The Worst Writing Teacher in the Whole School

While working at the copy machine this week, I ended up having a spontaneous discussion with a former parent. Her daughter was a third grader in my class last year. She mentioned that her other daughter, a second grader, will be entering third grade next year.

Here's what she asks me:

"So who's a really good writing teacher? You know, someone who will really whip her into shape?"

I try not to let my mouth hang open as I digest the implied message here.

I considered going into detail about the differences between third and fourth grade, hitting on some of the likely changes she's noticed in her fourth grader's writing. I thought about pointing out some of the differences in the teaching approaches of her daughter's fourth grade teacher and myself. Things that have nothing to do with me being a crappy writing teacher.

I gave some serious consideration into telling her off.

Instead, I gave her some tidy, politically correct response, which included mentioning that we have been given new writing programs, and that, as far as third grade teachers go, we're all in about the same position, in learning to work with the new materials.

I don't want her kid in my class, anyway.