No shame in their game. We asked teachers to reveal the craziest requests they’ve ever received from students’ parents. Not all of them are totally cringeworthy–one is downright awesome–but most remind us why teachers deserve a gold medal (and a raise) for dealing with all that they do.
A parent called the school and asked if her son was there (high school). I said yes, she said, Are you sure? Then she asked me to ask him if he knew who ate the chicken in the fridge. True story.
-Amy Trowbridge, high school principal, W.Va.
To schedule the google meet around her nap time (the mom’s!).
-Sheri Britt, 1st grade teacher, Toledo, Ohio
I taught physics and calculus. One of my parents wanted me to tutor her on those two courses. Her rationale was to help her son through the courses. I believe we had approximately 10 lessons. Without a doubt her son benefited from her tutoring. Each time her son was having difficulty, I gave her a lesson. At the end he passed the courses with a C. Bottom line, her strategy worked! Believe it or not, the mother decided to go back to college and majored in nursing.
-Robert Gonzalez
To figure out what sport their child can be successful at. The boy was a comic book drawing success but his dad wasn’t impressed.
-Marta Morrison, 5th grade teacher, Santa Ana, Calif.
A parent called and asked to speak with her child and said it was an emergency. The parent wanted her to check her book bag because she couldn’t find the tv remote.
-Lou Cullipher
To not put comments on their child’s report card. I put fails to complete work and does not show effort. Mom told me it made him cry and feel bad about himself (he’s in 6th grade) and then told me I went into teaching to made (sic) kids feel bad when I belittle them! Yep, that’s why.
-Rachel Lynn, 6th grade teacher, Toledo, Ohio
Please do not teach the song ‘John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt’ because my child thinks it’s really their name.
-Carla Green, K-5 teacher, Sioux City, Iowa
To clean the food out of the child’s mouth with my finger… during the pandemic.
-Becca Healy, kindergarten teacher, Haymarket, Va.
A parent asked me to take away her daughter’s cellphone because she didn’t want to be the “bad guy”.
-Claudia Pineda, 5th grade teacher, Chicago, Ill.
