cow-dog.net is working in certain places (like from my work computer) but not, as yet, at our house. I don’t quite understand that, but that’s what’s going on right now (Rob explained it all to me– I don’t know). When I get home from work today I will try to post from there. If it keeps telling me that cow-dog isn’t available, the lovely Mac at Pesky Apostrophe has given me guest access, and if you’re addicted to me, well, you can read over there.
Once I get home I won’t be able to read my comments here if the site isn’t working. Weird yes.
Very weird.
As for the meeting with the parent that went on yesterday (I wrote a post about my reason for not being there over chez Pesky), well, it went. The mom and dad both went. I don’t feel that the principal “stuck up” for me as well as she should have; then again, she has to be professional and can’t tell people to STFU. The mother went on complaining about English being spoken in the classroom and about how I’m going to ruin the program, the principal said “Your child has an excellent base in French. This teacher has been teaching in French Immersion for six years. She went to university and has a specialisation in teaching FSL. She also has a francophone background” (which she thinks surprised the parent) “So I don’t think that’s going to happen. The teacher and I have had a conversation about the expectations regarding french being spoken in the classroom and she knows what’s expected of her” (I actually knew what was expected of me before the ‘conversation’ which was basically “Louise are you speaking English in the classroom?” “Only in case of emergency” “Okay well don’t speak English in the classroom unless it’s an emergency”. She kept talking about how I “couldn’t remember” things that had happened… which, as I had explained to the principal earlier in the day, the mother’s telling me something happened that didn’t, so I said to her “I certainly don’t recall that happening”. I didn’t mean I couldn’t REMEMBER it, I was trying to find a polite way to say that it didn’t happen. The principal said “Well she was nervous– when people are nervous they tend to forget things”. So that, I don’t agree with. What else… the mom kept talking about how she didn’t feel that she could trust me and she had lost confidence and everything, and the principal just said to her “Well I hope that you can put this behind you and regain your confidence, because I have every confidence in this teacher”. Which is nice. She also told the parents that it is unethical for other teachers to speak about me when I’m not around, so to please not speak to other teachers about me (the mom had cornered another teacher in the parking lot outside school and gone on about me after Curriculum Night; this other teacher told the principal about it). The mom said “Oh, Louise must have seen me talking to Mrs. X and told you”. Which isn’t what happened and I’m a bit upset that the principal didn’t correct her, but whatever. I’m certainly not going to contact her to set the record straight.
Anyway, I don’t feel that I was defended as much as I should have been, but it’s not the principal’s place to take sides, I guess. It’s over now, and we’re turning the page (except, of course, on my blog, where I will dwell and dwell and dwell) and that is behind us. First month? Sucked. Next month? Maybe will be better.
Woot.
Okay so don’t forget if you don’t see any posts from me tonight, that means you need to check over at pesky apostrophe. If you want to. Thank you.
Yeesh. I really hope things improve for you! Parents are a pain in the arse. Okay, maybe not all of them, but a lot of them.
I’ve no idea if this is useful, but I have an Actiontec DSL modem that now-and-then just decides I shouldn’t go someplace. The place varies. I unplug the modem, count to 30, plug it back in, and voila! (notice the French — probably misspelled) — I can go where I want to again.