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hillbilly

This is the deal. Yes, I am a teacher. No, not the backpacker type but a 'highly qualified' teacher according to America. Google if you want.

I moved back to the states in order to have my daughter experience the American culture.

Something that happened this past week.

One of my students came to school with this sign drapped around her neck last week. This young girl is a tomboy. Yes, she participated on the wrestling team last year, has short hair and is not like the average young lady. Regardless, she is still a delight to have in the classroom.

Her mom thought that perhaps this young lass might have been teased about her developing body.



Now what would you do?

jandajoy

Well, her calligraphy could use some work for a start.
Seriously though, is she being bullied? I'd think so. Someone trusted needs to talk to her as soon as possible.

NickA

^correct her on her use of apostrophes and punctuation in general.

mediamanbkk

Not a subject I would relish getting involved in.

hillbilly

No. The joys of teaching...

This came from the parents.

jandajoy

Sorry you've lost me. Her parents made her wear the sign?

hillbilly

Yes! As soon as I saw the sign I removed it from the young lady.

Let's start again.

What kind of parent would do this?

(As a side note, I talked to the mom via the phone for about 30 minutes, she is a nut. They were going to put in bold letters on the kid's forehead 'I am a female')

Crazy!

jandajoy

I'm not familiar with the system in the US but in the UK or Aus. I'd do the following;

1. Discuss the event with colleagues.
2. Some the kid trusts needs to talk to her and get the background.
3. Consider a case conference.
4. Meeting with parents.

Something is going on and I'd be very suspicious.

jedsez

in dick cheney's home state of wyoming they tied a man to fence posts and beat him to death because he did not fit in with the norm. hanging a sign around a young girl's neck is just the first step. with parents like this it will get worse for her. they are unlikely to take advice from anyone other than rush limbaugh or their snake charming pastor.

you are in america.

as to what to do. come back to thailand so your children can get a decent education.

November Rain

What sort of parent humiliates their child like that?

I know you said you talked to the mother, hillbilly. Did you also talk to the girl? I'm sure you did, but as background for us - had she been teased or complained to her parents that anyone had had a go at her? If yes, I think JJ's suggestions are valid.
If no, I think you might be dealing with some sort of psychiatric problem with the mother - maybe bipolarism or schizophrenia of some sort. I don't know how things work in the US. I don't know whether you'd talk to a family doctor or get social services involved or what. But if the mother did this for no reason whatsoever, my guess is she needs some professional help.

Poor girl.

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baldrick

the sign could be taken 2 ways - either the mother is nuts and the child was coerced to wear the sign and that needs to be addressed

or , maybe the child was also complicit in the construction of the sign - see the "100% girl script" - if so they needed to be a bit more on the witty side to drive the point home - maybe ( with better calligraphy ) - I do not have a penis - go and play with your own or find one that suits your head.

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BugginOut

Start with the school counselor and he/she can decide whether CPS (Child Protective Services) needs to get involved to evaluate the home situation. If the mother is a nut, as you say, then it might be in the best interest of the girl's future.

How embarrassing for the girl if her mother put her up to this. Even more so that she didn't remove it immediately after being out of sight of her mother.



Edit: BTW, is it actually laminated? LOL

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When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”--- Sinclair Lewis

There is no Yahweh, no Mohammed, no Jesus, no Buddha, no Brahma, no Vishnu, no Leprechauns, no unicorns, no Tooth Fairy, no Santa Claus, no Black Peter, no ghosts, no Loch Ness Monster, no Bigfoot, no chupacabra, no alien reptilian shape-shifters pushing a UN agenda, and most certainly no Easter Bunny. Abandon your superstitions and quaint traditions for the sake of the world.

kingwilly

oh no.

problem is, just 'talking' with the parents aint gonna help much....

you caint change stupid.

kingwilly

There is a reason I moved to Asia to teach in international schools... every now and then I forget, but reminders from x colleagues helps me to stay focused.

Rattanaburi

Creative. She laminated it and used a hole puncher to make it although she didn't bother to spruce up her writing but then again she probably chose to have that sloppy writing on it to show something. She did use two colors. She's on the wrestlingf team so she must at least be past grade 6, right? I wonder did she think of this herself or did her friend say 'Hey you should...' and she said 'Yeah,...'

Was this done in any recent movies? Is there someone she is modelling herself after such as the rocker Pink? Does she use nail polish despite looking male-ish?

If you think that she really is bothered by this then maybe you should have nametag day in class. Everyone has to bring in a nametag with on of their worst qualities written on it. The students need to do this every Thursday for a month or somethign like that.

Personally, I think this girl sounds pretty cool. Anyone who would willingly do something like this has got some balls. Whatever people think of her and despite what she thinks of herself, this girl has got some balls!

Muadib

I agree with BO... Get the school counselor involved, who will likely contact CPS to evaluate the home situation...

As you are most likely aware, the USA is so PC these days that you should play it "by the book", else be involved at some level by contacting the parents yourself...

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November Rain

She didn't do it, her mother did. That's the point of this thread. Sheesh.