Conversation with a parent…
A little background first. The student involved is a home schooled student who comes to the middle school twice a day: once in the morning for choir and once in the afternoon for Drama. She has not been in class for the last week and a half and I have only just now gotten an answer on the phone:
Me: Hello! I’m Ms. C and I am your daughter’s teacher in Drama.
Mom: Yes.
Me: Well, I was just calling because she has not been in my class for the last week and a half and I am concerned about her final grade in the class. We have one last project and it is worth a large part of her grade.
Mom: Mhm…
Me: It is really important that she is in school for the last week and a half that we have. Could you help me out and get her to class?
Mom: Well…it’s just been too hard to get her to school and the weather has been too cold for her to walk.
Me: Ok, well her grade will suffer if she is not in school for these last five days.
Mom: Here, let me put you on the phone
Student: Hello?
Me: Hey, It’s Ms. C! I was just calling because I really miss you in class and I want you to come back and finish the semester. Do you think you can tough it out tomorrow and walk to school so we can come up with a plan?
Student: I don’t know…
Me: Ok. Well you know you will fail the class if you just don’t do the final project, right?
Student: Yeah…
Me: So do you think you can come to class tomorrow?
Student: I don’t know…Well, bye.
I am so concerned right now. I know where they live (small town) and she lives down the road (maybe two blocks) from the school. I don’t understand why this parent cannot get their child to come to class for Drama. With the exception of today, it has not been that cold outside that her daughter could not walk to school.
It’s like they just don’t care about their child’s grades. The mom really did not seem to care one way or another and neither did the student. This student is so much fun to have in class and I never saw this sort of attitude from her until this phone call.
I really hope I see this student in class tomorrow…I do not want this student to fail, but this project is a huge part of their grade (and it’s mostly a participation-type project so if you are in class and working then you will get a good grade). If she just doesn’t show up in school, I can’t give her a passing grade, right? Am I doing everything I can? I feel like I should do more to get this student to school, but it seems like I can’t do anything…I am so frustrated right now!
