Great article from Ron Clark

Several weeks ago I received an email from a parent who was letting me know that they were going on vacation and their daughter would miss a week and a half of school.  They wanted me to give her all her assignments well in advance so she could do them before their trip and be able to have fun while she was gone.  I didn't.  For several reasons - I wasn't planned out and knew there would be some changes, I didn't have copies made yet, and many of the learning activities in science are done in class.  I assured them that their daughter would be able to make up labs, or catch up with the other work when she returned.  Of course, when she got back and picked up her assignments she went home and told mom and dad they were all due in two days.  Cue the angry parent email, letting me know that had I done what they requested in the first place, their little princess wouldn't have to to double work now, and judging by what they saw come home, I could have given it all to her ahead of time.  They didn't ask questions, or ask for clarification, they attacked.  And I emailed back, deliberately charitable and talked them off the ledge.

 I saw the movie about Ron Clark (starring the dreamy Matthew Perry) a long time ago and I use it in one of my grad classes because his story is a compelling one.  The article I link below is an honest and reasonable perspective from a veteran teacher about parents who "body block" for their children, rarely letting them experience the struggles that will help them build resilience or become effective advocates for themselves.  In my decade of teaching, I've seen some really great parents, and I've seen some of the ones Clark describes in his article.

Ron Clark: What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents