So... I "signed" daughters reading log with a wite-out pen, because I could not find a pen fat enough to hold and initial her reading log. The paper is a bright PINK that color pink to be precise. The wite-out pen was fat enough for me to hold so I used it all week long. Then... the next week on certain mornings I initialed her reading log with a big "X". I done those for the days I was not doing well and coud not find but a small, skinny pen. Cannot use pencil, nope... says must be ink. To me write-out is ink, if it writes it is ink.
So today daughter comes home talking about how her teacher was complaining of me using write-out and big X's to sign her reading log. I guess the teacher asked daughter why I done it, and daughter probably told her she did not know. Anyways... so now the teacher complained of how I "sign" the reading log. I am going to have to send a letter to the teacher explaining why I done what I done and hope she does not think I am a loon or making it up that I done it, when she probably thinks my daughter done it. I am even going to type my letter of explaination to her too and not even sign it with a pen. I might sign it with this BIG FAT permanent Marks-A-Lot marker that is sitting in front of me.
Mine is kinda like that except the entire pen is fat like the fattest part of the pen above. Mine came from the Dollar Tree. I am sure if the teacher had a problem with me using wite-out with my real initials and not an "X" then, she would have a problem with me using a stamper. I only done the "X"s in green ink pen. Oh well. I am sure if the teacher had a problem with me using wite-out with my real initials and not an "X" then, she would have a problem with me using a stamper. I only done the "X"s in green ink pen. Oh well. Plus, anything that has to do with the kids, if I am not laid up in the bed, I am to do. My daughter reads 45-50 more WPM than the target reading level for her grade. So... it is not like she is not reading at home, I mean it should be evident to her teacher that she does read at home. They have one, but last when I went to visit it, it was down and still says, school not found in database. My sister's grandson's school stuff is set up like that, but he goes to a different school in a different county. Yeah... I just checked, there is an email addy for her teacher on the school website, but the question is... does her teacher check that email account? I already thought about emailing her teacher when me & hubby was talking about it. And when we realized we were outta printer paper.
I'll email her. And if no email by friday... I will type a letter to her. Joonie, I would call her at school and explain it to her. If she is not available leave a voice mail or message. Once she knows.....she will probably lighten up and maybe you can come up with a solution together. When my son was sick and I had to pick him up early, you are supposed to go in and sign him out. When he called home I said put principal or secretary on the phone. I explained to them that I was not well today and couldn't come in. I asked if I could just call and they could send son out. They 'no problem'. This is a small school and they all know everyone and now it's common knowledge that I am sick. Plus, we got lucky and the principle last year in middle school was transferred to high school and my son is in 9th grade. He knows my son well. Son works in lunchroom and plays football so he is always doing something for school. SO talk to teacher and like someone said if that didn't work, go to principal. They'll work with ya. Good luck! I do sometimes sign it the night before when I am able to. The pred usually starts to wear off around 6pm sometimes earlier, so anytime after that... my hands are like they are in the morning time. I was waiting to sign her reading log for the day before the next afternoon when she got home when my hand was able to sign it, but if it gets took up, and that block is not signed she will deduct 20 points from it which automatically makes it an 80. It is complicated. Well.. for my brain it seems to be. I mean since she got a "B" in reading because hubby stopped signing it, and I had to pawn it off on him because of my illness, and I let her get a "B", when she should have had an "A". It just seems to me if it is going to get done right, I have to do it. There are days like 4 days last week I was not able to do more than an "X". I held the pen like a pre-schooler would hold a crayon, because my hand closes better down where my pinky is because of my decreased bone density. And have you really ever tried to write your initials like that and make them small enough to fit in a small box? I am just still feeling like her "B" in reading is my fault, because I let her get a "B" and I messed up her all A's trophy for this year. I mean it does not bother my daughter that she will not get an All A's trophy to add to her other 2 All A's trophies just as long as she gets a trophy, which she will get an A's & B's trophy, but still. I screwed it up for her. I emailed her teacher and explained it to her. If she does not reply tomorrow I will type my letter out to her. No the wite-out I have the pen point like a ball point pen, and when you press the pen to paper it flows the white stuff out. The white stuff is very thin almost watery, so it comes out without squeezing it. It is some cheap stuff from Dollar Tree, on the pen it says "correction pen" and then how many ozs it has. Oh and I only used it when I could not find a fat pen to write with. The "x"s are all done with a green Pilot gel pen which no pressing nessary for the ink to come out, but I cannot hold it like you would a normal pen because it is a skinny pen. I had to hold it like in a fist, but the point was at the end where my pinky is, kinda like how a toddler holds a crayon. I have always had a huge beef with teachers who punish the kids when the parents don't do something. It wasn't like that when I was in school. You did your homework, it showed because you got good grades. My parents didn't have to do 'busy work'. At my older daughter's elementary school, kids had silent lunch, etc., because their parents forgot to sign their planner. Ridiculous. The kids can be there everyday on time, participate in class, turn in all assigments, and get good grades. But mommy didn't sign the calendar for the week. Punishment. Crazy. Exactly - just signing a name. Does it change anything? No. One more thing to remember, one more thing to keep up with, one more thing for your child to have to worry about AFTER they have done what they are supposed to do. It is silly. Teachers complain about having too much to do - then they add "checking for mommy's signature" to list. Crazy. Joonie it sounds like your daughter is a very bright child. Make it her responsibility to come to you or your husband everyday/night after she's finished her reading and have you sign it. You need to teach her to take on the responsability this task. She, not you and not your husband needs to make sure this gets done. Your daughter is not too young to be responsible. Teaching her to be responsible for things like this while in school will only serve her well as an adult. What grade is she in now? 4th? 5th? Get some paint pens at the craft store. They glide so easily on the paper it shouldn't be too much on you to scribble three letters....or two for that matter. They make them for writing not just for crafts. Walmart even has them. Invest in some fatty pens if this task is really that difficult. I understand the idea that a teacher would just be making herself more work by looking for a parents signature. However, I also know how often teachers see the lack of interest shown by the parents. They are, far too often, completely oblivious to what's going on in their child's school. By making them sign off for a couple of things, the teacher can, in a way (HOPEFULLY) involve the parent, and make them more responsible for teaching their children about responsibility. A signature from a parent on an assignment usually shows that yes, the child did the work, they showed it to the parent, and now the parent is not only aware of what their kid is doing, but very possibly how well the child is doing. Sending your kids off to school to get an education is the basic idea. But I certianly hope that one on here thinks you just get to send them off and be done with it. They are still your children and you are still responsible for what they do. They are after all, CHILDREN. You SHOULD be involved in what they are doing. If that means signing off that they did a piece of homework, I really hope that's not asking too much. I agree with that Katie. My daughter is 14 and I'll admit more responsible than most kids her age. (Living with 3 other boys under 18 I feel I can say that. lol) She tells me that so many kids don't do their reading at all. Their parents never sign their reading logs at all. I've told her not to be jealous of that. The point of nightly reading is to improve their reading skills through practice. If you have strong reading skills everything else becomes that much easier. Their only hurting themselves in the long run. She agrees with that theroy; but still thinks it's unfair! lol The whole point of the reading log is so that the parents will at the very least be aware of what's expected of the child. I've always been all for it.....but at the same time I'm a firm believer that the children should be responsible and take the lead in making sure what they have to do is getting done. Gosh, of all the things to complain about....I have taken reading logs with much less and made a go of it. I think the teacher needs a life, but yes type out an explaination and if she doesn't like that tell her you will get a doctors note. FOR PITTY SAKE!!! sheesh! Girl; ya don't have to tell me....My 18 year old is the WORLDS WORST at getting one over on me.
I just pray my Princess doesn't turn into the Wild Cat her big brother has. Sounds like you handled thing well Meme. Never doubted ya for a minute. Guess that could go either way. Getting signatures does not involve uninvolved parents in their kids' lives. Do you really think scrawling your initials magically involves you? No. But yet, it is one more way for a child who is already struggling to end up with another punishment. Signing a daily reading log for pre-K is easy for us, because it is daily. And it comes with the book you are supposed to read. But weekly planners due Monday a.m.? Scrawled in the car, usually. I do not peruse my child's planner. I do not care what day she has a math test or when a book report is due. If she can't manage that by middle school, she needs to be back in elementary. "I do not peruse my child's planner. I do not care what day she has a math test or when a book report is due" If my mother ever said anything like that about me, no matter what the age, I think it would have broken my heart. Because I want my mom to care. sh*t, I'm 24 and I still want my mom to care, even if she doesn't "have to" It's not always about if the child can or cannot manage something. It's simply involvement. I was HAPPY that my mom knew when my tests were, even in high school. No one else's mom's did. Well, I can't take the tests for her. Please, this doesn't call my i-n-v-o-l-v-e-m-e-n-t into question. PTA Board, Room Parent, she won the Principal's Award twice (which caused a stir, since you are only supposed to win once). I'm very proud to be raising her as I was raised. To be independent and responsible. *shrugs* to each their own I suppose. I wouldn't really consider the PTA being involved in your child. The school, sure. But not the child specifically. But like I said, to each their own. Glad I have my mommy. Think about how much time your child spends at school. Trust me, school involvement is huge - there is a lot more to talk about at home, when you know who everybody is. And it is very important to know the teachers, etc., in case you do have any issues. I know all of her friends, and they know me. We aren't in a neighborhood school, so it wouldn't be that way without school involvement. Trust me, Katie, you would like me as a mommy, too. I promise. my You know rocckyd - now that you said that I wonder if the teacher was even really "complaining" if she only asked the student, maybe she was just checking to see if Joonie really was signing. Knowing the student well enough, and how they act when they lie, maybe that's all she needed to know that she did really sign it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that either, teachers don't always have to go to the parents for everything. I don't know if anyone will get this but..... "--Signed, Epstein's Mother" Teacher conferences, etc., yes yes yes. What page they on in social studies this week? No no no. We do not micromanage, but maybe because we do not need to. Things could change.
Arnold Horshack.....Vinnie Babarino(sp).....Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington... Anyone!?!?!!? I
I can only imagine that note being read with Kotter's voice, or Arnold's. "Soined...Epsteen's Mutha..." I heard somewhere they are bringing back Welcome back cotter i dunno if as a movie or what yea i have no real idea
yes, I own it. LoL I emailed her no reply. So, I am going to print out the email I sent her and send it with daughter tomorrow. I just explained why the write-out & X's and about how my health flucuates from day to day, week to week. was not rude or even mean said about it. Just explained. You all know I explained, because that is what I do, so some of you say when I am questioned about something. I also asked her if there was a website I could go to to see daughters grades and all. My daughter most of the time does not need help with her homework as she finishes it before she even leaves school. But when she does need help she will ask for it, she did the other day. The teacher is SUPPOSE to send home a behavior folder every Tuesday and it will have her graded work from the week before in there. I usually make her correct the wrong problems, but many times she does not have any and are all 100's. For a month straight the teacher was not giving the kids their behavior folders. And another month she did not take up reading logs. SHe is suppose to check the reading logs every week and initial it, but there are weeks she does not even do that. Her teacher she had last year, the teachers first year teaching, and she was on the ball and everything given on the days they were to be brought home and she even replied to letters I wrote her and offered a home email addy for me to email her. This teacher does not reply to letters I write her. I have actually hand wrote her a letter about my daughter endless need to talk and something else. And she NEVER replied back to my question I was waiting for an answer to, but never got. I really do not have a problem with her teacher. Just kinda errked me that she had a problem with the wrtie-out that had my initials.
Maybe in the future you can get an ink stamper to use? That would be even easier! You could get a real cheap one at the office supply store, and then have husband carve a few nicks in it so the stamp is unique and cannot be made by any other stamper.
Naw... once the teacher knows the reason, anything showing that you and you alone made the mark should be enough. You have a disability; they have to make accommodations. If you can't work it out with the teacher(s), go to the principal. And if that doesn't work, go before the school board and raise hell.
Our school system has such a program in place. It's fantastic tool!
Having been down the beginning road of a teacher, I can see how just an "X" would irk a teacher.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/6a73/
Along the same lines... imagine my horror when I got a call from the principal asking if we were actually going to pay our tuition bill.
communication between the school and the parents. I sign each planner
every day after checking they have the homework written down(school
policy). Then, I also write a note if the child didn't have their homework.
Parents are not required to sign the planner unless I specificially ask the
child to show a note to their parents. This is the most efficient way to get
info. regarding grades home. I have 150 kids-calling home is not always
possible. Parents know that if they need to ask us a question-the planner
is best. I can't even get to a phone until after 1:00. We do ask parents to
check over their child's planner. Of course, as the student matures-it is
good to let them be more independent. However, I would make sure that
the planner would be shown to me if there was a note from the teacher.
Joonie-I hope you got your situation sorted out. As a teacher-I might
question the X knowing that kids often will sign for their parents. But,
instead of pressing the issue with the child, I would call home and ask the
parent. I actually did that this year. I had a child hand in a report card
with an awful signature. Extremely messy and in crayon. I didn't ask the
child about it but I called home that afternoon. The parent had broken
one hand and was signing with the "wrong" hand. She totally understood
why I called. Of course, I also had a kid return a report card signed
"Joseph's Dad". Hmmm.....That phone call home did not go well for the
student.
check and see what the homework is if the child "forgot" their planner.
We have had the worst luck with teacher websites! Anytime we have needed to use one to check something, it hadn't been updated, and we still had to call around to ask a friend. I think they are great, but I'm guessing it is a lot to keep them updated???? Or we have just not had good luck? I guess it depends on how much the teacher likes computers.
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