Rant and Rave - Page 2

zoosermom · 05-09-2008, 02:10 PM

"Just some thoughts. Understand I'm NOT justifying the teacher's email as described in your OP. I thought it was appalling...and just wanted you (or ZS) to check it again for that formulaic loophole that says to the "good students" hey, I know you're there too."

I did see it and it was pretty bad, although I KNOW he doesn't think that of her. I read the recommendation he did for her this week and I bet he thinks she knows it didn't apply to her as well. In my heart, I'm aggravated, but I completely understand his frustration.

lspf72 · 05-09-2008, 02:22 PM

zoosermom-- S2 took the AP Euro exam today as well. Will see how it went when he gets home from practice later. He's been working so hard all year for AP Bio that he admitted he probably didn't start reviewing for Euro early enough. His history-loving older brother scored a 5 and I think he'd love to do well too, but is also realistic about his chances.

As for your D's teacher, I think everyone is right in saying she was not the target audience that letter was meant for (not that that makes it OK, either -- what good could he possibly think it would accomplish?). A couple years ago our school's head GC announced that they were going to put their foot down regarding AP placement demands from parents. Too many kids were struggling and switching out. Qualification (or not) is based on their class average. There may be some leeway if it's very close and the previous teacher recommends it, but they made it clear that campaigning and bullying would no longer work. Even for students who DO qualify, these classes are not easy.

paying3tuitions · 05-09-2008, 02:25 PM

OK, ZM, I just read your post #16. So consider my post above it to be my last feeble attempt to excuse this teacher for hitting "send" so inappropriately.

I'm glad he wrote the recommendation for her.

If she totally tanks on the AP exam, can she take it again next year?

I hope she pulls it out, and am rooting for her. She sounds like she's learned many lessons from this teacher, by positive and negative example.

zoosermom · 05-09-2008, 02:31 PM

"If she totally tanks on the AP exam, can she take it again next year? "

I honest-to-God don't think she's going to tank, but I would imagine she could take it again. I see nothing wrong with that. He is a truly wonderful teacher that she really has learned a lot from. Had he sent it two days ago, she would have said to him "Dude, what went through your head when you hit send?" but last night it just hit her the wrong way. She's usually a great test-taker so I'm hoping that when she got into the zone she forgot about everything.

lspf72 · 05-09-2008, 02:35 PM

Oh - and another possibility--
Maybe a wild guess at an explanation, but--
When our school clamped down on parents pushing their kids into APs they also made the AP exam mandatory, i.e. if you take the class then you also take the exam at the end of the year. Honestly, I don't know why you would work your butt off all year and then NOT take an exam that could earn you college credit, but some people must have been doing just that.

Anyway, do you know if there's such a policy at your HS? If not, maybe the teacher was making a last-ditch effort to discourage the ones he considered slackers from taking the exam, thus raising the odds of higher scores for his students. Just a shot at playing detective -- one of those situations where you'd say it's not an excuse, but maybe an explanation??

zoosermom · 05-09-2008, 02:40 PM

"Anyway, do you know if there's such a policy at your HS? "

Yes there is that policy for exactly the reason you stated. There has been a lot of nonsense in this class because a lot of the kids were put in there and the parents are upset that their little darlings have to actually do work. It's haaaaard.

Lafalum84 · 05-09-2008, 02:42 PM

What in the world was the point of him sending that email, especially at the last second? The kids that goofed off and cheated all year are going to tank on the test, and their scores would have been their just reward. After that email, if some naturally brainy but lazy kid pulls out a 4 or a 5, the teacher just looks like an idiot. And most importantly, the damage he did to the confidence of the kids who DID work, like Zoosersis, it's too late to undo.

After the year ends I'd consider sending him an email telling what a wonderful teacher he was, but letting him know what the effect of that email was on your D and hoping he will think twice before hitting "send" after venting his feelings into the computer.

Edit - our school has the policy that kids in AP must either take the AP exam or an exam of "equal difficulty" that the teacher devises as a final. They feel the point of taking an AP class is to get the college credit, and the course is designed to prepare kids for the test.

aibarr · 05-09-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Honestly, I don't know why you would work your butt off all year and then NOT take an exam that could earn you college credit, but some people must have been doing just that.

I know that several of my friends ended up accepting admissions offers from colleges that offered NO course credit for AP exams, so as seniors, they didn't sign up for the exams and saved $75 times X number of courses.

lspf72 · 05-09-2008, 04:10 PM

But in 10th grade most kids don't know where they'll be attending college.

Fee reduction is available, though perhaps not extensive. It's a personal decision, but one that we felt was worth the cost.

ellemenope · 05-09-2008, 04:20 PM

>>It might be helpful to the teacher to be aware of Zs's reaction, it was no doubt NOT directed towards her and the other students like her<<

Of course, it wasn't directed toward her! My D has a band director who rants and raves at the kids--so bad that parents complain to me about the stories they hear from their kids (why me????). My D has never come home with stories, so I asked her about it.

Sure, he goes ballistic on the band, but she just tunes him out. She practices, she knows her music, she plays loud, she doesn't goof off in class. He can't POSSIBLY be talking to her, so she just ignores him.

Looks like zoosergirl should just tune him out. He isn't talking about her or to her.

Pretty lame of the teacher, though...

lspf72 · 05-09-2008, 05:51 PM

So zoosermom, what was her reaction to the exam today?
S2 was surprised at the amount of material that they'd never covered, but has already moved onto worrying about/preparing for Bio on Monday. Will be glad when it's over.

zoosermom · 05-09-2008, 06:32 PM

She said the same thing, that there was a huge amount of material, but she thought she was prepared and felt very good about the essays. She usually has a pretty good handle on these things. I asked her if she was upset and she said that once she started the test, she forgot all about it, and by the time she finished, it no longer mattered. So all is well and thank you all for humoring my rant!

marite · 05-09-2008, 07:41 PM

Zoosermom:

Just got home in time to read both your rant and the update. I'm so relieved your D managed to put her teacher's email out of her head! Very impressive young woman. Well done. Give her a big hug.

zoosermom · 05-09-2008, 08:29 PM

Thanks Marite, I will do that very thing!

momof3sons · 05-09-2008, 08:45 PM

Good for your D, zoosermom! What could have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for this teacher? Sounds like quite an overreaction. A virtual pat on the back for your D.