True story-I was the art teacher in the school. I had a student in the fifth grade who was the only one in his class who showed real artistic talent. I always encouraged him in this area, as he had trouble in all his other classes and I thought he might have a future in the arts. I had been his art teacher for several years, and was quite sure of his talent.
We were having the annual fire prevention poster contest. I had his class draw preliminary sketches to see if any of them had a chance in the contest.
This student, I'll call "M" had the best sketch. I called him up to my desk and told him his was the best idea, and did he want a poster board to copy it over onto, so that I could enter it in the contest. He said no.
The next day, his mother appeared outside my classroom door (unannounced, btw).
I went out in the hall with her, and she said this "I understand you told my son he had no talent." I then told her what I REALLY said. She then asked me if I was calling her son a liar, and stormed down to the principal's office to file a "case."
Of course, I was called down there also. Thank goodness my principal was on top of things and the whole thing didn't go very far, but I'd like to mention that "M" was polling the rest of the students in his class to see how many of them thought I said that he had no talent.
And to make matters worse, our VICE PRINCIPAL heard about that survey and believed the students.
This is just one of the kinds of frustrating situations some teachers must deal with. I suffered through 25 years of it.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
