PLN: What teachers really want to tell parents Bobby Baltzer

Summary Response Outline

Summary: “What teachers really want to tell parents” by Ron Clark demonstrates how a parent’s actions are causing teachers distress and ultimately making them resign quicker.  Clark supports his idea by showing how teachers are quitting sooner than they have before.  They are estimated to teach for only 4.5 years.  Additionally, Clark illustrates his belief by showing how blind parents are.  It seems as if a student has a bad grade or is having behavior issues, the parent comes up with an excuse in an attempt to defend their child without looking at both sides of the story.  Throughout these examples Clark displays that teachers are having a hard time trying to inform students when parents are making it difficult.  

• Topic sentence: title, author, strong verb, main idea
• Supporting ideas and explanations to prove main ideas
• Concluding sentence: restate main idea

Response:

• Topic sentence: title, author, strong verb, agree/disagree (correctly portrays/ incorrectly portrays) because ___________ .
• Claim 1: “What teachers really want to tell parents” by Ron Clark correctly portrays the idea that parents can have a negative influence on teachers.  Clark states, “At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs.”  Parents without hearing the other side of the story already start to get defensive.  Parents will do anything to protect their children and when a teacher gives the other side of the story they refuse to listen.  Often times parents turn to their child and ask if what the teacher had said it is true.  Not only is this disrespectful to the teacher but shows that the parent is looking to the student for assurance rather than trusting the teacher.  However, “5 Reasons To Get Involved” by Emily Graham proclaims that parents should be more involved with their students in the school aspect for a couple of reasons.  Graham points out how all parents should be doing more to help their child succeed in school.  Graham states, “ Kids whose parents are involved in their education get better grades and have higher test scores.”  As students are entering school, homework can be a struggle for students.  Who else is better for the job to guide them throughout their school career than their own parents.  Studies show that when a parent is involved with a student’s schoolwork, the student’s grades are higher, behavior improves, and confidence rises.  Another example is that it shows the student they care.  Students create a stronger bond between their parents when they see compassion.  In the article “What teachers really want to tell parents” correctly portrays the idea of how parent’s actions can have a negative impact on teachers.
• Set-up
• Evidence: Lead-in  “ quotation” (       )
• Explanation of quotation to prove claim
• Counterclaim 1: However, ....
• Set-up
• Evidence: Lead-in  “ quotation” (       )
• Explanation of quotation to prove counterclaim
• What are the strengths/ flaws of this argument? (use rebuttal progression language)
• Concluding sentence: restate main idea

A common view is that parents should be involved in their child’s school.  This position seems reasonable because there are many benefits to students when their parents are involved.  Not only do student’s school academics increase but they know they have someone they can count on.  However it is more complicated than that, majority of parents are disrespectful and refuse to accept what the teacher is telling them.  Parents want their children to succeed and when that doesn’t happen parents look for someone to blame.  When a parent is in its “parenting mode”, that ambition to get what they want can end up with kids getting better grades that they shouldn’t be or teachers resigning.  In conclusion, parent’s actions can greatly influence a teacher.