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Grading Freshmen

Started by Michelle James13 · · 👁 42 views · 608 replies

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wanderinggardener12 wanderinggardener12 Active Member
71 messages
joined Jun 2012
#541 ·
urbantinker8 said:I honestly find myself wondering just how many of those teachers who handle four-year-olds are constantly assigning kids tasks that are, frankly, completely pointless.🤷
Even if someone actually wanted to go down that route (though I can't imagine why anyone would—🤔), the modern American school curriculumum—well, it wouldn't really let you get away with it anyway, since it’s packed with such meaningful, structured assignments that you simply wouldn't have the time to squeeze in all that extra, useless busywork.

*curriculum (singular), curricula (plural) 😉

The Etymology behind it is actually quite straightforward: "curriculum" stems from the idea of a race, a lap around a track, or a specific course of movement. In American English, we don't typically retain those Latin suffixes when we adapt words from the original Latin roots. You see it all the time—take "atrium," which becomes "atrium" here, or how "studium" shifts to "study," or how "instrumentum" simply evolves into "instrument," meaning a tool or a means to an end. It’s a constant process of linguistic streamlining.
It becomes particularly grotesque when you start grafting American linguistic suffixes onto Latin grammatical endings.

So many teachers seem content to feed children nothing more than mindless, repetitive busywork. I recall one particular instance that was quite glaringly obvious, yet there is a much more insidious type of indoctrination happening beneath the surface in classrooms across all grade levels. Honestly, don't even suggest that I should pull my kids out of school just to escape this. What is the actual point of having a first grader draw their family four separate times—once for social studies, once for English, once for religion, and again for a foreign language class? It’s utterly redundant. And what about those endless US Army drill-style exercises scattered throughout various subjects, where students are expected to complete sentences based solely on what the textbook author deems "correct"? If a child happens to parrot a specific word directly from the prompt instead of using their own vocabulary, they are suddenly rewarded for "completing" the task. Is this truly education, or just a lesson in blind compliance?
wanderinggardener12 wanderinggardener12 Active Member
71 messages
joined Jun 2012
#542 ·
Lawrence Torres56 said:Honey, if you've got such a massive problem with the curriculum and the way it handles instruction and training, why not take it up with the Department of Education? They're the ones calling the shots on stuff like that. Besides, you say you're a teacher? That's great! That actually gives you more leverage to go in there and make a difference... personally, I think letter grades are totally fine; I have zero interest in hearing endless praise about my kid, and I definitely don't want to see important issues swept under the rug just because someone prefers descriptive feedback over hard numbers.
And let's be real, school isn't "preparing kids for life" anymore; those days are long gone when kids used to learn how to cook, sew, or build useful things around the house. So, please, stop talking nonsense—as a teacher, you should know better than that... and besides, as a teacher, you're obligated to follow the state-mandated plan and program if you actually care about these kids, because their future education relies on that standardized knowledge, not on whatever individual philosophy a certain teacher decides to follow.

It’s clear you aren't actually reading the arguments; you're just typing. We are discussing a systemic failure to teach and evaluate functional competencies—things like logical reasoning, critical thinking, abstraction, and generalization... (and before you start, I am not talking about learning to knit or building scale models here...) as well as essential skills like literacy, verbal communication, motor skills, and social intelligence.
How can one possibly measure the development of these complex skills through mere numerical grades? At least not in any capacity that isn't fundamentally flawed.
urbantinker8 urbantinker8 Regular
759 messages
joined Jan 2023
#543 ·
wanderinggardener12 said:The Etymology behind it is actually quite straightforward: "curriculum" stems from the idea of a race, a lap around a track, or a specific course of movement. In American English, we don't typically retain those Latin suffixes when we adapt words from the original Latin roots. You see it all the time—take "atrium," which becomes "atrium" here, or how "studium" shifts to "study," or how "instrumentum" simply evolves into "instrument," meaning a tool or a means to an end. It’s a constant process of linguistic streamlining.
It becomes particularly grotesque when you start grafting American linguistic suffixes onto Latin grammatical endings.

So many teachers seem content to feed children nothing more than mindless, repetitive busywork. I recall one particular instance that was quite glaringly obvious, yet there is a much more insidious type of indoctrination happening beneath the surface in classrooms across all grade levels. Honestly, don't even suggest that I should pull my kids out of school just to escape this. What is the actual point of having a first grader draw their family four separate times—once for social studies, once for English, once for religion, and again for a foreign language class? It’s utterly redundant. And what about those endless US Army drill-style exercises scattered throughout various subjects, where students are expected to complete sentences based solely on what the textbook author deems "correct"? If a child happens to parrot a specific word directly from the prompt instead of using their own vocabulary, they are suddenly rewarded for "completing" the task. Is this truly education, or just a lesson in blind compliance?

but a curriculum remains a curriculum, regardless.
instead of some weird plural like "curricula" being replaced by something elsea, the standard American version "curriculums" has become the norm.
though, I guess you can't really call the singular "curricul" either.😉

wanderinggardener12 said:The Etymology behind it is actually quite straightforward: "curriculum" stems from the idea of a race, a lap around a track, or a specific course of movement. In American English, we don't typically retain those Latin suffixes when we adapt words from the original Latin roots. You see it all the time—take "atrium," which becomes "atrium" here, or how "studium" shifts to "study," or how "instrumentum" simply evolves into "instrument," meaning a tool or a means to an end. It’s a constant process of linguistic streamlining.
It becomes particularly grotesque when you start grafting American linguistic suffixes onto Latin grammatical endings.

So many teachers seem content to feed children nothing more than mindless, repetitive busywork. I recall one particular instance that was quite glaringly obvious, yet there is a much more insidious type of indoctrination happening beneath the surface in classrooms across all grade levels. Honestly, don't even suggest that I should pull my kids out of school just to escape this. What is the actual point of having a first grader draw their family four separate times—once for social studies, once for English, once for religion, and again for a foreign language class? It’s utterly redundant. And what about those endless US Army drill-style exercises scattered throughout various subjects, where students are expected to complete sentences based solely on what the textbook author deems "correct"? If a child happens to parrot a specific word directly from the prompt instead of using their own vocabulary, they are suddenly rewarded for "completing" the task. Is this truly education, or just a lesson in blind compliance?

I honestly don't see why a kid would need to draw their family four separate times for four different subjects in elementary school.
it's pretty clear the textbooks aren't exactly coordinated.
but I suppose that’s where the teacher comes in, to think about whether they should give the kids the exact same assignment for both English and science.
and they're especially there to decide if they really want to spend four years having kids color things in aimlessly.

I imagine anyone who is reasonably sane and has even a little bit of experience would probably try to be a bit more creative when assigning homework.
Karen Richardson3 Karen Richardson3 Active Member
177 messages
joined Jul 2012
#544 ·
urbantinker8 said:but a curriculum remains a curriculum, regardless.
instead of some weird plural like "curricula" being replaced by something elsea, the standard American version "curriculums" has become the norm.
though, I guess you can't really call the singular "curricul" either.😉

I honestly don't see why a kid would need to draw their family four separate times for four different subjects in elementary school.
it's pretty clear the textbooks aren't exactly coordinated.
but I suppose that’s where the teacher comes in, to think about whether they should give the kids the exact same assignment for both English and science.
and they're especially there to decide if they really want to spend four years having kids color things in aimlessly.

I imagine anyone who is reasonably sane and has even a little bit of experience would probably try to be a bit more creative when assigning homework.

In American English, when we're talking about the official lesson plans and educational programs authorized and approved by the Department of Education, we see a mix of terms like curriculum, curricula, or even more traditional descriptions like "course of study." Out of those options, "curriculum" is the most common way we've adapted the Latin root. While some people might get technical about the Latin "-um" ending, in standard American usage, we typically stick to "curriculum" for the singular and "curricula" for the plural, though "curriculums" has become pretty common in everyday speech too. If you want to be strictly formal according to certain linguistic standards, there are specific ways to handle these loanwords, but for most of us, "curriculum" is the go-to term for what the Department of Education sets out.
urbantinker8 urbantinker8 Regular
759 messages
joined Jan 2023
#545 ·
Karen Richardson3 said:In American English, when we're talking about the official lesson plans and educational programs authorized and approved by the Department of Education, we see a mix of terms like curriculum, curricula, or even more traditional descriptions like "course of study." Out of those options, "curriculum" is the most common way we've adapted the Latin root. While some people might get technical about the Latin "-um" ending, in standard American usage, we typically stick to "curriculum" for the singular and "curricula" for the plural, though "curriculums" has become pretty common in everyday speech too. If you want to be strictly formal according to certain linguistic standards, there are specific ways to handle these loanwords, but for most of us, "curriculum" is the go-to term for what the Department of Education sets out.

Oh my god...🤦
it feels like a total assault on the language, I suppose.🙂
Lawrence Torres56 Lawrence Torres56 Active Member
228 messages
joined Feb 2015
#546 ·
wanderinggardener12 said:It’s clear you aren't actually reading the arguments; you're just typing. We are discussing a systemic failure to teach and evaluate functional competencies—things like logical reasoning, critical thinking, abstraction, and generalization... (and before you start, I am not talking about learning to knit or building scale models here...) as well as essential skills like literacy, verbal communication, motor skills, and social intelligence.
How can one possibly measure the development of these complex skills through mere numerical grades? At least not in any capacity that isn't fundamentally flawed.

It's way too hot out to be just typing away without actually reading anything first.😁
I honestly can't agree that everything is being systematically ignored, especially generalization—if anything, I think we overemphasize it too much... as for logical and critical thinking, maybe the current curriculum just doesn't carve out enough space for them to really breathe? If we tried to force all that in right now, it would just be a complete mess... because, like I said before, our whole American school system is built on this "move through the modules" training approach.
And let's be real, none of that stuff is even particularly vital preparation for the real world (in my book), nor is it something today's kids are actually lacking...
To me, actual preparation for life—literally preparing them for life—was what those old-school shop classes and home economics courses used to be... they actually equipped kids from a young age to be useful for *something*, unlike today, where kids graduate completely helpless and unable to handle any kind of real work or independent living...
As for descriptive grading, sorry, but I'll say it again: in a system like ours, I think they'd do more harm than good. Sure, maybe they could describe a kid's skill development a bit better, but if that development isn't aligned with the required curriculum, then in the long run, it's totally irrelevant and actually hurts the student... if we're going to introduce that kind of thing, it should be in high school or college where those specific skills actually matter for their future career paths, not in elementary school where they're still just learning the basics.
wanderinggardener12 wanderinggardener12 Active Member
71 messages
joined Jun 2012
#547 ·
urbantinker8 said:but a curriculum remains a curriculum, regardless.
instead of some weird plural like "curricula" being replaced by something elsea, the standard American version "curriculums" has become the norm.
though, I guess you can't really call the singular "curricul" either.😉

I honestly don't see why a kid would need to draw their family four separate times for four different subjects in elementary school.
it's pretty clear the textbooks aren't exactly coordinated.
but I suppose that’s where the teacher comes in, to think about whether they should give the kids the exact same assignment for both English and science.
and they're especially there to decide if they really want to spend four years having kids color things in aimlessly.

I imagine anyone who is reasonably sane and has even a little bit of experience would probably try to be a bit more creative when assigning homework.

Karen Richardson3 explained everything beautifully, and I thank her for it, though I must add one clarification: I never claimed that N was the plural of "curriculum" (that's G), rather that the plural form is "curriculums."

That is exactly my point regarding the lack of coordination between textbooks and the nonsensical tasks teachers demand from students. How is any sane person supposed to understand the reasoning behind it? I can only speculate, but I truly believe it has nothing to do with how much experience a teacher has. If we are talking about a systemic issue—assuming this even qualifies as a system—then it shouldn't be designed in a way that allows children, and by extension their parents, to be intellectually stifled.
urbantinker8 urbantinker8 Regular
759 messages
joined Jan 2023
#548 ·
Personally, I’m a fan of sticking to the forms that have already settled into the language, so if we’ve been calling it the curriculum for years, this new version, the curricul, just sounds completely mangled to me.
As for the instructional guide, I don't even know where to start.🤦

And when it comes to textbooks, I honestly don't get why everyone treats them like they're some kind of sacred scripture.
We all know how many subpar textbooks are out there and exactly which interests are pushing them through.☕
Because of that, I usually just take my lesson plans and immediately cut out anything that feels redundant or just plain dull, then swap it for something I actually think is useful. I suppose we should be thankful that every one of us has enough breathing room to make those calls.

Even though I work with first graders, I don't think I'd be much of a teacher if I insisted on having kids write or draw the exact same assignment four different times.😕
Paul Johnson Paul Johnson Member
37 messages
joined Nov 2015
#549 ·
Personally, I think we should stop overcomplicating this poor curriculum and get back to the actual topic of ☕
Christian Lee13 Christian Lee13 Member
39 messages
joined Mar 2005
#550 ·
wanderinggardener12 said:The Etymology behind it is actually quite straightforward: "curriculum" stems from the idea of a race, a lap around a track, or a specific course of movement. In American English, we don't typically retain those Latin suffixes when we adapt words from the original Latin roots. You see it all the time—take "atrium," which becomes "atrium" here, or how "studium" shifts to "study," or how "instrumentum" simply evolves into "instrument," meaning a tool or a means to an end. It’s a constant process of linguistic streamlining.
It becomes particularly grotesque when you start grafting American linguistic suffixes onto Latin grammatical endings.

So many teachers seem content to feed children nothing more than mindless, repetitive busywork. I recall one particular instance that was quite glaringly obvious, yet there is a much more insidious type of indoctrination happening beneath the surface in classrooms across all grade levels. Honestly, don't even suggest that I should pull my kids out of school just to escape this. What is the actual point of having a first grader draw their family four separate times—once for social studies, once for English, once for religion, and again for a foreign language class? It’s utterly redundant. And what about those endless US Army drill-style exercises scattered throughout various subjects, where students are expected to complete sentences based solely on what the textbook author deems "correct"? If a child happens to parrot a specific word directly from the prompt instead of using their own vocabulary, they are suddenly rewarded for "completing" the task. Is this truly education, or just a lesson in blind compliance?

There’s a massive weight of responsibility here on the teachers, sure, but also on the authors and the editors. The problem is, everyone finds it way too easy to just lean on the textbook and those standard assessments, which, in my experience working with the younger grades, tend to be incredibly dulling to the mind.
English class is a mess—sorry, that's a bit blunt, but it's true. It's just a mountain of mediocre, dim-witted texts, like that "Pauline Parker's Diary" nonsense—I'm not saying none of them are okay, but why insult children's intelligence like that? Where did the depth of writers like Tadijanović or Cesarić go? And then you have these mindless analysis questions. Even the grammar and spelling sections are riddled with inconsistent, practically useless examples.
Math is just a bunch of cookie-cutter problems; there isn't enough variety, nothing "out of the box" that forces you to look at a problem from a different angle. Plus, there are constant typos, and sometimes you run into problems that are literally impossible to solve (the Profile series is particularly notorious for that).
Social Studies is a whole other disaster. It's just a disjointed pile of facts thrown into a single lesson. The standardized tests and publisher worksheets are especially pointless, requiring kids to either mindlessly transcribe definitions or play a guessing game identifying photos of rivers, random mountain peaks, or old ruins—which usually just looks like a few crumbling stone walls.
Susan James Susan James Veteran
1K messages
joined Jan 2023
#551 ·
Bumping this thread. Personally, I think just having the basic notes is plenty for a parent to track how their kid is doing. It tells you whether they get the concept or if they don't.
I’d love more detail than just a simple 5-4-3-2-1 scale (like, how many pieces of what specific item they actually finished)

I honestly don't see how adding extra grades would change anything—or what it would actually impact for the next semester.
From what I've gathered from my own child, the kids are mostly just racing each other to see who finishes first, rather than actually caring about getting a checkmark or a verbal nudge to fix a mistake.
There aren't any silly little smiley faces or other fluff; it's just "well done."

The kids notice the differences between themselves—like who got an extra line to practice or who missed out on filling in their worksheet during class—so they get the gist.

At the end of the day, despite everyone putting in different levels of effort, they all end up at the same finish line.
Why ruin that by turning everything into a competition over collecting grades?
silentraven6 silentraven6 Regular
276 messages
joined Nov 2018
#552 ·
I can't help but feel like competition is just baked into our DNA; instead of fighting it, we should probably just focus on creating better guidelines for respecting our differences.

If we didn't have that competitive drive, we wouldn't have half the breakthroughs we now consider essential parts of modern life.

Anyway, I took a quick peek at my school portal, and there were some comments in there—it was pretty much the same thing I saw during the second semester of freshman year. Honestly, I've been trying to take it all in a constructive way.
Jason Morgan Jason Morgan Active Member
130 messages
joined Mar 2015
#553 ·
shadowcrane91 said:What on earth are you rambling about here???
What do you mean by "Black people"???
And honestly... my kid has already racked up more Cs than I ever did during my entire schooling.
And no, we aren't making a huge drama out of it at home (nobody’s lecturing her about it), because I recognize she has struggles on a different level (reading) and she'll likely see a C before an A. But is it really "normal" to hand a seven-year-old a C in Art class just because some arbitrary grading metric wasn't met? Not in my book.
Is it okay with you if a teacher tells a seven-year-old (not mine, mind you) that their work won't be put on the bulletin board because it isn't "good enough"?
Or giving a failing grade to one shy little boy in Music class just because he didn't want to sing in front of the whole class instead of actually encouraging him?
Well—it certainly isn't okay with me....
To me, this approach doesn't feel right, nor does it seem motivating. I truly believe the first grade should be a massive period of adjustment—learning how to tackle problems, finding solutions, and being encouraged to face academic challenges head-on. It shouldn't be a year spent handing out bad grades left and right, crushing kids' self-esteem, and breeding a fear of failure.

Sent from my iPad using Reddit


We are looking at two entirely separate issues here.
Getting a C is perfectly normal and expected.
But that failing grade in Music? That is definitely not encouraging.

At the same time, first grade is when they learn to read and write—which is the most vital foundation for everything else—alongside basic responsibilities, like bringing their supplies to Art or PE, finishing homework, and so on.
It shouldn't be a year where a child only receives As and Bs.
They're going to encounter lower grades later in life, so they need to learn how to adapt to that reality now.

That first comment about Black people was quite the vivid comparison.

The issue isn't whether you lectured your child about the C, but whether the child overheard you telling them—and everyone else—that getting a C isn't "normal" or that the teacher has no idea what they're doing.
Getting a C is normal; I pulled plenty of them in Art back in elementary school, and look, I still managed to graduate college.

In Art, it’s not even about how beautiful your drawing is; it’s about whether you solved the prompt and how organized your work is.
Daniel Gomez10 Daniel Gomez10 Active Member
74 messages
joined Jul 2012
#554 ·
My little guy has been pulling straight A's lately, with just two B's in Art Forum (plus three more A's).
He’s always doodling something, he just loves to draw.
I actually knew exactly why he missed out on that perfect score, and his teacher confirmed it during parent-teacher conferences—he didn't follow the instructions, he did his own thing instead.
Instead of using a solid background, he decided to add polka dots because he thought it looked better.😁
He even proudly told his teacher while handing in the assignment that he'd added a little extra decoration.😁
Joseph Martinez4 Joseph Martinez4 Member
14 messages
joined May 2007
#555 ·
shadowcrane91 said:Honestly, I’m starting to get pretty worked up here...
So, my little girl struggles with reading—like, her literacy skills aren't quite there yet—so she ends up pulling some Cs, bombing tests, stuff like that...
But the thing is, their teacher is super intense. Like, hardcore strict. She hands out everything from D's to A's to everyone without blinking.
What really set me off today, though, was this C she got in Art Forum.
The prompt was: "The Return of the Deer"

Look, I’m not saying my kid is some next-level prodigy, let's be real, but a C in ART???
The kid is SEVEN years old!
Did she draw a bear instead of a long-legged bird, or did she totally miss the point, or what?
If it even remotely looked like a bird (and she *can* draw birds), I don't think a C is fair at all.
A C. In freaking Art. She's seven.
WTF??
(Or maybe I'm just being extra)

Sent from my iPad using Reddit

We’ve got kids in our class getting Cs in Art too. One mom was just as pissed off (and honestly, I feel you), but during the parent meeting, the teacher explained exactly what they expect in subjects like Art (or Music, or PE). She laid it all out—what they actually need to do to succeed. Apparently, Frendic got a C because he wasn't cutting his shapes where he was supposed to, even though she probably told him ten different times how to do it properly.
shadowcrane91 shadowcrane91 Active Member
150 messages
joined Apr 2011
#556 ·
Joseph Martinez4 said:We’ve got kids in our class getting Cs in Art too. One mom was just as pissed off (and honestly, I feel you), but during the parent meeting, the teacher explained exactly what they expect in subjects like Art (or Music, or PE). She laid it all out—what they actually need to do to succeed. Apparently, Frendic got a C because he wasn't cutting his shapes where he was supposed to, even though she probably told him ten different times how to do it properly.

See? In our case, she told us during the meeting that for Art, Music, and PE, the most important thing is just putting in the effort. She didn't even give us a specific grading rubric, other than saying if you try hard, you'll land a B or an A...
That's why I'm feeling more bummed out than actually angry...
I mean, even if that "bird" she drew looked absolutely nothing like a bird (even though she claims that's what it is), she should've given her a B just for trying, if not an A for some other reason.
I didn't even ask about the grade specifically; we talk about what they did in class every single day, so she just mentioned it while talking about my kid's work (even though I already knew what the grade was)....
Sent from my iPad using Reddit
frozenrider15 frozenrider15 Active Member
123 messages
joined Jan 2005
#557 ·
shadowcrane91 said:See? In our case, she told us during the meeting that for Art, Music, and PE, the most important thing is just putting in the effort. She didn't even give us a specific grading rubric, other than saying if you try hard, you'll land a B or an A...
That's why I'm feeling more bummed out than actually angry...
I mean, even if that "bird" she drew looked absolutely nothing like a bird (even though she claims that's what it is), she should've given her a B just for trying, if not an A for some other reason.
I didn't even ask about the grade specifically; we talk about what they did in class every single day, so she just mentioned it while talking about my kid's work (even though I already knew what the grade was)....
Sent from my iPad using Reddit

First off, you weren't sitting in that classroom (and from what I gather, you haven't even seen the actual assignment) so you can't claim the kid was working their tail off. I assume the teacher was monitoring her entire process and based the grade on both that progress and the final product. Of course there are grading rubrics for every subject, including Art. Effort is one metric, sure, but effort alone doesn't magically conjure an A out of thin air. Based on your logic, it wouldn't matter what she actually painted, how much it related to the prompt, whether she solved the artistic problem, followed instructions, or used the correct technique—all that would matter is that she tried. That's not how school works.

The teacher really ought to have laid out the grading criteria clearly for the parents. In the US, that usually happens during those back-to-school nights at the start of the year, before the report cards even start rolling in. Check the school portal and ask the teacher to show you the artwork and explain the reasoning behind the grade. And honestly? My advice: don't lose sleep over a C.
silentsurfer2 silentsurfer2 Member
11 messages
joined Mar 2015
#558 ·
shadowcrane91 said:See? In our case, she told us during the meeting that for Art, Music, and PE, the most important thing is just putting in the effort. She didn't even give us a specific grading rubric, other than saying if you try hard, you'll land a B or an A...
That's why I'm feeling more bummed out than actually angry...
I mean, even if that "bird" she drew looked absolutely nothing like a bird (even though she claims that's what it is), she should've given her a B just for trying, if not an A for some other reason.
I didn't even ask about the grade specifically; we talk about what they did in class every single day, so she just mentioned it while talking about my kid's work (even though I already knew what the grade was)....
Sent from my iPad using Reddit

Look, her teachers already gave you the breakdown—maybe she ran out of time, maybe she missed the prompt, or maybe her technique was just off. Check the grading notes; I'm pretty sure she didn't get a C because the teacher actually liked her take on the deer.
Lawrence Torres56 Lawrence Torres56 Active Member
228 messages
joined Feb 2015
#559 ·
Honestly, what breaks my heart most about this whole situation is how they didn't take the time to actually sit the little one down and explain things nicely—you know, explaining what went "wrong" and why she ended up with a C instead of an A.
If, for instance, she drew someone with legs that were way too short, you could gently point that out so she learns for next time, right? Or if her handwriting was just a bit messy or her math was off... you just guide them through it.

Hey, shadowcrane91, you should really head over to the school and have a real chat with the teacher; maybe ask her to please just show the kid where she messed up next time so she can actually learn from it...
frozenrider15 frozenrider15 Active Member
123 messages
joined Jan 2005
#560 ·
Lawrence Torres56 said:Honestly, what breaks my heart most about this whole situation is how they didn't take the time to actually sit the little one down and explain things nicely—you know, explaining what went "wrong" and why she ended up with a C instead of an A.
If, for instance, she drew someone with legs that were way too short, you could gently point that out so she learns for next time, right? Or if her handwriting was just a bit messy or her math was off... you just guide them through it.

Hey, shadowcrane91, you should really head over to the school and have a real chat with the teacher; maybe ask her to please just show the kid where she messed up next time so she can actually learn from it...

Maybe the teacher *did* tell her. Maybe the kid just forgot or didn't relay the message to Mom. We could sit here debating the mechanics of a C grade until tomorrow for all we care. To me, the real tragedy is seeing first graders shedding tears over grades already. It feels like it’s often the parents doing more crying than the children are actually experiencing any real heartbreak.

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