Re: Parent-Teacher Conferences...

["B. Esser" <besser@marian.creighton.edu>]

On Fri, 6 Dec 1996, Dwight Souder wrote:
> The parent sat down and start sobbing.  In the
> mother's own words, she was worried whether or not her daughter was going to
> do well in my class.  She feared that her daughter would take her life if she
> didn't do well in my class.  No pressure, huh?
Last fall one of our students took her own life.  It was devastating to
the students, faculty and parents.  I encourage you to find a counselor if
your school has such a position or a community counselor and get them
involved. It may be a situation where the parent is not making a correct
judgement about her child, but we must take these types of statements
seriously.   

> teachers about this individual student.  I had learned that she was failing
> ALL of her other classes, as well as mine.  She was not turning in her work,
> no projects/reports, and was disruptive in all of her other classes.  The
> mother even gave me a book on how to be a better teacher!  I was offended. 
In our institution we have a procedure which can help in these situations.
Every student is assigned to a counselor.  When report cards are "run" the
counselors receive a report which lists all students who are failing a
class or classes.  If the student is failing more than one class the
parent is invited to the school for a conference. This then removes them
from the standard parent teacher conference.  The agenda for the
individual conference is set by the counselor and teachers.  We start with
our documentation of grades, behaviours and absences.  The counselor then
provides options...... tutors, drop, counseling etc.  
This policy/procedure has really helped us handle this type of parent.

Bruce Esser
Physics Teacher                   Something witty
Marian High School                      should go here.
Omaha NE
http://marian.creighton.edu