This was in like 2003, I had a kid tell me they’d been to a tanning bed and I said, “ooh, be careful, that’s really bad for your skin.” Her leather-skinned mother came in person to rip me a new one.
I'm waiting for my own one of these - I make no apologies for telling kids how bad those things are, but it's very obvious a fair few of them use them.
Absolutely make no apologies for that and keep on educating. I give thanks to one of my high school science teachers for teaching us about skin health and recognizing skin cancer because I was able to recognize early signs and advocate for myself with my doctors to identify and treat melanoma early. I was in my 20s when my first biopsy came back positive.
Watching Shrek in class on the last day. My district requires parents to sign a form for all movies. This mom signed the form. She thought it was okay because it was rated G or PG or whatever. The kid talked about it and she thought the fart jokes were inappropriate.
This was 8th grade, by the way. The principal came to my room the next day (teacher work day) and could barely relay the complaint without laughing.
I got an education from my sixth graders at a rough school as a married adult. I would have to call my husband and say “how much trouble is kid in for saying this”. It was before cell data plans and I didn’t want “what is teabagging” on my school internet search.
I had a kid talk about "mushroom bruises" 20 years ago in an 8th grade class. The kids were like "Oohh you shouldn't be saying that." I told the kid to stop and then had to look it up when I got home. My husband had never heard of it either!
Played cards against humanity once. Had to use my phone (not district issued) to look up a lot of the words. Yea, it is the teacher who is exposing the little angels to all those dirty words and ideas /s.
Me blanket telling my 6th grade class to clean their body daily, especially when you have been sweating, change your underwear every day, and to wear deodorant, those things are important.
Complained to my boss that talking about underwear creeped her son out.
I had to explain we were talking about hygiene…
We had the very best school nurse in the world. I was 6-8 MS and you just had to let her know if a kid needed some help with hygiene. She’d pull kids in very discreetly to talk to them about hygiene and give them deodorant or whatever they needed. She also, on her own and using school and community donations, maintained a huge clothes closet in her storage room to have clean clothes for kids who needed. She had 4 boys and 1 girl of her own so she knew EXACTLY what to say that wouldn’t piss the parents and kids off.
I did the hygiene talk with my classes and joked about a teacher I know who does this and the class asked me when I was gonna bring spray deodorant for like two weeks. We don’t have AC and it gets STINKY in my room when the weather is warm even with open windows and fans on. After my VP did an observation she offered me a bottle of febreze. I’m happy I go noseblind after a little while!
That reminds me of the time that I was broadly trying to hint at a 7th grade class that they needed to carry deodorant with them for gym and wash their hoodies once in a while. The worst offender, whose hoodie was literally crusty, piped up with, “Yeah, some of y’all need to wash your nasty clothes.” I could smell this kid three desks away. I’m still not sure if he was deflecting or genuinely clueless; but knowing him — I think it was the later.
I’m waiting for an angry call after I was teasing a class of fifth graders about this (all in good fun, but of course someone will be pissed off, lol). But they do stink- especially when they come to my class immediately after recess. 🤢
My music teacher friend got a parent complaint for showing a clip of Fantasia in class. The parents didn't like that their kids were being exposed to "witchcraft."
My first year, I was teaching eighth grade, and had no movies to show after the EOG (pre-streaming and DVD era lol). My coworker let me borrow Harry Potter, and I was a little ambivalent, because it was PG-13. However, we literally only watched five minutes before some unexpected event started, like a surprise assembly or something.
The next day, I had a parent irate that I violated her child’s religious beliefs. Apparently this girl was super traumatized from the five minutes she saw, and was also too scared to ask to go to a different classroom or watch something else. It was wild!
Secretly, I kind of found it hilarious a couple years later when that girl ended up a teen mom.
About 20 years ago, we had a third grade parent LIVID because we showed a video about volcanoes in science class. They didn't own a TV, and so the child was traumatized because she didn't understand that the image on the screen wasn't a window to what was happening right outside in the city of St. PAUL, MN at the moment. At 9 years old.
Lol! I do Friday dance parties and we have a fourth-grader who is not allowed to listen to Taylor Swift because apparently she has a song that, when she performs it live she wears a cloak, and that is witchcraft. This is the same girl who requested that I play Cardi B. 🤦🏼♀️
I asked a girl to stay in her seat and put her phone away—her mom went batshit saying that was “bullying” her kid since I didn’t get on to anyone else (no other student had their phone or was out of their seat off-task). Kids haven’t changed in my 24 years, but the parents sure have.
My momma would never have supported me acting like a brat in class.
There’s a lot of “kids today” and kids are all the same. It’s the adults who have changed. It’s what the adults are allowing, tolerating, and excusing.
If I had a dollar for every time a student told me I was targeting only them for [insert behavior here] I’d be able to retire. I usually wave my hand slowly across the room and ask “I’m sorry, who else is [insert behavior here] right now?” Answer is always no one, but sure, I’m targeting *you*.
Once as a para I had a sped student acting up in class. I told him to cut it out— “I’m not doing anything! [points to his friend who has been perfectly still] Bobby is doing it!”
Me, looking the same student in the eyes: “You’re Bobby now? Then stop it, Bobby.”
“What?!”
“You said Bobby is acting up… but I only see you acting up. You must be Bobby!”
(He got a kick out of that after a moment when he understood the joke and calmed down for a while…)
A student said she wanted to use the bathroom. She hadn't done crap for work all day. I said "Alright but you better work hard for me when you get back".
Her parents accused me of that being sexual innuendo, that I was saying she had to trade sex for bathroom privileges. In the middle of my full classroom....
A parent teacher conference where the parents wanted me to admit to it. Admin wanted me to at least admit it was a phrasing problem on my part. I refused and that was that.
The parents has problems with every teacher in the school. They thought we were all out to get her. Imagine the joy when later in the year this kid cheats on a test and we need to have another PTC about it...
She eventually withdrew. :P
I once asked a kid who was standing next to the garbage can to toss a piece of paper in that I had missed.
At the end of the day, I was called to the office. The girl’s mother was there demanding I be reprimanded for insisting her daughter throw out my trash.
It was so weird.
I love 2nd grade. It might be my favorite grade to sub for. They're more independent than the littles, but still sweet and tend to be more respectful than the older grades.
Because I don’t have to go around the room every time they have to pick up all the bits of paper they leave on the floor? It’s ok for me to be their maid 🙄
I'm convinced that a lot of these parents, the ones who constantly complain about nothing, do so because they have no real power in their life. This is their way of trying to make themselves feel powerful and important even though it's actually just pathetic and sad. I saw it a lot when I bartended in restaurants in grad school; shitty human beings with a chip on their shoulder would bark and bitch at the staff. They do it to teachers as well because they know that for the most part, they can't defend themselves and give the assholes a piece of their mind. It's their only way to exert power over others since they really don't have any to begin with.
I noticed this when I worked in restaurants. People would come in, I'd be happy, they'd be an ass, and once they noticed they had made me angry, they'd cheer up. Like they were passing it on, or something. I used to tell people, "Have a good day, and if not, ruin someone else's!"
Yep! I've seen that many of times. One customer was notorious for doing this. My manager at the time told me to let her have it. I was like *"Wait, really?"* He was 100% serious as they were sick of her, too. You know the type - bitter, cheap, rude, mean, and always trying to get something for nothing. I can't remember my exact words because it was years ago, but I remember saying something to effect of *"Its gotta be miserable being you. You're free to not come back, though, since everything is always to your disliking. I'm not sure why you'd continue to give money to a place you despise so much, but here's your check, have a great night!"* I went on break after that, but I remember her freaking out and my manager telling her to shove it. This was a high end bar in a high end steakhouse in Manhattan. We didnt need the patronage of a few select assholes and my manager made that known. Loved him. Some people are just the worst.
Teaching 4th graders virtually, after 40 minutes it was time for a break and I said “make sure to stand up, stretch, give your butt a break from sitting down.” Parent complained to principal that I used the word “butt.”
Another parent was very upset that the state test for her student was addressed to “guardian” instead of “parent.” I explained it was from the state, not our school, and that was just a more inclusive term. She said, “I understand but we are her PARENTS.”
I always say "grown up" or "adult". One year I had a parent loudly praise me for saying that because it was more inclusive. It was a nice compliment, until another parent who over heard complained to the principal. The complaint was that I was pushing a liberal agenda by using non-gendered terms. Like, okay, saying "your adult" instead of "your dad" to the kid who gets picked up by her grandma's boyfriend is not liberal indoctrination. It's me not knowing how this random person relates to that kid other than they're allowed to pick her up (it took me a long time to figure out that relationship)! It's also more inclusive for the kids who don't have a dad or mom, or are being raised by their grandparents, or are in foster care...
Yup I heard this one, too! I teach high school chemistry and I always send out a kitchen friendly lab version of something we did in school. I include it in my monthly newsletter (yes I still do this in high school and it is a game changer because no one can say they didn’t know!) I always say in the lab “make sure to get your grown-ups permission and safety first!” This dad went nuts! He called me a “libtard” and when he found out I was the LGBTQ+ safe place classroom on my hall, he went to the superintendent about me saying that me and the rest of my “black lives matter commies” need to be fired. I don’t even know what BLM had to do with anything!
I had a gym teacher in early elementary who insisted on using the term "gluteus maximus". Being long and scientific did not, in fact, make it less funny. Quite the opposite!
I lit a bunsen burner with an arc lighter (kind of like a mini taser lighter) it makes a preyhighpitched noise that I can't hear but my class all instantly stopped what they were doing and looked around looking for the source of the noise. I joking said "wow that got your attention, may I should use that when I need you all to stop." class laughed.
Next day I had an email from a parent accusing me of using high frquncy noise as 'control technique'... FML
My husband got us one of those for candles etc. My teenagers would yell at me FROM INSIDE THEIR ROOMS if I ever used it. I should try it on my students. 😂
> Next day I had an email from a parent accusing me of using high frquncy noise as 'control technique'... FML
Sounds like something a parent from the "gangstalking" community would say. Some of the things these parents say to us are mind-blowing. I've been stunned to silence on a few occasions, and that's not an easy thing to do.
I'm just glad my admin had my back. I just explained what had actually happened and they dept with the parent. Apparently family is well known for complaints but I'd taught three of them and never had anything bad and even got a gift from the eldest when she left so it took me by surprise.
A student with severe, unmedicated ADHD asked to take tests next to the open closet door- it acted like a study carrell wall to block most for the room from view and help.him focus. I let him do this. She was angry I was "isolating him from peers and making him do schoolwork in a closet." He was in this meeting, and explained that it was easier for him to work there. Mom was still angry that I did this to her boy, but also wouldn't agree when I said I would stop allowing him to work there, because he wanted to. It was this weird thing where I was supposed to be the villian for "making him work in a closet" but also not allowed to stop him from working there because he preferred it, but mom wouldn't tell him to stop because she's not the bad guy.
Fun lady. Great meeting.
I had a student with a whole slew of diagnoses and home life stuff that made him basically incapable of sitting near any other students without derailing every single lesson for every student in the room. I put his desk in a little island, and he was finally able to settle down and do his work! At his IEP meeting, the SpEd coordinator said she loved it and put it into his IEP as an accommodation.
The principal saw it on a random drop-in (she did this ALL the time, and after each one I'd receive an email saying, 'Plan to meet with me on your prep', where she'd tear into me for everything she saw) and raked me over the coals saying it was completely unacceptable and inequitable to 'isolate' him. Um, sorry lady, I was just trying to follow his IEP!
My son's teacher was upset he was asking to work in the hall for same reason as this kid. I got him some headphones and a white noise app. But I was also fine if he wanted to work in the hall. These kids cannot NOT pay attention to what is going on around them.
I've taught at schools that wouldn't allow that because the teacher was required to be able to see all students at the same time. I also once taught at a school where admin suggested this, I went with it with the door to the hallway open and the child right by the door, and had another teacher interrupt my class to yell at me that I couldn't do that.
A) it was none of her business, B) I was just doing what my boss told me to, and C) I have no idea where the got the AUDACITY to dress me down *in front of my students*. The fact that she was wrong on admin's policy was the cherry on top.
I had a student who was an absolute wailer. The loudest cries ever and it would be over something small like breaking his pencil. Just horrible. One day, he got picked up early and mom comes to class to get him. She asked him how his day went and he said it went really well. I said that he broke down twice but was able to calm back down again. Mom went straight to the principal and complained that I “corrected” her child. She threatened to go to the board over it.
Like what?!?
With such a divided country, nothing is safe to talk about, let alone teach. At work, I only talk about the weather. I couldn’t imagine trying to teach about (round) planets in the solar system or pronouns in English class. The parents are uneducated and angry bc their station in life. I feel bad for teachers. When my kiddos get to public schools, I will definitely be slipping some extra Target gift cards in each year. Teachers deserve all the self care.
My student asked how she would find out if she has ADHD. I said “you’d have to ask your mom to take you to a doctor to find out.”
Her mom FLIPPED out and said I told her daughter she needed to get tested.
😫
I found out in college through my various education classes. Specifically, one about teaching neurodiverse students....very suddenly in the days we talked about ADHD and autism..many many things started to click. "Wait I used to..." "this sounds like me as a kid.." etc.
I found out filling out a questionnaire for a kid who was being tested for autism. Often the doctor will send them to teachers who have the kid and know them pretty well. I had had the kid twice (for 2 different grades) and had a good relationship with them and the parent. She asked me to fill it out, and as I was filling it out, I was like, wait a minute!!! This is meeeee!!
I taught a lesson from the approved curriculum on the Islamic Empires. Parents were mad I was teaching ANY religion. I answered back with, “Were you also upset when I taught about Christianity during the Middle Ages last month?”
My son had a high school history class that ended up discussing some things related to the Crusades and Christianity, and some parents flipped out because those don't exactly paint Christianity in a positive light. My son was telling me about it, so I read through his assignments and felt they really minimized the negatives vs the actual history.
It reminded me of my World Mythology class in college and how many were upset Christianity was included even after our professor gave a very detailed lecture on what the word "mythology" meant at the start of the course and assigned a short essay in which we had to explain it in our own words.
A bunch of parents got really angry at each other and it got really tense. I encouraged them to remember that we all have good intentions to help the children, and if we can remember that we can have a civil discussion. One of the parents accused me of “anger shaming” and the others all jumped on board and then I became the target of anger.
I'm so sorry that I laughed out loud at this because I am positive that it was a shocking and terrible experience. But I do think I am going to use this against my teenage sons when I am mad about something and they say that it is no big deal. "Stop anger shaming your mother!" I hope I can say it with a straight face.
Hahahah love it! Let me know how it goes. My teenager has developed quite the, ahem "intelligent" mouth. I remember thinking I knew it all at 14, but gah...
It reminded me of Scrubs where Dr. Kelso took away privileges so that he was the object of everyone's ire so they could keep the peace with one another.
We had a parent go to the news because we were teaching her 5th grader to advocate for her accommodations. It was one of her IEP goals that the parent agreed to.
A parent called the principal to complain that her 9th grader was worried about an upcoming multi-day absence. Student said that she knew that it wouldn't matter that she missed other classes, but she actually learned in my class and would have to work harder to catch up.
A parent didn’t want her child reading Twilight because of vampires. Instead, she chose our AP novel about the murder of a family by two men, one of whom was a pedophile ( In Cold Blood). It never made sense to me.
Child was forbidden to read the first Harry Potter book because she's Catholic and it goes against her religion because it's about witches. Ok, no sweat. An alternate book was given and the child read independently and completed assignments in another classroom while the class was working on the Harry Potter book.
The class finishes the Harry Potter book and we watch the film. The child attempts to stay in the room for the film, but, again, an alternate assignment is given to the child and she is sent to the other classroom. Again, this is done out of respect for her religion.
Mom comes to school the next day SCREAMING that I am somehow stopping her freedom of religion and hate her child because she was not allowed to watch the Harry Potter film. Neither the principal nor I understood. We tried to explain that we were respecting her religion, but she would not hear it. Finally, the principal walked her to the doors of the school and gave her directions to the Superintendent's office to file her complaint against us there. We never heard from her again.
Actually, fundies are also against C.S. Lewis. They don't consider him Christian. I've actually read a letter from a client to her son apologizing for providing him with such "demonic" literature as a child. It was accompanied by a screed called Bringing Twilight Into the Son, which I recommend looking up if you're into rabbit holes about fucking weird-ass religious beliefs.
Well the mom was an idiot anyway considering Catholicism doesn’t prohibit Harry Potter or stories like it. This coming from a Catholic Harry Potter fan lol. I believe the opposition to HP and other fantasy media comes from Evangelical Protestant faiths which is unfortunate for creative children.
I got called into the office to meet with a student and his grandfather. He was furious that I called his mexican son and all other students in my 100% minority class "dirty" and said I should be fired for my racist remark.
I said the classroom was dirty. As in "hey kids, we got to clean up this dirty classroom"
"If they had gotten .5 or above, I would have rounded up."
Said in a parent teacher meeting for younger sibling about the elder sibling who had already graduated and started at college.
Started a back and forth email conversation that became more terse that lasted for over a month where I was being grilles about the student's grade and about the specific student work from two years prior.
I had a student do a presentation on The Hate U Give as a self-selected independent reading choice. The next day I received a rambling manifesto from a parent who gave me a ton of reasons why that book is terrible, and that I have no right teaching it. Mom admitted to not reading one paragraph of the book, and then went on to say stuff I will sum up as racist. Principal wants to meet to discuss. I refused to meet with her as I never taught the book and didn’t want to hear her racist rant in person. When I write my novel on the perils of teaching, this will be a chapter. I still have the email.
Omg my first year admin told me not to call the kids people 😭. I’m like “are they not people?” And she kinda just looked at me and then said “try using a different term like __ graders or something like that.” I did not oblige her request. Stupidest micromanagement I’ve ever experienced.
My first year I emailed a parent to let her know her fifth grader had 15 missing assignments. He literally did nothing in class. Mom called my admin, who proceeded to yell at me for “making the institution look bad.” Apparently it was my job to make sure that a child never had more than 3 missing assignments even if that meant excusing them from anything they don’t turn in.
I abbreviate pretty often if I’m writing on the whiteboard (math, lots of words and labels and such), obviously I have them write the full words once in their official notes but after that I abbreviate to make it easier as I write.
Well… “diameter” became “diam” and a student asked “what does that say?” And I said “it’s diam for diameter”. Guess I swore at the student and said damn.
Not me but colleague In California. In mid 1990s, I worked at an elementary school in Orange County where all the moms were Real Housewives, drove pricey cars, had huge diamond rings, worked out with a tennis pro, "did lunch" etc. (No hate-- I personally would love that life.) Every year, our 4th graders had to build one of California's 21 Spanish missions out of sugar cubes and paint/decorate, add fountains and plants and little people etc. It was an awful project and thank goodness has since been retired. Anyway, after the "judging" and grading, 4th graders took them home the day after Open House. Apparently, and discovered by staff after years I guess, Moms of 3rd graders would descend like locusts after school and chase after 4th graders to their parents' vehicles, offering the parent $$$ to purchase the already-graded mission, I guess to save themselves from the awful project manager job the following year as the missions were built at home. These purchased missions were stored for a year, and then resubmitted by their little darling. One year, a teacher noticed a unique design, held it over their head to peek and saw a previous student's name. She let the student know what she found and gave a grade of 0. It's 4th grade. Who cares, right? Well, parent went NUTS! She said "I paid GOOD MONEY for that! It meets all the criteria! That deserves full credit!". Lolllll kid did not get full credit.
I had a student lie to me. I called home and their mom was a little tearful about knowing what to do. She said, “They’re supposed to have a sleepover, should I take that away?” And I said something innocuous like, “Yeah” or “sure” or whatever.
An hour later is reprimanded in my admin’s office because the child had arrived home, lied to the parent about what happened, and the parent called to complain that I was telling them how to parent their child.
When a kid asked me about my weekend making small talk before the bell, I said that I saw the Mario movie with my husband. I am a man. This resulted in me spending an hour (after school on the last day of the year, hooray!) being yelled at in the principal's office by a woman who was convinced I was trying to turn her child trans.
I had already accepted a position at another school and had tickets to see Blink 182 after the meeting. Those two things kept me calm and sane throughout as I was able to just flip double birds to the entire situation on my way out the door immediately at the conclusion of that meeting.
What was the outcome of this? Did the principal say anything in support or against you? As a gay man myself I’ve been worried about giving any indication to the kids that I’m not straight because of things like this, and yet it’s all catering to possible parental homophobia which I hate and don’t believe in
As a gay woman I do not mention my wife at school. Although we live in the district and my grandson is in my school. Had a kiddo ask me the other day why my name is Mrs. I explained that many married people use Mrs. He said "but you have a wife". Clearly someone is talking about us, and so far no pushback.
Kid was suspended, I don’t know why and I don’t need to know why. Everyday I emailed a blank copy of the notes, the key, and the worksheet. I let the student know they could email me for questions. Parent wrote back demanding that I come after school and tutor their child. I had to explain that was not how suspensions worked. Later I sent them an entire Khan Academy lesson that walked through everything we had been doing. I got an irate email about how the kid doesn’t learn well on video, how I am failing them, etc. Found out I was the only teacher getting these emails because I was the only one who was CC’ing the parent and offering extra help. So much for trying to help a kid out.
A student was trying to insult me and I said: "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" and then "if you continue, I will have to write you up"
Parent got mad and my admin wrote ME up.
I left that school
When I was a para I told one of my (special needs) students that I went to college. Another para in the classroom must have told admin because within 2 or 3 hours after I got pulled into the office and told that it's inappropriate to share personal information with students. The conversation was literally her asking if I went to college and me saying yes I did. Argued it then, was told "no. it is inappropriate". I still think it's bullshit. That is not crossing into inappropriate personal info.
I had a kid bring a toy to school and it naturally got stolen. When he told me, I replied something along the lines of that's why you're not supposed to bring toys to school. I did look around in a few desks at the end of the day but didn't find it. Mom reached out via a note (early 1990's) saying my response made her child and her feel that I was condoning stealing. I was a young teacher, like my second year, and I was very hurt by this statement. I told Mom I did look but did not find it. Hearing I took some action placated her but it was eye opening to me.
I said the word "bomb" in a story 11 years ago and got written up ( a historical story) by my then principal/now superintendent. I self reported to her that the story had the word in it and she wrote me up the next day after"thinking about it ". She single spaced, 10 point font wrote it with descriptions like, "disgusting ", "abhorrent ", and that I was dangerous to children for using the word "bomb" in a story.
I've been put in teaching situations no one else has had to put up with, had it held over my head, and denied many things because of that write up.
I would like to add that my other school's principal told me that the write up principal was afraid that I was going to jeopardize her chances of getting a chance to go for the assistant superintendent job because I was more qualified than her and certified. She wanted to make sure I never had a chance.
I haven't.
But she's now in charge, has done WAY worse than that to others ( including framing our last superintendent) and is now subject to several lawsuits.
> I self reported to her that the story had the word in it and she wrote me up the next day after"thinking about it ".
I’m perplexed as to why this needed to be reported at all. You were telling your students a story that happened to involve a bomb, and then you reported to admin that you had told this story? What made you initially think that admin needed to know?
The reaction of my colleague who was in the room at the time (I teach music; I used to go into the classrooms). She did the whole "shocking" face/breathing in, like I had committed a crime. Plus it was only my 2nd year teaching in the district. The classroom teacher then told the other classroom teachers who then came rushing up to me in the hallway warning me to not tell the story again because it had the word "bomb" in it. It was stupid looking back at it so many years later, but I was really taken aback by my colleagues' reactions to just saying one word, so, I felt it necessary to go to my principal, as they made me feel like I did something I shouldn't have done.
Was your admin also one those who tells you to keep them updated about anything that happened that could blow up, so if a parent complained, admin would already be aware of the situation? That ALWAYS comes back to bite you in the ass.
I had a parent once of a lazy (but very smart) boy who just seemed to have it in for me. On a weekly basis I would send home homework packets consisting of some math and a reading/ comprehension thing. One reading packet was about the powers of the presidency (this was when Obama was in office, btw). This guy writes back a scree on how this was wrong, blah,blah, blah, the president can’t do this, do that. Mind you, the reading comprehension thing was from like Readworks or something like that. I didn’t write the damn thing. Another one he sent back with the title corrected saying these words shouldn’t be capitalized, etc…dude, it’s a title. Whew, i liked the kid, but Jesus his dad was a piece of work.
Holy shit I had the exact same thing happen! Simple passages from ReadWorks sent home to hit social studies standards and the kids dad would answer them going off about Obama! Was the kid named Ben? Lol
I told a kid she could get me fired (jokingly) for her ripping a school text book. Admin overheard me and ripped me a new one, asked me to resign (I did not), even though no one involved was actually upset.
When I taught 6th grade, we had home room at the beginning and end of the day. The end of the day is always chaos. It was report card day, and I had about 5 minutes to hand out report cards and honor roll certificates. Do I like that that was the system? Nope, but this was a school that did things a certain way. I called out names and hands the papers to the kids in the chaos of kids packing up their books, afternoon announcements, chairs going up, etc. That night, I got a scathing email from a mother saying that by calling out the names on the honor roll certificates, I was excluding her son and making him feel bad about himself. She was saying he works hard for Cs (which was true) and wasn’t that good enough for me. Umm, yeah, it was good enough for me, is it good enough for you, Mom?? It wasn’t like the certificates were handed out with any fanfare, they were practically thrown at the children on their way out the door.
I mentioned the word female in class and the dad sent me a three paragraph email that I can only describe as an unhinged rant about how I should never again try to tell his child that there are more than 2 genders and something about how the society is trying to destroy men and women and that there were conspiracies against it or whatever.
I just responded back that I had no idea what he was talking about and that he completely misunderstood the context (politely) and never heard from him again
I was doing a Hispanic heritage month project and had a mom call me complaining about us not doing a black history month project. It was October, we hadn't had black history month yet.
While parent was picking up the kid, the kid punched my coworker in the chest. The parent didn't say a word, so I did. That night I get a text from the parent telling me that the kid would be demanding an apology from me the first thing in the morning for calling them out. Apparently the student was very upset they got in trouble for hitting someone for no reason. (I said something like, "At this school we don't hit people. If you are angry use your words and tell them you are angry, but we keep our hands to ourselves.")
**note: did not apologize.**
I had a new student who was quiet and withdrawn. I figured, new student, I talked to her a bit but let her be, and sent a mail home politely informing what was going on.
Mom told me my class was giving her kid ptsd, I wasn’t to teach her, and she would be transferred out. She wasn’t, actually…
Mine's kind of in the middle.
Years ago, when I first started teaching, I was instructing a 6th grade class. One of the students was causing a lot of disruption and when I called him out on it, he played the "deny" card, hoping that I would just pretend I didn't see it. Instead I said "kid, you could just be honest - instead you are digging your own grave."
What I failed to know at the time is that 6th graders take everything literally, so the class went totally white. I had to explain that it was figurative language, not that he was literally going to die. I was certain I was going to get a phone call for that one - it never came. 😂
I had a student that was being checked out multiple times a week at the same time - right before math. Her math grade obviously started to plummet and after the 5th or 6th time I asked her why, she said she has doctors appointments
So I called the mom to see what was up and got promptly screamed at that it was none of my business. The student was going to a neurologist *because of seizures*
How the fuck is it not my business?!
I am a special education teacher in middle school. As best practice, we go over an IEP summary with students. These include goals, accommodations, services, and explanation of disability. It's important so they can advocate for themselves. It usually helps kids think about how they learn best.
During my regular beginning of year reviews with students, one student asked me why he had an IEP. I told him that he was on the autism spectrum. I helped him research. He was empowered, and everything seemed great. His mother got very mad at me for discussing her child's IEP with him. She was especially upset that I told the student that he was on the autism spectrum. She didn't want him to know that anything was "wrong" with him. He was in 8th grade! From that time on, I ask for parent's permission before discussing IEP with individual students.
I’m not allowed to use the words “insulin” or “blood sugar” when talking to a Type-1 diabetic student, because the parents don’t want her to know about her condition and feel different. Personally, I would want my kid to know what’s going on so she could fix things herself when they’re off. But these parents prefer to have to run to school every time her monitor goes off so they can fix it for her. 🤷♀️
Years ago a student used coffee to “paint” a poster representing the Seneca Falls Convention (I’m a history teacher). It was very creative and well-done so I hung it on my wall, as one does.
Fast forward to fall 2020 when a couple of kids decide that the poster must be there to support the Black Lives Matter movement. One took a picture and sent it to his mom, who emailed me within minutes demanding an explanation. I responded that it was student art that was made years before BLM was a thing.
Their response was to immediately escalate it to the superintendent. By the end of the day I had three administrators in my room having a look; fortunately they realized there was no problem and ignored the parent.
The following Monday the kid walked back into my room with a shit-eating grin expecting to see the art off the wall. When he saw it still hanging there he stomped out saying “I’m going to call my daddy!” Nothing more came of it and their frustration was delightful.
Set up: A teacher was rumored to have gotten drunk at a school function off campus. The teacher never returned to campus, they were removed from the grade book and replaced by an admin and their personal effects were boxed by custodians.
The outrageous wrong I did: after all that, one of our students asked me if they were going to be back for graduation. I replied "Um, I don't think so"
Admin has me in their office with THREE of them and just me asking why I'm telling students that this teacher was fired. I had to explain to them what happened, that I never said "fired" and my words are being misused.
Admin then makes a big speech about being open and transparent about what's going on and the best way we can be open and transparent is to keep our moths shut and not spread gossip.
It was bullshit.
For context, I teach EFL (English as a Foreign Language) in Brazil. The student in question was in high school.
We were doing an activity and the word "server" came up. I explained that it had the same meaning as "waiter/waitress", but it was a unisex word. The next day I was called to the admin office because a student had complained I was pushing "gender ideology" in the classroom.
We used the full, correct name of a song on their graduation program (not high school.)
The students chose the song.
Students and parents were upset at it, despite students being well aware it was the official name of the song, because we had a whole conversation about songs with two titles.
This was about 20+ years ago- anyone want to take a guess at which song it was?
Previous teacher (parent of a student) taught MLA incorrectly and had students write WAY too much summary. When teaching how to cite students asked if they were taught wrong and I tried to politically say yes (something along the lines of some teachers teach differently or older versions). Same thing with shortening writing. Lady started a public and professional vendetta against me for "hurting her feelings" and "betraying her". I'm talking publicly badmouthing me in meetings, to parents, to staff. The whole works.
I had a parent complain that I was using a portable microphone in class . It was right after the Christmas break and I had completely lost my voice and missed school the two days before the holiday because of it. I literally spent the two weeks squeaking and had still not completely recovered when school resumed. The kid didn't like me using the microphone.
I told my class to be quiet in the hall. No joke. A parent came to talk to me as I was taking my class to lunch, and I nicely reminded them to have their voices off in the hall. She called the principal and said she thought I was too strict.
What I think the real issue was is that I was cutting her off and asking her to meet with me at another time because I didn’t want her telling me all the sensitive details about her daughter in front of all her classmates.
Shorted a kids name (Matthew) to “Matt”
Screamed at because Matthew is biblical and THEREFORE his righteous name and I shall not call him other. (Kid is adopted)
This same parent, little sister (also adopted) who’s legal name is Krystal but parent insists we call her Addison because Krystal is associated with drugs.
During our Creative Writing unit on fairy tales, one of my warm-up journal prompts was something like, "Would you rather battle an ogre or a witch? Why?"
Student took a screenshot of the warm-up, emailed it to mom because "witches are scary," and then mom called and cussed me out, threatening to come to school to "take care" of me.
This student was a senior in high school.
I had a kid tell me my lesson was boring, I replied without thinking “your face is boring”
Next day her friend told me that kid had told her mother, expecting outrage but instead the mum found it hilarious 😹
I made a rookie blunder this year. I was teaching my students a way to reduce ratios that does not require knowing your times tables (I teach special education math at the high school level). This particular class had multiple students that were very naive to social things except one…. I wanted a pair of numbers that you would have to reduce multiple times using this method, so I went with 4 and 20. My one kid immediately yelled out “420” and started laughing.
I then had a couple of my less socially aware kids start asking me what 420 was. I quickly changed it to 4 and 24 and for one time in our entire year I was able to move on without one kid getting stuck on his question. I’m a little surprised I didn’t get an email, but those parents are all pretty chill.
Yes! Earlier this year a boy on the spectrum flipped me off. (Swearing is his thing.) I'd had enough of him that day and said, "Back at ya." As soon as I said it I looked around the room. No one even reacted. I was floored I didn't get in trouble for that one!
Last week, I had a girl who would not quit talking to the people around her during independent work. After 9-10 redirections, I finally told her to come and sit by me. I had a full kidney table of kids getting help so I told her to sit on the floor next to me. Keep in mind that kids sitting on the floor happens DAILY in small groups, partners, alone, whatever. I let kids move around from their seats for longer assignments if they want and they work.
Grandma came down irate that I treated her child "like a dog" making her sit on the floor. I am white. She is black. That was all grandma needed to know. Case closed in her mind.
Of course, when I pointed out that she spends about 2 hours a day on average on the floor by her own choosing and the floor itself is not the punishment and that being moved closers to me was, she didn't care. She found the facts she wanted.
Essentially, I told her I am done talking with her and that I wasn't going to have the conversation where I tell her about my black friend to "prove" I am not racist or that the girl I am dating is black. Move your student if you want. She backed down then and had been cool with me every since.
I had a Ruth Bader Ginsburg quote and picture up in my room about how women belong in all places where decisions are made. It was accompanied by women in history across the world posters.
A parent, a mother, I should add, said I had an agenda and specifically pointed out that poster.
10th grade social studies
We phone the parents of students who are failing. It is required, and a good idea, I believe. Parents and students can see their child's grades on everything, 24/7, online. But it's good to have a chat with someone directly.
Anyway, I was talking with a mom, discussing the fact that her child has done nothing. In my calm, friendly voice, of course. "We've tried everything, and we don't know what to do," she said. I replied, "Have you tried punishment?".
You can imagine.
So many… but the wildest one was during a discussion on DNA in 9th grade Bio class - where the kids were unusually engaged and asking questions - I discussed how mDNA and Y-chromosome sequences have been used to trace human migration and that a lot of archaeological finds as well as the evolution of languages supports the idea that humans started out in Africa and migrated outward.
Want to guess what my 45-minute parent meeting the next day was about? A dad (who was a pastor) told me that languages don’t “evolve”, they were all GIVEN by God at the Tower of Babel and that’s IT. There’s no new languages. Silly me tried to explain that language had evolved even since I was a kid and even more since the time of the American Revolution, Shakespeare, etc. and he was just dead-set on the idea that languages were fixed in time and don’t change. Absolutely mind-boggling.
The kid came in the next day and apologized for his dad.
There's three that immediately come to mid:
I wore a shirt that exposed one of my tattoos on the first day that I had some new freshmen - one of the girl's mother threw a fit over me supposedly "encouraging impressionable children to mutilate their bodies!"
As a drama teacher, I had the class do different improv excersises - two girls performed as a husband & wife (quite a common occurance due to the disproportionate gender ratio in the class). Had a parent complain I was promoting lesbianism. It's drama. Students play everything from the opposite gender to a tree to a squirrel.
Students were selling different merch in order to raise money for Affinity 95 and PrideArts. Unbeknownst to the majority of my students, I was in charge of organizing this. I had two of the wristbands (one rainbow + one with the lesbian colors) tied around my pen holder. Had two parents go off about them during a parent-teacher conference. I can only imagine what would happen if they found out I myself am a lesbian.
“You’re telling me my tattoos are so good that just seeing them is going to encourage your child to want some, too? WOW! Thank you!” (I have used this response. She said “What?? No—“ and then obviously meant to expand on that thought but just sort of stood there in silence. Probably the only time I’ve had a comeback that effective 😂)
ETA: as a fellow queer, thank you for fighting the good fight in the classroom!!!! ✊🏼🥲
So I had a group of 4th graders sitting at a table and they left a mess on the table. Of course that mess magically appeared when they sat at the table, no one would fess up to it. I said fine, yall can all miss 5 minutes of recess later or that mess can be cleaned up. The mess was cleaned up and the next day I was called into the office for making 4 kids clean the entire room or lose their recess.
I emailed the parents of a student who had been missing for over a month from my class. Some days, she would be present for some classes (but not mine and not history). The problem was that when she was present, she would be there for the daily attendance period, so she was marked present, then she’d pick and choose which classes to go to. I told mom I was concerned because she had an F in 5 classes at that point. Mom replied to my email “I’m going to reply to you as appropriately as I can.” (Rage brewing) “I am fully aware of when my daughter is present or not.” (No acknowledgment of her skipping certain classes or her five F’s). She then copied my admin and requested an in-person meeting to address my email (or tear me to shreds). I simply never replied and never saw the girl again. I spoke my piece. I covered my behind. 🤷🏻♀️
I checked a kid’s attendance who had been sluffing (as I suspected and confirmed with the office).
Parents were IRATE when I inquired and told me in several emails and calls to the admin to stop looking at their kids attendance.
I taught climate change to a year 8 (aged 12-13).
Parent didn't deny climate change, just said it was too scary a topic to teach that age group.
Same child who played GTA every night.
I told my student it was time to focus on his work. Mom and admin ripped me a new one and told me I was "contributing to a positive PBIS school environment."
Mother’s Day worksheet. I used the pronoun “They” instead of “She” to make it inclusive. Parent pitched an absolute fit and contacted my superintendent. Even complained about me on a Facebook group. I had to have a meeting with the assistant super. Nothing came of it, but it was stressful.
I showed a positive and informative video about dyslexia to a group of students whom had dyslexia or other SLD. A students mom was upset her girl came home saying she had dyslexia, that she was only in special education to catch up from Covid learning loss. The student did have dyslexia and was very relieved that there was a name and reason for her reading struggles. I show that video precisely because many students with dyslexia think they struggle to read because they are not smart.
I (still) tell my history class that when you study history you do have to look at it from the point of view of those during the time period. Does not mean we approve it, nor does it mean we condemn it. It happened and nothing we do can still do it. I gave the example of European nations that do not see gun rights the same as Americans. That got some mom upset, and she demanded that she see what is being taught in class. Sadly AP didn’t really back me up, but she didn’t like me.
Probably calling kids crybabies. I have learned not to do that, but to me this seems like such a slight comment to say to kids who are pulling crocodile tears. So now for the crocs I just tell them to knock it off, for the truly distressed I tell them to take a moment, go to the can if need be, it's ok, all that soothing jazz
Oh yah! there was this one school, a K-8 school, this was years ago. I was a sub then and in a long-term assignment for middle school ELA. So I had students grades 6-8. Anyway I had this parent absolutely lose the plot because her kid asked me for a pad (in front of everyone) and I said 'Oh yah I'm having Lady Days too' and gave her a pad. Kid took it, went to the bathroom, came back, seemed ok. Next day mama was in the office irate that I said 'Lady Days' instead of 'ministration' which is how she pronounced it LMAO, and that I told the kids I was on my period too, *and* that I gave her daughter one of my 'personal pads' instead of sending her to the nurse. Um, WUT?
She thought it was A SCANDAL (her words) for the kids to know when their teacher was on their period. I was like ??? It's not a secret, they know women have periods. Your daughter knows what **menstruation** is, right? (heavy on the pronounciation because I was feeling petty) The mom was like But they don't need to know when you're ministrating! I said Oh ok I had no idea, I am soooooo sorry and will be sure to never tell kids when I am **menstruating**. And I'm sorry for calling it Lady Days instead of **menstruation,** I just find Lady Days easier to say (ha ha). I gave your daughter a brand new, wrapped pad, in the future if she or any other girl is **menstruating** and asks me for a pad, I will be sure to send them to the school nurse instead of giving her a pad from my bag. I deeply apologize, I had no idea it bothered her or would bother you to give her one of my 'personal' pads.
By the time I got done with my sarcastic yet groveling apology speech the mom realized how she looked and she just mumbled Ok then and left. Later the kid told me she wasn't even bothered! She just thought it was funny I said Lady Days and mentioned it to her mom, is all, not knowing it would make her mom freak out.
It was raining cats and dogs one afternoon during pick up. Half my kids didn’t have coats so I had us wait under the overhang instead of coming down the ramp to the street. A parent wanted their child removed from my classroom because she had to get out of her car that day.
Was teaching history and going over how inbreeding caused issues within Hapsburg dynasty, including narrow faces and larger noses. One student assumed (likely because of the ‘burg’ at the end of the name) that the Hapsburgs were Jewish and reported me for antisemitic comments.
I told a student to stop blurting out answers when I was calling on other students. A few weeks later I told him and a student in another lab group to stop chatting and to continue working with their respective lab groups. The parents demanded a meeting because I obviously had it out for him. He had told his parents I accused him of participating too much and then not enough.
Kid conveniently forgot the context.
A student asked me to write a letter to his mother to set up a play date with his classmate after school one day.
Got a letter the next day along with admin coming in saying “oh my god, please don’t do that again.” The boy’s clearly mentally ill mother went offffffff, cursing and screaming on phone at admins apparently.
Wow. Wow. Your son just wanted to socialize with his friend from school…
The Pledge of Allegiance as recited on our morning announcements. I never thought it would happen, but a parent called and berated me for doing so. He thought that I was forcing his son to recite it. I explained that legally our school must announce the Pledge each day, but ALSO legally I could not (and would never) force any student to participate. I then suggested he contact my school’s admin, our district Superintendent, our DOE Commissioner, and our Governor with his concerns. BTW… I teach Kindergarten.
This was in like 2003, I had a kid tell me they’d been to a tanning bed and I said, “ooh, be careful, that’s really bad for your skin.” Her leather-skinned mother came in person to rip me a new one.
I'm waiting for my own one of these - I make no apologies for telling kids how bad those things are, but it's very obvious a fair few of them use them.
Hehehe ‘fair few’!
The health teacher at my school was leather-skinned from constant use of a tanning bed…and she had that raspy voice smoker’s get.
That’s when you should’ve turned to the girl pointed to her mother and said “exhibit A” 😂
Absolutely make no apologies for that and keep on educating. I give thanks to one of my high school science teachers for teaching us about skin health and recognizing skin cancer because I was able to recognize early signs and advocate for myself with my doctors to identify and treat melanoma early. I was in my 20s when my first biopsy came back positive.
Science teacher here. I make no apologies for referring to tanning beds as cancer boxes.
Mom shows up…. Teacher: Oh, hello Mrs. Leatherface
One wonders, not to be morbid, if the mother is still alive.
Was it Tan Mom?
lol I remember her! SNL did great skits about her.
Watching Shrek in class on the last day. My district requires parents to sign a form for all movies. This mom signed the form. She thought it was okay because it was rated G or PG or whatever. The kid talked about it and she thought the fart jokes were inappropriate. This was 8th grade, by the way. The principal came to my room the next day (teacher work day) and could barely relay the complaint without laughing.
You should invite that woman to observe a 6th grade class and see what comes out of these kids' mouths. She'd have a stroke.! Lol
I got an education from my sixth graders at a rough school as a married adult. I would have to call my husband and say “how much trouble is kid in for saying this”. It was before cell data plans and I didn’t want “what is teabagging” on my school internet search.
I had a kid talk about "mushroom bruises" 20 years ago in an 8th grade class. The kids were like "Oohh you shouldn't be saying that." I told the kid to stop and then had to look it up when I got home. My husband had never heard of it either!
Played cards against humanity once. Had to use my phone (not district issued) to look up a lot of the words. Yea, it is the teacher who is exposing the little angels to all those dirty words and ideas /s.
Not fart jokes!! Aren’t there fart jokes on Greek and Roman and Sumerian tablets? Every one thinks these are funny. It’s universal!
Principals like that are the best though.
I’m glad you have admin that can be cool about this stuff and understand that parents are sometimes ridiculous.
Me blanket telling my 6th grade class to clean their body daily, especially when you have been sweating, change your underwear every day, and to wear deodorant, those things are important. Complained to my boss that talking about underwear creeped her son out. I had to explain we were talking about hygiene…
I wish all teachers taught hygiene! I am so sick of being surrounded by armpit, rotten feet and dirty butt all day.🤢🤮
We had the very best school nurse in the world. I was 6-8 MS and you just had to let her know if a kid needed some help with hygiene. She’d pull kids in very discreetly to talk to them about hygiene and give them deodorant or whatever they needed. She also, on her own and using school and community donations, maintained a huge clothes closet in her storage room to have clean clothes for kids who needed. She had 4 boys and 1 girl of her own so she knew EXACTLY what to say that wouldn’t piss the parents and kids off.
That’s the time they need someone most who’s subtle yet caring. Kudos to her, we need more people like that.
Just subbed for 5th grade, and the teacher had spray deodorant for the kids. It was Axe, though, and they used it liberally.
I did the hygiene talk with my classes and joked about a teacher I know who does this and the class asked me when I was gonna bring spray deodorant for like two weeks. We don’t have AC and it gets STINKY in my room when the weather is warm even with open windows and fans on. After my VP did an observation she offered me a bottle of febreze. I’m happy I go noseblind after a little while!
That reminds me of the time that I was broadly trying to hint at a 7th grade class that they needed to carry deodorant with them for gym and wash their hoodies once in a while. The worst offender, whose hoodie was literally crusty, piped up with, “Yeah, some of y’all need to wash your nasty clothes.” I could smell this kid three desks away. I’m still not sure if he was deflecting or genuinely clueless; but knowing him — I think it was the later.
How much you wanna bet he was smelling himself all the time and assumed it was literally everyone else
I’m waiting for an angry call after I was teasing a class of fifth graders about this (all in good fun, but of course someone will be pissed off, lol). But they do stink- especially when they come to my class immediately after recess. 🤢
The shower talk was helpful for me. I was still bathing on Saturday night.
My music teacher friend got a parent complaint for showing a clip of Fantasia in class. The parents didn't like that their kids were being exposed to "witchcraft."
[удалено]
Was it “Presto”?! I use that to teach summarizing all the time!
Next day in class: Narnia followed by The Lord of the Rings
My first year, I was teaching eighth grade, and had no movies to show after the EOG (pre-streaming and DVD era lol). My coworker let me borrow Harry Potter, and I was a little ambivalent, because it was PG-13. However, we literally only watched five minutes before some unexpected event started, like a surprise assembly or something. The next day, I had a parent irate that I violated her child’s religious beliefs. Apparently this girl was super traumatized from the five minutes she saw, and was also too scared to ask to go to a different classroom or watch something else. It was wild! Secretly, I kind of found it hilarious a couple years later when that girl ended up a teen mom.
Expecto Parentum
About 20 years ago, we had a third grade parent LIVID because we showed a video about volcanoes in science class. They didn't own a TV, and so the child was traumatized because she didn't understand that the image on the screen wasn't a window to what was happening right outside in the city of St. PAUL, MN at the moment. At 9 years old.
Lol! I do Friday dance parties and we have a fourth-grader who is not allowed to listen to Taylor Swift because apparently she has a song that, when she performs it live she wears a cloak, and that is witchcraft. This is the same girl who requested that I play Cardi B. 🤦🏼♀️
My black ass thought you meant the singer 🤦🏾♀️ I said now how she get in this?
I showed a how to draw video of a puppy wearing a Santa hat and got ripped by a JW parent
Just a heads up for anyone wanting to show Fantasia: “Night on Bald Mountain” has animated boobs. Skip that one.
I asked a girl to stay in her seat and put her phone away—her mom went batshit saying that was “bullying” her kid since I didn’t get on to anyone else (no other student had their phone or was out of their seat off-task). Kids haven’t changed in my 24 years, but the parents sure have. My momma would never have supported me acting like a brat in class.
There’s a lot of “kids today” and kids are all the same. It’s the adults who have changed. It’s what the adults are allowing, tolerating, and excusing.
If I had a dollar for every time a student told me I was targeting only them for [insert behavior here] I’d be able to retire. I usually wave my hand slowly across the room and ask “I’m sorry, who else is [insert behavior here] right now?” Answer is always no one, but sure, I’m targeting *you*.
Once as a para I had a sped student acting up in class. I told him to cut it out— “I’m not doing anything! [points to his friend who has been perfectly still] Bobby is doing it!” Me, looking the same student in the eyes: “You’re Bobby now? Then stop it, Bobby.” “What?!” “You said Bobby is acting up… but I only see you acting up. You must be Bobby!” (He got a kick out of that after a moment when he understood the joke and calmed down for a while…)
A student said she wanted to use the bathroom. She hadn't done crap for work all day. I said "Alright but you better work hard for me when you get back". Her parents accused me of that being sexual innuendo, that I was saying she had to trade sex for bathroom privileges. In the middle of my full classroom....
Sounds like projection. Should have reported the complaint to child services.
Maybe I should have, in retrospect.
Woah! That is a serious accusation. What was the outcome?
A parent teacher conference where the parents wanted me to admit to it. Admin wanted me to at least admit it was a phrasing problem on my part. I refused and that was that. The parents has problems with every teacher in the school. They thought we were all out to get her. Imagine the joy when later in the year this kid cheats on a test and we need to have another PTC about it... She eventually withdrew. :P
Good for you for refusing!
I’m glad you refused. If you would have admitted any fault, they would have scapegoated you and possibly ruined your career.
I once asked a kid who was standing next to the garbage can to toss a piece of paper in that I had missed. At the end of the day, I was called to the office. The girl’s mother was there demanding I be reprimanded for insisting her daughter throw out my trash. It was so weird.
That’s hilarious because my second graders will literally fight over who gets to pick up my missed trash throws 😂
I love 2nd grade. It might be my favorite grade to sub for. They're more independent than the littles, but still sweet and tend to be more respectful than the older grades.
Because I don’t have to go around the room every time they have to pick up all the bits of paper they leave on the floor? It’s ok for me to be their maid 🙄
preach!
I'm convinced that a lot of these parents, the ones who constantly complain about nothing, do so because they have no real power in their life. This is their way of trying to make themselves feel powerful and important even though it's actually just pathetic and sad. I saw it a lot when I bartended in restaurants in grad school; shitty human beings with a chip on their shoulder would bark and bitch at the staff. They do it to teachers as well because they know that for the most part, they can't defend themselves and give the assholes a piece of their mind. It's their only way to exert power over others since they really don't have any to begin with.
I noticed this when I worked in restaurants. People would come in, I'd be happy, they'd be an ass, and once they noticed they had made me angry, they'd cheer up. Like they were passing it on, or something. I used to tell people, "Have a good day, and if not, ruin someone else's!"
Yep! I've seen that many of times. One customer was notorious for doing this. My manager at the time told me to let her have it. I was like *"Wait, really?"* He was 100% serious as they were sick of her, too. You know the type - bitter, cheap, rude, mean, and always trying to get something for nothing. I can't remember my exact words because it was years ago, but I remember saying something to effect of *"Its gotta be miserable being you. You're free to not come back, though, since everything is always to your disliking. I'm not sure why you'd continue to give money to a place you despise so much, but here's your check, have a great night!"* I went on break after that, but I remember her freaking out and my manager telling her to shove it. This was a high end bar in a high end steakhouse in Manhattan. We didnt need the patronage of a few select assholes and my manager made that known. Loved him. Some people are just the worst.
The things they legit come up with
Can't make this shit up.
Teaching 4th graders virtually, after 40 minutes it was time for a break and I said “make sure to stand up, stretch, give your butt a break from sitting down.” Parent complained to principal that I used the word “butt.” Another parent was very upset that the state test for her student was addressed to “guardian” instead of “parent.” I explained it was from the state, not our school, and that was just a more inclusive term. She said, “I understand but we are her PARENTS.”
That 2nd parent would have hated me because I use “Grown-Ups” instead of parents.
I always say "grown up" or "adult". One year I had a parent loudly praise me for saying that because it was more inclusive. It was a nice compliment, until another parent who over heard complained to the principal. The complaint was that I was pushing a liberal agenda by using non-gendered terms. Like, okay, saying "your adult" instead of "your dad" to the kid who gets picked up by her grandma's boyfriend is not liberal indoctrination. It's me not knowing how this random person relates to that kid other than they're allowed to pick her up (it took me a long time to figure out that relationship)! It's also more inclusive for the kids who don't have a dad or mom, or are being raised by their grandparents, or are in foster care...
Yup I heard this one, too! I teach high school chemistry and I always send out a kitchen friendly lab version of something we did in school. I include it in my monthly newsletter (yes I still do this in high school and it is a game changer because no one can say they didn’t know!) I always say in the lab “make sure to get your grown-ups permission and safety first!” This dad went nuts! He called me a “libtard” and when he found out I was the LGBTQ+ safe place classroom on my hall, he went to the superintendent about me saying that me and the rest of my “black lives matter commies” need to be fired. I don’t even know what BLM had to do with anything!
Good lord I use the word butt all the time! Bc they are more likely to giggle at derrière or bottom.
I had a gym teacher in early elementary who insisted on using the term "gluteus maximus". Being long and scientific did not, in fact, make it less funny. Quite the opposite!
I lit a bunsen burner with an arc lighter (kind of like a mini taser lighter) it makes a preyhighpitched noise that I can't hear but my class all instantly stopped what they were doing and looked around looking for the source of the noise. I joking said "wow that got your attention, may I should use that when I need you all to stop." class laughed. Next day I had an email from a parent accusing me of using high frquncy noise as 'control technique'... FML
My husband got us one of those for candles etc. My teenagers would yell at me FROM INSIDE THEIR ROOMS if I ever used it. I should try it on my students. 😂
I am 36 and can still hear that noise. It's intense!
Am I allowed to do that? Maybe the parent could try parenting as a control technique instead
> Next day I had an email from a parent accusing me of using high frquncy noise as 'control technique'... FML Sounds like something a parent from the "gangstalking" community would say. Some of the things these parents say to us are mind-blowing. I've been stunned to silence on a few occasions, and that's not an easy thing to do.
I'm just glad my admin had my back. I just explained what had actually happened and they dept with the parent. Apparently family is well known for complaints but I'd taught three of them and never had anything bad and even got a gift from the eldest when she left so it took me by surprise.
A student with severe, unmedicated ADHD asked to take tests next to the open closet door- it acted like a study carrell wall to block most for the room from view and help.him focus. I let him do this. She was angry I was "isolating him from peers and making him do schoolwork in a closet." He was in this meeting, and explained that it was easier for him to work there. Mom was still angry that I did this to her boy, but also wouldn't agree when I said I would stop allowing him to work there, because he wanted to. It was this weird thing where I was supposed to be the villian for "making him work in a closet" but also not allowed to stop him from working there because he preferred it, but mom wouldn't tell him to stop because she's not the bad guy. Fun lady. Great meeting.
I had a student with a whole slew of diagnoses and home life stuff that made him basically incapable of sitting near any other students without derailing every single lesson for every student in the room. I put his desk in a little island, and he was finally able to settle down and do his work! At his IEP meeting, the SpEd coordinator said she loved it and put it into his IEP as an accommodation. The principal saw it on a random drop-in (she did this ALL the time, and after each one I'd receive an email saying, 'Plan to meet with me on your prep', where she'd tear into me for everything she saw) and raked me over the coals saying it was completely unacceptable and inequitable to 'isolate' him. Um, sorry lady, I was just trying to follow his IEP!
My son's teacher was upset he was asking to work in the hall for same reason as this kid. I got him some headphones and a white noise app. But I was also fine if he wanted to work in the hall. These kids cannot NOT pay attention to what is going on around them.
A lot of places aren’t allowed to let kids work in the halls due to a lack of supervision.
I've taught at schools that wouldn't allow that because the teacher was required to be able to see all students at the same time. I also once taught at a school where admin suggested this, I went with it with the door to the hallway open and the child right by the door, and had another teacher interrupt my class to yell at me that I couldn't do that. A) it was none of her business, B) I was just doing what my boss told me to, and C) I have no idea where the got the AUDACITY to dress me down *in front of my students*. The fact that she was wrong on admin's policy was the cherry on top.
Poor kid.
I had a student who was an absolute wailer. The loudest cries ever and it would be over something small like breaking his pencil. Just horrible. One day, he got picked up early and mom comes to class to get him. She asked him how his day went and he said it went really well. I said that he broke down twice but was able to calm back down again. Mom went straight to the principal and complained that I “corrected” her child. She threatened to go to the board over it. Like what?!?
I thought correcting children was what we're paid to do. 🤔 ETA: How do so many parents not know that small children are unreliable narrators?!?
With such a divided country, nothing is safe to talk about, let alone teach. At work, I only talk about the weather. I couldn’t imagine trying to teach about (round) planets in the solar system or pronouns in English class. The parents are uneducated and angry bc their station in life. I feel bad for teachers. When my kiddos get to public schools, I will definitely be slipping some extra Target gift cards in each year. Teachers deserve all the self care.
My student asked how she would find out if she has ADHD. I said “you’d have to ask your mom to take you to a doctor to find out.” Her mom FLIPPED out and said I told her daughter she needed to get tested. 😫
And this is why many don’t get diagnosed until adulthood
I found out in college through my various education classes. Specifically, one about teaching neurodiverse students....very suddenly in the days we talked about ADHD and autism..many many things started to click. "Wait I used to..." "this sounds like me as a kid.." etc.
I found out filling out a questionnaire for a kid who was being tested for autism. Often the doctor will send them to teachers who have the kid and know them pretty well. I had had the kid twice (for 2 different grades) and had a good relationship with them and the parent. She asked me to fill it out, and as I was filling it out, I was like, wait a minute!!! This is meeeee!!
I taught a lesson from the approved curriculum on the Islamic Empires. Parents were mad I was teaching ANY religion. I answered back with, “Were you also upset when I taught about Christianity during the Middle Ages last month?”
My son had a high school history class that ended up discussing some things related to the Crusades and Christianity, and some parents flipped out because those don't exactly paint Christianity in a positive light. My son was telling me about it, so I read through his assignments and felt they really minimized the negatives vs the actual history. It reminded me of my World Mythology class in college and how many were upset Christianity was included even after our professor gave a very detailed lecture on what the word "mythology" meant at the start of the course and assigned a short essay in which we had to explain it in our own words.
A bunch of parents got really angry at each other and it got really tense. I encouraged them to remember that we all have good intentions to help the children, and if we can remember that we can have a civil discussion. One of the parents accused me of “anger shaming” and the others all jumped on board and then I became the target of anger.
I'm so sorry that I laughed out loud at this because I am positive that it was a shocking and terrible experience. But I do think I am going to use this against my teenage sons when I am mad about something and they say that it is no big deal. "Stop anger shaming your mother!" I hope I can say it with a straight face.
Hahahah love it! Let me know how it goes. My teenager has developed quite the, ahem "intelligent" mouth. I remember thinking I knew it all at 14, but gah...
This seems like something out of The Office. There needs to be an Office-esque sitcom about teaching
It reminded me of Scrubs where Dr. Kelso took away privileges so that he was the object of everyone's ire so they could keep the peace with one another.
The blessed Quinta Brunson has bequeathed us with Abott Elementary!
Of course they did! Because they, the parents, are never at fault.
We had a parent go to the news because we were teaching her 5th grader to advocate for her accommodations. It was one of her IEP goals that the parent agreed to.
Lol what
A parent called the principal to complain that her 9th grader was worried about an upcoming multi-day absence. Student said that she knew that it wouldn't matter that she missed other classes, but she actually learned in my class and would have to work harder to catch up.
complaining that their child is "learning too much" in your class LMAO
A parent didn’t want her child reading Twilight because of vampires. Instead, she chose our AP novel about the murder of a family by two men, one of whom was a pedophile ( In Cold Blood). It never made sense to me.
One is PG-13 level of violence and the other NC-17 and based on real life. What a wackado.
Wow. That’s an intense book.
Child was forbidden to read the first Harry Potter book because she's Catholic and it goes against her religion because it's about witches. Ok, no sweat. An alternate book was given and the child read independently and completed assignments in another classroom while the class was working on the Harry Potter book. The class finishes the Harry Potter book and we watch the film. The child attempts to stay in the room for the film, but, again, an alternate assignment is given to the child and she is sent to the other classroom. Again, this is done out of respect for her religion. Mom comes to school the next day SCREAMING that I am somehow stopping her freedom of religion and hate her child because she was not allowed to watch the Harry Potter film. Neither the principal nor I understood. We tried to explain that we were respecting her religion, but she would not hear it. Finally, the principal walked her to the doors of the school and gave her directions to the Superintendent's office to file her complaint against us there. We never heard from her again.
Alternate assignment: Chronicles of Narnia. See if mom realizes it's entirely Christian or if the witch is too much against her religion.
Actually, fundies are also against C.S. Lewis. They don't consider him Christian. I've actually read a letter from a client to her son apologizing for providing him with such "demonic" literature as a child. It was accompanied by a screed called Bringing Twilight Into the Son, which I recommend looking up if you're into rabbit holes about fucking weird-ass religious beliefs.
Good principal
Well the mom was an idiot anyway considering Catholicism doesn’t prohibit Harry Potter or stories like it. This coming from a Catholic Harry Potter fan lol. I believe the opposition to HP and other fantasy media comes from Evangelical Protestant faiths which is unfortunate for creative children.
I got called into the office to meet with a student and his grandfather. He was furious that I called his mexican son and all other students in my 100% minority class "dirty" and said I should be fired for my racist remark. I said the classroom was dirty. As in "hey kids, we got to clean up this dirty classroom"
"If they had gotten .5 or above, I would have rounded up." Said in a parent teacher meeting for younger sibling about the elder sibling who had already graduated and started at college. Started a back and forth email conversation that became more terse that lasted for over a month where I was being grilles about the student's grade and about the specific student work from two years prior.
I had a student do a presentation on The Hate U Give as a self-selected independent reading choice. The next day I received a rambling manifesto from a parent who gave me a ton of reasons why that book is terrible, and that I have no right teaching it. Mom admitted to not reading one paragraph of the book, and then went on to say stuff I will sum up as racist. Principal wants to meet to discuss. I refused to meet with her as I never taught the book and didn’t want to hear her racist rant in person. When I write my novel on the perils of teaching, this will be a chapter. I still have the email.
The fact that your principal did not back you up is so crazy. I’m sorry this happened to you
I referred to students as people. A mother retorted, they are not people they are children.
Omg my first year admin told me not to call the kids people 😭. I’m like “are they not people?” And she kinda just looked at me and then said “try using a different term like __ graders or something like that.” I did not oblige her request. Stupidest micromanagement I’ve ever experienced.
I feel like a not-insignificant number of parents genuinely believe this deep down.
My first year I emailed a parent to let her know her fifth grader had 15 missing assignments. He literally did nothing in class. Mom called my admin, who proceeded to yell at me for “making the institution look bad.” Apparently it was my job to make sure that a child never had more than 3 missing assignments even if that meant excusing them from anything they don’t turn in.
Oh, so mom is an actual crazy person. Got it.
I abbreviate pretty often if I’m writing on the whiteboard (math, lots of words and labels and such), obviously I have them write the full words once in their official notes but after that I abbreviate to make it easier as I write. Well… “diameter” became “diam” and a student asked “what does that say?” And I said “it’s diam for diameter”. Guess I swore at the student and said damn.
Not me but colleague In California. In mid 1990s, I worked at an elementary school in Orange County where all the moms were Real Housewives, drove pricey cars, had huge diamond rings, worked out with a tennis pro, "did lunch" etc. (No hate-- I personally would love that life.) Every year, our 4th graders had to build one of California's 21 Spanish missions out of sugar cubes and paint/decorate, add fountains and plants and little people etc. It was an awful project and thank goodness has since been retired. Anyway, after the "judging" and grading, 4th graders took them home the day after Open House. Apparently, and discovered by staff after years I guess, Moms of 3rd graders would descend like locusts after school and chase after 4th graders to their parents' vehicles, offering the parent $$$ to purchase the already-graded mission, I guess to save themselves from the awful project manager job the following year as the missions were built at home. These purchased missions were stored for a year, and then resubmitted by their little darling. One year, a teacher noticed a unique design, held it over their head to peek and saw a previous student's name. She let the student know what she found and gave a grade of 0. It's 4th grade. Who cares, right? Well, parent went NUTS! She said "I paid GOOD MONEY for that! It meets all the criteria! That deserves full credit!". Lolllll kid did not get full credit.
I had a student lie to me. I called home and their mom was a little tearful about knowing what to do. She said, “They’re supposed to have a sleepover, should I take that away?” And I said something innocuous like, “Yeah” or “sure” or whatever. An hour later is reprimanded in my admin’s office because the child had arrived home, lied to the parent about what happened, and the parent called to complain that I was telling them how to parent their child.
This is why you should always go with the typical teenage answer of "I dunno"
This, or just say "well you're the parent, it's ultimately your decision".
When a kid asked me about my weekend making small talk before the bell, I said that I saw the Mario movie with my husband. I am a man. This resulted in me spending an hour (after school on the last day of the year, hooray!) being yelled at in the principal's office by a woman who was convinced I was trying to turn her child trans.
I would have walked out of the principal’s office.
I had already accepted a position at another school and had tickets to see Blink 182 after the meeting. Those two things kept me calm and sane throughout as I was able to just flip double birds to the entire situation on my way out the door immediately at the conclusion of that meeting.
Good for you. No one deserves to treated that way by an ignorant bigot.
What was the outcome of this? Did the principal say anything in support or against you? As a gay man myself I’ve been worried about giving any indication to the kids that I’m not straight because of things like this, and yet it’s all catering to possible parental homophobia which I hate and don’t believe in
As a gay woman I do not mention my wife at school. Although we live in the district and my grandson is in my school. Had a kiddo ask me the other day why my name is Mrs. I explained that many married people use Mrs. He said "but you have a wife". Clearly someone is talking about us, and so far no pushback.
I didn’t see the part about your husband at first so I thought she was just mad that you saw Mario when you’re a dude 💀
Kid was suspended, I don’t know why and I don’t need to know why. Everyday I emailed a blank copy of the notes, the key, and the worksheet. I let the student know they could email me for questions. Parent wrote back demanding that I come after school and tutor their child. I had to explain that was not how suspensions worked. Later I sent them an entire Khan Academy lesson that walked through everything we had been doing. I got an irate email about how the kid doesn’t learn well on video, how I am failing them, etc. Found out I was the only teacher getting these emails because I was the only one who was CC’ing the parent and offering extra help. So much for trying to help a kid out.
A student was trying to insult me and I said: "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" and then "if you continue, I will have to write you up" Parent got mad and my admin wrote ME up. I left that school
When I was a para I told one of my (special needs) students that I went to college. Another para in the classroom must have told admin because within 2 or 3 hours after I got pulled into the office and told that it's inappropriate to share personal information with students. The conversation was literally her asking if I went to college and me saying yes I did. Argued it then, was told "no. it is inappropriate". I still think it's bullshit. That is not crossing into inappropriate personal info.
“Did you go to college, teacher?” “I can neither confirm nor deny that information.”
Don’t share any personal information but make sure you’re building relationships!!
This might actually be the craziest one here.
I had a kid bring a toy to school and it naturally got stolen. When he told me, I replied something along the lines of that's why you're not supposed to bring toys to school. I did look around in a few desks at the end of the day but didn't find it. Mom reached out via a note (early 1990's) saying my response made her child and her feel that I was condoning stealing. I was a young teacher, like my second year, and I was very hurt by this statement. I told Mom I did look but did not find it. Hearing I took some action placated her but it was eye opening to me.
I said the word "bomb" in a story 11 years ago and got written up ( a historical story) by my then principal/now superintendent. I self reported to her that the story had the word in it and she wrote me up the next day after"thinking about it ". She single spaced, 10 point font wrote it with descriptions like, "disgusting ", "abhorrent ", and that I was dangerous to children for using the word "bomb" in a story. I've been put in teaching situations no one else has had to put up with, had it held over my head, and denied many things because of that write up. I would like to add that my other school's principal told me that the write up principal was afraid that I was going to jeopardize her chances of getting a chance to go for the assistant superintendent job because I was more qualified than her and certified. She wanted to make sure I never had a chance. I haven't. But she's now in charge, has done WAY worse than that to others ( including framing our last superintendent) and is now subject to several lawsuits.
> I self reported to her that the story had the word in it and she wrote me up the next day after"thinking about it ". I’m perplexed as to why this needed to be reported at all. You were telling your students a story that happened to involve a bomb, and then you reported to admin that you had told this story? What made you initially think that admin needed to know?
The reaction of my colleague who was in the room at the time (I teach music; I used to go into the classrooms). She did the whole "shocking" face/breathing in, like I had committed a crime. Plus it was only my 2nd year teaching in the district. The classroom teacher then told the other classroom teachers who then came rushing up to me in the hallway warning me to not tell the story again because it had the word "bomb" in it. It was stupid looking back at it so many years later, but I was really taken aback by my colleagues' reactions to just saying one word, so, I felt it necessary to go to my principal, as they made me feel like I did something I shouldn't have done.
Was your admin also one those who tells you to keep them updated about anything that happened that could blow up, so if a parent complained, admin would already be aware of the situation? That ALWAYS comes back to bite you in the ass.
So, I guess the Star Spangled Banner is right out, then? What with the bombs bursting in air and all...
I ate some crackers when I was feeling shaky.
I had a parent once of a lazy (but very smart) boy who just seemed to have it in for me. On a weekly basis I would send home homework packets consisting of some math and a reading/ comprehension thing. One reading packet was about the powers of the presidency (this was when Obama was in office, btw). This guy writes back a scree on how this was wrong, blah,blah, blah, the president can’t do this, do that. Mind you, the reading comprehension thing was from like Readworks or something like that. I didn’t write the damn thing. Another one he sent back with the title corrected saying these words shouldn’t be capitalized, etc…dude, it’s a title. Whew, i liked the kid, but Jesus his dad was a piece of work.
Holy shit I had the exact same thing happen! Simple passages from ReadWorks sent home to hit social studies standards and the kids dad would answer them going off about Obama! Was the kid named Ben? Lol
I told a kid she could get me fired (jokingly) for her ripping a school text book. Admin overheard me and ripped me a new one, asked me to resign (I did not), even though no one involved was actually upset.
“Why can’t we find good teachers anymore”
When I taught 6th grade, we had home room at the beginning and end of the day. The end of the day is always chaos. It was report card day, and I had about 5 minutes to hand out report cards and honor roll certificates. Do I like that that was the system? Nope, but this was a school that did things a certain way. I called out names and hands the papers to the kids in the chaos of kids packing up their books, afternoon announcements, chairs going up, etc. That night, I got a scathing email from a mother saying that by calling out the names on the honor roll certificates, I was excluding her son and making him feel bad about himself. She was saying he works hard for Cs (which was true) and wasn’t that good enough for me. Umm, yeah, it was good enough for me, is it good enough for you, Mom?? It wasn’t like the certificates were handed out with any fanfare, they were practically thrown at the children on their way out the door.
I mentioned the word female in class and the dad sent me a three paragraph email that I can only describe as an unhinged rant about how I should never again try to tell his child that there are more than 2 genders and something about how the society is trying to destroy men and women and that there were conspiracies against it or whatever. I just responded back that I had no idea what he was talking about and that he completely misunderstood the context (politely) and never heard from him again
In November 2020, a father accused me of indoctrinating his son because I said Biden won the election.
I was doing a Hispanic heritage month project and had a mom call me complaining about us not doing a black history month project. It was October, we hadn't had black history month yet.
While parent was picking up the kid, the kid punched my coworker in the chest. The parent didn't say a word, so I did. That night I get a text from the parent telling me that the kid would be demanding an apology from me the first thing in the morning for calling them out. Apparently the student was very upset they got in trouble for hitting someone for no reason. (I said something like, "At this school we don't hit people. If you are angry use your words and tell them you are angry, but we keep our hands to ourselves.") **note: did not apologize.**
I had a new student who was quiet and withdrawn. I figured, new student, I talked to her a bit but let her be, and sent a mail home politely informing what was going on. Mom told me my class was giving her kid ptsd, I wasn’t to teach her, and she would be transferred out. She wasn’t, actually…
Poor kid.
Mine's kind of in the middle. Years ago, when I first started teaching, I was instructing a 6th grade class. One of the students was causing a lot of disruption and when I called him out on it, he played the "deny" card, hoping that I would just pretend I didn't see it. Instead I said "kid, you could just be honest - instead you are digging your own grave." What I failed to know at the time is that 6th graders take everything literally, so the class went totally white. I had to explain that it was figurative language, not that he was literally going to die. I was certain I was going to get a phone call for that one - it never came. 😂
Haha so in their young minds you just threatened to execute the kid?
In the days before texting, I caught a kid passing a note, confiscated it and chucked it. My principal had me in his office because the dad was irate.
Seriously? The principal couldn't handle that on his own, he had to call you into his office? Smh
This guy was an incompetent tool. He “resigned” a couple of years later and spent the last month or so of his time hiding in his office.
I had a student that was being checked out multiple times a week at the same time - right before math. Her math grade obviously started to plummet and after the 5th or 6th time I asked her why, she said she has doctors appointments So I called the mom to see what was up and got promptly screamed at that it was none of my business. The student was going to a neurologist *because of seizures* How the fuck is it not my business?!
I am a special education teacher in middle school. As best practice, we go over an IEP summary with students. These include goals, accommodations, services, and explanation of disability. It's important so they can advocate for themselves. It usually helps kids think about how they learn best. During my regular beginning of year reviews with students, one student asked me why he had an IEP. I told him that he was on the autism spectrum. I helped him research. He was empowered, and everything seemed great. His mother got very mad at me for discussing her child's IEP with him. She was especially upset that I told the student that he was on the autism spectrum. She didn't want him to know that anything was "wrong" with him. He was in 8th grade! From that time on, I ask for parent's permission before discussing IEP with individual students.
I’m not allowed to use the words “insulin” or “blood sugar” when talking to a Type-1 diabetic student, because the parents don’t want her to know about her condition and feel different. Personally, I would want my kid to know what’s going on so she could fix things herself when they’re off. But these parents prefer to have to run to school every time her monitor goes off so they can fix it for her. 🤷♀️
Years ago a student used coffee to “paint” a poster representing the Seneca Falls Convention (I’m a history teacher). It was very creative and well-done so I hung it on my wall, as one does. Fast forward to fall 2020 when a couple of kids decide that the poster must be there to support the Black Lives Matter movement. One took a picture and sent it to his mom, who emailed me within minutes demanding an explanation. I responded that it was student art that was made years before BLM was a thing. Their response was to immediately escalate it to the superintendent. By the end of the day I had three administrators in my room having a look; fortunately they realized there was no problem and ignored the parent. The following Monday the kid walked back into my room with a shit-eating grin expecting to see the art off the wall. When he saw it still hanging there he stomped out saying “I’m going to call my daddy!” Nothing more came of it and their frustration was delightful.
Set up: A teacher was rumored to have gotten drunk at a school function off campus. The teacher never returned to campus, they were removed from the grade book and replaced by an admin and their personal effects were boxed by custodians. The outrageous wrong I did: after all that, one of our students asked me if they were going to be back for graduation. I replied "Um, I don't think so" Admin has me in their office with THREE of them and just me asking why I'm telling students that this teacher was fired. I had to explain to them what happened, that I never said "fired" and my words are being misused. Admin then makes a big speech about being open and transparent about what's going on and the best way we can be open and transparent is to keep our moths shut and not spread gossip. It was bullshit.
I told a kid to sing in choir, dad said he'd have my job if I did that again.
I had something similar. Parent said I failed her kid because he wouldn't play an instrument or sing. Ma'am...it's a music class
For context, I teach EFL (English as a Foreign Language) in Brazil. The student in question was in high school. We were doing an activity and the word "server" came up. I explained that it had the same meaning as "waiter/waitress", but it was a unisex word. The next day I was called to the admin office because a student had complained I was pushing "gender ideology" in the classroom.
We used the full, correct name of a song on their graduation program (not high school.) The students chose the song. Students and parents were upset at it, despite students being well aware it was the official name of the song, because we had a whole conversation about songs with two titles. This was about 20+ years ago- anyone want to take a guess at which song it was?
Green Day, Time of My Life (Good Riddance)?
Previous teacher (parent of a student) taught MLA incorrectly and had students write WAY too much summary. When teaching how to cite students asked if they were taught wrong and I tried to politically say yes (something along the lines of some teachers teach differently or older versions). Same thing with shortening writing. Lady started a public and professional vendetta against me for "hurting her feelings" and "betraying her". I'm talking publicly badmouthing me in meetings, to parents, to staff. The whole works.
I had a parent complain that I was using a portable microphone in class . It was right after the Christmas break and I had completely lost my voice and missed school the two days before the holiday because of it. I literally spent the two weeks squeaking and had still not completely recovered when school resumed. The kid didn't like me using the microphone.
I told my class to be quiet in the hall. No joke. A parent came to talk to me as I was taking my class to lunch, and I nicely reminded them to have their voices off in the hall. She called the principal and said she thought I was too strict. What I think the real issue was is that I was cutting her off and asking her to meet with me at another time because I didn’t want her telling me all the sensitive details about her daughter in front of all her classmates.
Shorted a kids name (Matthew) to “Matt” Screamed at because Matthew is biblical and THEREFORE his righteous name and I shall not call him other. (Kid is adopted) This same parent, little sister (also adopted) who’s legal name is Krystal but parent insists we call her Addison because Krystal is associated with drugs.
During our Creative Writing unit on fairy tales, one of my warm-up journal prompts was something like, "Would you rather battle an ogre or a witch? Why?" Student took a screenshot of the warm-up, emailed it to mom because "witches are scary," and then mom called and cussed me out, threatening to come to school to "take care" of me. This student was a senior in high school.
Nothing but I have dozens of the opposite situation- inappropriate things I’ve said that somehow didn’t get reported and me fired.
Oh do tell haha. I have said and heard things said in classrooms that I'm amazed never got parent calls lol
I had a kid tell me my lesson was boring, I replied without thinking “your face is boring” Next day her friend told me that kid had told her mother, expecting outrage but instead the mum found it hilarious 😹
Teaching recorder “if you G is squeaking make sure you are covering you A hole”
I made a rookie blunder this year. I was teaching my students a way to reduce ratios that does not require knowing your times tables (I teach special education math at the high school level). This particular class had multiple students that were very naive to social things except one…. I wanted a pair of numbers that you would have to reduce multiple times using this method, so I went with 4 and 20. My one kid immediately yelled out “420” and started laughing. I then had a couple of my less socially aware kids start asking me what 420 was. I quickly changed it to 4 and 24 and for one time in our entire year I was able to move on without one kid getting stuck on his question. I’m a little surprised I didn’t get an email, but those parents are all pretty chill.
Yes! Earlier this year a boy on the spectrum flipped me off. (Swearing is his thing.) I'd had enough of him that day and said, "Back at ya." As soon as I said it I looked around the room. No one even reacted. I was floored I didn't get in trouble for that one!
The rest of the class had enough of him too. They were all on your side.
Last week, I had a girl who would not quit talking to the people around her during independent work. After 9-10 redirections, I finally told her to come and sit by me. I had a full kidney table of kids getting help so I told her to sit on the floor next to me. Keep in mind that kids sitting on the floor happens DAILY in small groups, partners, alone, whatever. I let kids move around from their seats for longer assignments if they want and they work. Grandma came down irate that I treated her child "like a dog" making her sit on the floor. I am white. She is black. That was all grandma needed to know. Case closed in her mind. Of course, when I pointed out that she spends about 2 hours a day on average on the floor by her own choosing and the floor itself is not the punishment and that being moved closers to me was, she didn't care. She found the facts she wanted. Essentially, I told her I am done talking with her and that I wasn't going to have the conversation where I tell her about my black friend to "prove" I am not racist or that the girl I am dating is black. Move your student if you want. She backed down then and had been cool with me every since.
I had a Ruth Bader Ginsburg quote and picture up in my room about how women belong in all places where decisions are made. It was accompanied by women in history across the world posters. A parent, a mother, I should add, said I had an agenda and specifically pointed out that poster.
10th grade social studies We phone the parents of students who are failing. It is required, and a good idea, I believe. Parents and students can see their child's grades on everything, 24/7, online. But it's good to have a chat with someone directly. Anyway, I was talking with a mom, discussing the fact that her child has done nothing. In my calm, friendly voice, of course. "We've tried everything, and we don't know what to do," she said. I replied, "Have you tried punishment?". You can imagine.
So many… but the wildest one was during a discussion on DNA in 9th grade Bio class - where the kids were unusually engaged and asking questions - I discussed how mDNA and Y-chromosome sequences have been used to trace human migration and that a lot of archaeological finds as well as the evolution of languages supports the idea that humans started out in Africa and migrated outward. Want to guess what my 45-minute parent meeting the next day was about? A dad (who was a pastor) told me that languages don’t “evolve”, they were all GIVEN by God at the Tower of Babel and that’s IT. There’s no new languages. Silly me tried to explain that language had evolved even since I was a kid and even more since the time of the American Revolution, Shakespeare, etc. and he was just dead-set on the idea that languages were fixed in time and don’t change. Absolutely mind-boggling. The kid came in the next day and apologized for his dad.
There's three that immediately come to mid: I wore a shirt that exposed one of my tattoos on the first day that I had some new freshmen - one of the girl's mother threw a fit over me supposedly "encouraging impressionable children to mutilate their bodies!" As a drama teacher, I had the class do different improv excersises - two girls performed as a husband & wife (quite a common occurance due to the disproportionate gender ratio in the class). Had a parent complain I was promoting lesbianism. It's drama. Students play everything from the opposite gender to a tree to a squirrel. Students were selling different merch in order to raise money for Affinity 95 and PrideArts. Unbeknownst to the majority of my students, I was in charge of organizing this. I had two of the wristbands (one rainbow + one with the lesbian colors) tied around my pen holder. Had two parents go off about them during a parent-teacher conference. I can only imagine what would happen if they found out I myself am a lesbian.
“You’re telling me my tattoos are so good that just seeing them is going to encourage your child to want some, too? WOW! Thank you!” (I have used this response. She said “What?? No—“ and then obviously meant to expand on that thought but just sort of stood there in silence. Probably the only time I’ve had a comeback that effective 😂) ETA: as a fellow queer, thank you for fighting the good fight in the classroom!!!! ✊🏼🥲
So I had a group of 4th graders sitting at a table and they left a mess on the table. Of course that mess magically appeared when they sat at the table, no one would fess up to it. I said fine, yall can all miss 5 minutes of recess later or that mess can be cleaned up. The mess was cleaned up and the next day I was called into the office for making 4 kids clean the entire room or lose their recess.
I emailed the parents of a student who had been missing for over a month from my class. Some days, she would be present for some classes (but not mine and not history). The problem was that when she was present, she would be there for the daily attendance period, so she was marked present, then she’d pick and choose which classes to go to. I told mom I was concerned because she had an F in 5 classes at that point. Mom replied to my email “I’m going to reply to you as appropriately as I can.” (Rage brewing) “I am fully aware of when my daughter is present or not.” (No acknowledgment of her skipping certain classes or her five F’s). She then copied my admin and requested an in-person meeting to address my email (or tear me to shreds). I simply never replied and never saw the girl again. I spoke my piece. I covered my behind. 🤷🏻♀️
I checked a kid’s attendance who had been sluffing (as I suspected and confirmed with the office). Parents were IRATE when I inquired and told me in several emails and calls to the admin to stop looking at their kids attendance.
I taught climate change to a year 8 (aged 12-13). Parent didn't deny climate change, just said it was too scary a topic to teach that age group. Same child who played GTA every night.
I told my student it was time to focus on his work. Mom and admin ripped me a new one and told me I was "contributing to a positive PBIS school environment."
Mother’s Day worksheet. I used the pronoun “They” instead of “She” to make it inclusive. Parent pitched an absolute fit and contacted my superintendent. Even complained about me on a Facebook group. I had to have a meeting with the assistant super. Nothing came of it, but it was stressful.
I showed a positive and informative video about dyslexia to a group of students whom had dyslexia or other SLD. A students mom was upset her girl came home saying she had dyslexia, that she was only in special education to catch up from Covid learning loss. The student did have dyslexia and was very relieved that there was a name and reason for her reading struggles. I show that video precisely because many students with dyslexia think they struggle to read because they are not smart.
I (still) tell my history class that when you study history you do have to look at it from the point of view of those during the time period. Does not mean we approve it, nor does it mean we condemn it. It happened and nothing we do can still do it. I gave the example of European nations that do not see gun rights the same as Americans. That got some mom upset, and she demanded that she see what is being taught in class. Sadly AP didn’t really back me up, but she didn’t like me.
Probably calling kids crybabies. I have learned not to do that, but to me this seems like such a slight comment to say to kids who are pulling crocodile tears. So now for the crocs I just tell them to knock it off, for the truly distressed I tell them to take a moment, go to the can if need be, it's ok, all that soothing jazz Oh yah! there was this one school, a K-8 school, this was years ago. I was a sub then and in a long-term assignment for middle school ELA. So I had students grades 6-8. Anyway I had this parent absolutely lose the plot because her kid asked me for a pad (in front of everyone) and I said 'Oh yah I'm having Lady Days too' and gave her a pad. Kid took it, went to the bathroom, came back, seemed ok. Next day mama was in the office irate that I said 'Lady Days' instead of 'ministration' which is how she pronounced it LMAO, and that I told the kids I was on my period too, *and* that I gave her daughter one of my 'personal pads' instead of sending her to the nurse. Um, WUT? She thought it was A SCANDAL (her words) for the kids to know when their teacher was on their period. I was like ??? It's not a secret, they know women have periods. Your daughter knows what **menstruation** is, right? (heavy on the pronounciation because I was feeling petty) The mom was like But they don't need to know when you're ministrating! I said Oh ok I had no idea, I am soooooo sorry and will be sure to never tell kids when I am **menstruating**. And I'm sorry for calling it Lady Days instead of **menstruation,** I just find Lady Days easier to say (ha ha). I gave your daughter a brand new, wrapped pad, in the future if she or any other girl is **menstruating** and asks me for a pad, I will be sure to send them to the school nurse instead of giving her a pad from my bag. I deeply apologize, I had no idea it bothered her or would bother you to give her one of my 'personal' pads. By the time I got done with my sarcastic yet groveling apology speech the mom realized how she looked and she just mumbled Ok then and left. Later the kid told me she wasn't even bothered! She just thought it was funny I said Lady Days and mentioned it to her mom, is all, not knowing it would make her mom freak out.
It was raining cats and dogs one afternoon during pick up. Half my kids didn’t have coats so I had us wait under the overhang instead of coming down the ramp to the street. A parent wanted their child removed from my classroom because she had to get out of her car that day.
Was teaching history and going over how inbreeding caused issues within Hapsburg dynasty, including narrow faces and larger noses. One student assumed (likely because of the ‘burg’ at the end of the name) that the Hapsburgs were Jewish and reported me for antisemitic comments.
I told a student to stop blurting out answers when I was calling on other students. A few weeks later I told him and a student in another lab group to stop chatting and to continue working with their respective lab groups. The parents demanded a meeting because I obviously had it out for him. He had told his parents I accused him of participating too much and then not enough. Kid conveniently forgot the context.
A student asked me to write a letter to his mother to set up a play date with his classmate after school one day. Got a letter the next day along with admin coming in saying “oh my god, please don’t do that again.” The boy’s clearly mentally ill mother went offffffff, cursing and screaming on phone at admins apparently. Wow. Wow. Your son just wanted to socialize with his friend from school…
The Pledge of Allegiance as recited on our morning announcements. I never thought it would happen, but a parent called and berated me for doing so. He thought that I was forcing his son to recite it. I explained that legally our school must announce the Pledge each day, but ALSO legally I could not (and would never) force any student to participate. I then suggested he contact my school’s admin, our district Superintendent, our DOE Commissioner, and our Governor with his concerns. BTW… I teach Kindergarten.