yourself wondering if you're going to be the one who ends up getting screwed over... so you just take the path of least resistance. You give them an A if you genuinely fear that dealing with a crazy dad might cause you real problems—because, oh boy, imagine if he loses it because his kid got a B in English instead of an A.

—I know of a case where a mother openly demanded an unearned grade for her daughter in math. And no, she didn't even want her child to at least earn the grade (honestly, the student was hovering between a C and a B)—she explicitly told the school board that she would go to the local news outlets and claim that the teacher had "touched" her daughter...
What are you supposed to do in that situation?
—I once worked at a school located right near a hospital... a little girl who was heading home from the hospital was complaining about how she had been assigned a new teacher who was "ugly, old, and mean." It was only the beginning of the school year, so I couldn't fathom how the child knew anything about the new teacher—since she hadn't even met her yet—and then the girl admitted herself that her mom was the one who told her all that.😕
How are we expected to expect that child to ever love or respect this new teacher when her mother planted those ideas in her head right from the jump?
—Just a few weeks ago, an eighth grader at my school beat up a boy in his class while three other kids stood lookout to make sure nobody walked in... They were given disciplinary warnings, but the very next day, after the notices were sent out, the father showed up. He started screaming at the homeroom teacher and threatened her, demanding she erase the incident from the record (as if she even has that power, or as if she made the decision herself). Now he’s filed a lawsuit against the school. He has no idea what legal grounds he’s even using, and frankly, it doesn't matter whether he wins or loses (he won't), but what does that poor teacher need in her life? She's 60 years old, looking forward to retirement, and just wants to relax—why should she have to live in fear of whether that dad is going to corner her in the parking lot and punch her in the face next time???
—Once, a mother actually attacked me because her son received a failing grade on a project—specifically because it was the third time he failed to turn in homework, a rule established at the start of the year. To be honest, for this third assignment, the boy claimed his mom accidentally threw it into the fireplace (🤦), and the mother attacked me, claiming it was MY obligation to call her personally and verify if she really did throw the homework away...
I couldn't explain to the woman that it wasn't my job to hunt down every single parent and verify if their kid's homework was actually eaten by the family dog. Besides—who is going to pay for my extra phone bill?? But she still insisted that it was my responsibility.🤣
These are just some very recent examples from my relatively short career in education... but these kinds of things happen every single day in every school, and they are happening more and more frequently...
And quite simply, when you work in an atmosphere like that, in an environment like that—you just become afraid. Truly afraid. No joke. Especially if you're a woman, or younger... well... in that case, it really is easier to just hand out an A if they ask for it. Because you think to yourself—what do I have to gain? Is it worth risking someone waiting for me outside and breaking my teeth? So, fine, here's your A—in the hope that one day these parents will realize what kind of idiots they've turned their children into (though, unfortunately, they probably never will).

Laura... honestly, your take on this is the absolute worst part of the whole thing.

I mean, how on earth can a mother look at her own kid and tell them they don't have a family?

At that point, you might as well let a bunch of circus clowns raise them—at least they’d provide some actual warmth.

Why are you poisoning a kid's head with this kind of garbage?

You aren't preparing them for the real world or making them tougher. It's the exact opposite. You're just stalling their emotional growth and doing something totally counterproductive that only hurts them.

Look, I get that things are rough for you, but for God's sake... you've always got to try and find the silver lining. If not for your own sake, then definitely for your kids.

Don't use your child as a punching bag for all your frustration, resentment, and general bitterness.
Take it out on someone who can actually handle it. Don't put a ten-year-old in a position where they're telling their teacher that they "don't have a family" and that's why they can't finish an essay.
Instead of running your mouth to everyone else, just sit down and talk to your kid about what's bothering them and why they're struggling.