A Kansas mom became upset when she saw an elementary school teacher’s “warning” on her 7-year-old daughter’s paper.
For most first graders, a school is a place where teachers cultivate and praise learning, especially if it exceeds expectations. Of course, no parent would ever imagine that a trusted educator would attempt to hold back their child’s progress. However, for Kansas mom Brenda Hatcher, that’s exactly what happened when her daughter showed signs of accelerated learning.
When Brenda picked up her 7-year-old daughter Alyssa from school, she looked through her backpack, checking her day’s work. The caring mother couldn’t believe her eyes when she spotted a correction in bright red ink at the top of her child’s grammar lesson. However, it wasn’t something that the girl answered wrong that earned the teacher’s scorn.
A Kansas mom was appalled when she saw the teacher’s note on her daughter’s homework. (Photo Credit: Pixabay)
Brenda Hatcher shared a photo of her daughter’s paper on social media, expressing outrage over the teacher’s mark, which had absolutely nothing to do with any error committed by the child. Instead of correcting a mistake or issue with the 7-year-old’s answers, the teacher proceeded to chastise Brenda’s daughter for displaying superior penmanship, scolding, “Stop writing in cursive. You have had several warnings.”
Even more disturbing to Brenda was that the teacher’s chiding wasn’t pointing to anything Alyssa had answered in the homework section. In fact, the offense to which the educator was referring was the child’s name at the top of her paper.
Brenda Hatcher revealed that her 7-year-old daughter Alyssa was chastised by her teacher for the strangest mistake. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
Understandably, Brenda Hatcher was confused and incensed that the teacher took issue with her child practicing writing her name in cursive.
“Alyssa is 7!!! Not only is her mother a military veteran but, she took the time to teach her very young child how to write in cursive… This is her teacher’s response… What is wrong with today’s school system/society???”
Brenda expressed her concern that the teacher’s chastisement could discourage her daughter and fellow classmates from giving their best. She and others on social media pointed out that this type of response to students going above and beyond in the classroom undoubtedly creates an atmosphere of conformity instead of nurturing their individual skills.
Most agreed that the teacher’s warning crossed the line. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
Brenda Hatcher further explained that Alyssa doesn’t do this sort of thing all the time. She added that writing in cursive used to be encouraged rather than punished.
“The thing is is that she doesn’t write everything in cursive,” she commented. “That’s her own personal signature… I had to learn to write in cursive when I was young… This should never be something a teacher frowns upon.”
Brenda further pointed to the teacher’s apparent hypocrisy, alleging that she should work on her own writing before scolding the students for their developments.
“And apparently she can’t even get things right herself as an adult… Considering her little mess at the beginning of her lovely note… To a 7 year old…” she wrote.