The Pretender Award goes to...

So, today was pretty cool. I mean, the highlight of the day was when Mr. H. came down and said, "Lostboy can come down today, will you be your room?"

I was floored.
Stunned.
Thrilled.

Then I remembered, I had 2 back to back IEP meetings scheduled at 2:30. I said, "Sure, send him, if these parents actually show up, I'll send him back to class."

At that moment, the office paged me, the parents had shown up!

Two amazing things in one day!

This is one for the record books, folks!

So, I went and grabbed Lostboy, took him to my room and let him pick a magazine and a bookmark to take home. (Trust me, it wouldn't come back in one piece anyway.) And, I gave him the BIGGEST hug ever! I am so proud of Lostboy. I'm skeptical, and not optimistic at this point that it will happen again Monday, but it's a start.

Then I went to the meeting.

Welcome back to the land of Idiotsville, my friends!

These parents are quite amazing. And NOT in a GREAT sort of way.

I had called and left a borderline rude message yesterday on their machine because they skipped the scheduled meeting on Wednesday. I teach their two kids, and both IEP's were due up and they hadn't come in like they said they would, so here's what I said:

"Hi, this is Ms. Spring calling from your child's Elementary School, and you didn't show up for the scheduled meeting yesterday. So, I am sending out a meeting notice today for ten days from today. If you can't make it, please call me at the school."

I hung up.

I'm NEVER like that. I'm typically Ms. Happy Sunshine kind of gal.

She called me back yesterday afternoon.

Go figure, if you're rude, they call.

Weird.

Anyway, I said, "Can you come in one day next week?"

She said, "No, we want to come in tomorrow at 2:30 and we'll do both the kids' meetings."

My first thought was that my peers would kill me. 2:30 on a Friday...you've got to be kidding me.

The second thought was that they probably wouldn't show, so I could get signatures and our lives would all go on.

My final thought and statement was, "Okay, 2:30 tomorrow. Please call me if you can't make it, and I'll call you if the team can't make it."

I went and begged and pleaded, and everyone made an appearance.

So here we are, fourth quarter, approximately eight weeks left in the school year, and I HAD TO INTRODUCE THE PARENTS TO THE TEACHERS!

That's right folks, these parents hadn't met their child's teacher YET.

So, I give the parents credit, we got through two IEP's in an hour.

However, it was amazing to me what little pretenders they were. They acted all concerned about their kids. Saying whatever we needed, we could let them know. And they would be right on it.

They were frustrated because we're not sending homework home. I sat there and just looked at them. I have sent homework home, and it doesn't come back.

They sat there and said, "Well, if this kid stuggles in writing, but you're only sending reading homework home, how can we help him at home?"

I sat there.
Floored.

Then I said, "Well, after he reads for 30 minutes a night, have him write about what he's just read."

It doesn't take rocket science to figure out the more you write the better you become at it.

We did an hour of it.
They pretended.
I talked.
They pretended.
I talked.

In the end, papers were signed, and they walked out.

And at the end of it all, two thoughts came to me:
1. I HATE being lied to. These are adults responsible for two kids' lives and they lied to me at how active they are in their child's lives. I know they're not because all year they haven't called me or their child's other teacher. Homework isn't done. And, to get them in for a meeting took 2 attempted meetings. Idiots.

2. I only have 2 more scheduled IEP meetings for this year. I pray that's it. There is only so much of Idiotsville I can take this year.

Later!