A Perfect Example of Deflection:

[inlet13]

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/8-old-gets-catastrophe-award-most-homework-excuses-113936385--abc-news-topstories.html

To me - this woman, and the media that cover this making her a victim, are exactly what are wrong with our society. Her daughter didn't do homework consistently and made clever excuses each time. Yet her target is the teacher for jokingly pointing that out.

Deflect...

The "it's never my (or my child's) fault" society continues to expand with each facebook post.

[catefrances]

lighten up mom. sit down with your child and discuss why she was given this award. running off to the media and having a whinge only exacerbates the situation. i dont even undersand why youd run to the media in the first place. waste of time.

[Drowned Out]

lighten up mom. sit down with your child and discuss why she was given this award. running off to the media and having a whinge only exacerbates the situation. i dont even undersand why youd run to the media in the first place. waste of time.

I agree about going to the media....what does that do except open your daughter to more ridicule?
Still....I think people take the backlash to 'deflection' too far at times. People are so quick to jump on parents for sticking up for their kids. I think what this teacher did was wrong. The teacher should have sat down and talked to the kid about the homework, and sent a note home or called the parents. Calling out an 8 year old in front of the class, esp with a mocking 'award' is bullshit and I'd be upset if it was my kid too.

And how does this relate to facebook in any way?

[Blockhead]

lighten up mom. sit down with your child and discuss why she was given this award. running off to the media and having a whinge only exacerbates the situation. i dont even undersand why youd run to the media in the first place. waste of time.

I agree about going to the media....what does that do except open your daughter to more ridicule?
Still....I think people take the backlash to 'deflection' too far at times. People are so quick to jump on parents for sticking up for their kids. I think what this teacher did was wrong. The teacher should have sat down and talked to the kid about the homework, and sent a note home or called the parents. Calling out an 8 year old in front of the class, esp with a mocking 'award' is bullshit and I'd be upset if it was my kid too.

And how does this relate to facebook in any way?

haha...WOW...
You would be upset at the teacher, but not upset that your 3rd grader can't complete a fucking homework assignment and continually makes excusses?
Don't you look in your kids backpack when they get home to go over what they did in school that day or to see if they had any homework?
Someone needs to post that newspaper cartoon of the parents in 1960's yelling at their kids in front of their teacher and the parents today telling at the teacher... Seems very appropriate right now

[catefrances]

lighten up mom. sit down with your child and discuss why she was given this award. running off to the media and having a whinge only exacerbates the situation. i dont even undersand why youd run to the media in the first place. waste of time.

I agree about going to the media....what does that do except open your daughter to more ridicule?
Still....I think people take the backlash to 'deflection' too far at times. People are so quick to jump on parents for sticking up for their kids. I think what this teacher did was wrong. The teacher should have sat down and talked to the kid about the homework, and sent a note home or called the parents. Calling out an 8 year old in front of the class, esp with a mocking 'award' is bullshit and I'd be upset if it was my kid too.

And how does this relate to facebook in any way?

if this were my child(and i do have some) id laugh it off cause id know why they got it. id not take it seriously and id make damn sure my child didnt either. but i know all kids(and parents) arent the same. and i have to say im a little biased when it comes to the subject of homework.. i dont believe in it and i do not force my children to do it. i make it their decision.

[polaris_x]

catastrophe award!??

[inlet13]

I agree about going to the media....what does that do except open your daughter to more ridicule?
Still....I think people take the backlash to 'deflection' too far at times. People are so quick to jump on parents for sticking up for their kids. I think what this teacher did was wrong. The teacher should have sat down and talked to the kid about the homework, and sent a note home or called the parents. Calling out an 8 year old in front of the class, esp with a mocking 'award' is bullshit and I'd be upset if it was my kid too.

What the teacher did was point out something that had been occurring over and over again throughout the year. The kid was making up new and clever excuses to not do homework. She "rewarded" her for her clever excuses. In my opinion, it was "clever" of the teacher to do it this way.

Everything we're saying other than that is speculative, but I'd bet the Mom would have freaked at the teacher if the teacher approached her about the child's excuses. In fact, I'd bet that happened at least once before this reward was given. Regardless, I see nothing wrong with this. The kid was not doing homework and making constant excuses for it. She wouldn't have received the reward if she did her assignments,... or better yet, even if she didn't do them, she wouldn't have received this if she didn't make up clever excuses for not doing the assignments.

And how does this relate to facebook in any way?

Narcissism. Living in a bubble of "you". How dare a teacher question you or any thing that belongs to you (like your kids). Deflection. I bet the Mom's on facebook a lot.

[StillHere]

i think its funny for say a 12 year old..who gets the joke
but an 8 year old, no. too young, they prob don't "get it" as a joke
but i don't think the mom should be going all out about that
i also don't think the teacher should be giving out this award to an 8 year old
save it for your middle school kids..they'll get a kick out of it

THE REAL ISSUE is ...why wasn't mom on top of an 8 year old's homework assignments?
8 is a little young to be left up to her own as to whether or not she's completed her work

don't they use homework assignment books any more?

[pandora]

Great case of a teacher bullying a student ...
some can be very sarcastic too, no place for that with children in the classroom.

Why no parent teacher conference to say hey what's with all the excuses?

[Drowned Out]

I'm not defending the fact that the kid didn't have her homework done....and no, I wouldn't be all that upset at the kid either, because yes, I do look in my kids backpack to see if they have homework…In 3rd grade, I think a parent bears some of the responsibility for ensuring homework gets done. Do you honestly think the teacher would have had the balls to give the mom a ‘catastrophe award’? I doubt that.
I just don't agree with the teachers' handling of the situation. Maybe it was a joke....but the teacher had to know it would shame and belittle the kid - the obvious purpose of the award. When we're trying to teach kids not to be bullies, what kind of lesson does it send a class to mock an 8 year old with a fake award intended to ridicule?

[catefrances]

Great case of a teacher bullying a student ...
some can be very sarcastic too, no place for that with children in the classroom.
Why no parent teacher conference to say hey what's with all the excuses?

im glad you added this cause i know that children do have the capacity to understand sarcasm... even when theyre as young as 8.

[Jeanwah]

This isn't about the teacher - it's about the parent who doesn't follow through on making sure her kid does her homework. I'm embarrassed for that parent crying victim, she's as ridiculous as this story is for even being out there in the media.

[Jeanwah]

Great case of a teacher bullying a student ...
some can be very sarcastic too, no place for that with children in the classroom.

Why no parent teacher conference to say hey what's with all the excuses?

This is an example of falling for everything you read in the media as truth, and letting the media manipulate your critical thinking skills.

Teachers and parents are supposed to be working together, and this parent and teacher doesn't know what the hell the other is doing. Fail on both parts.

[Drowned Out]

This isn't about the teacher - it's about the parent who doesn't follow through on making sure her kid does her homework. I'm embarrassed for that parent crying victim, she's as ridiculous as this story is for even being out there in the media.

Again I agree about the media, and the fact that the media will carry a minor story like this is pathetic.....yes it's possible the mother is a chicken little type, maybe even a 'bad parent', as many of you seem to be so quick to label her......But...the teacher is at fault here too. Just because the mom is a fuck up who doesn't follow thru, doesn't mean the kid should be singled out, called a catastrophe, and laughed at by her peers. She's 8.

[inlet13]

I'm not defending the fact that the kid didn't have her homework done....and no, I wouldn't be all that upset at the kid either, because yes, I do look in my kids backpack to see if they have homework…In 3rd grade, I think a parent bears some of the responsibility for ensuring homework gets done. Do you honestly think the teacher would have had the balls to give the mom a ‘catastrophe award’? I doubt that.
I just don't agree with the teachers' handling of the situation. Maybe it was a joke....but the teacher had to know it would shame and belittle the kid - the obvious purpose of the award. When we're trying to teach kids not to be bullies, what kind of lesson does it send a class to mock an 8 year old with a fake award intended to ridicule?

Here's the thing:

1) Most here admit that at this age, the child is somewhat dependent on monitoring from the parent (hence your backpack line).
2) If the child comes in with missing assignments, the teacher should contact the parent. But, let's be real here... if the parent was doing their job, this "contacting" wouldn't be necessary to begin with.
3) Further, the child doesn't seem to be responding to the teacher's requests and is clearly making up excuses.
4) And what if, despite all attempts, the teacher can't get through to the parent?
5) I see good reason for this sort of lesson to BOTH the child and the parent as a response to all the above. Peer pressure can work as an advocate for "good" sometimes. I think the teacher knows this.
6) I think it's further evidence on poor parenting by this Mother's need to rush to the TV network news. The problem isn't generating headlines here. The problem is her child...

a) refusing to do homework
b) making up wild excuses for not doing such

Losing sight of that is problematic. And that's exactly what this woman wants and expects... because that's what our society does... this thread is proof...

DEFLECTION.