Parents' Standards

Joey* was in grade six when he became my student. He was smart alright. But there was something about him that was unpleasant. He was a bit arrogant.

He wasn’t as polite as other students. He answered as if I were his own age and he showed boredom when I discussed something he thought he already knew and treated it as unimportant. There were even times that I felt he looked down on us, teachers, as if daring us to teach more. The results of his tests, however, showed he wasn’t as smart as he believed himself to be. He may be a smart kid but not exceptional one.

Then, one time, his mother came to pick him up. She asked me about his son. So, I discussed Joey’s strengths and weaknesses as I normally do. She appeared dismayed that Joey wasn’t able to get perfect scores. Regardless of what I said that Joey was among those who performed well. Then, just when I thought she was leaving, her husband arrived.

I had to repeat what I already said and if the mother was dismayed, the father was disgusted. He started to berate the poor boy in front of me. He made it clear to the boy that he was not going to any other high school, but a Science High School. Being a graduate of a science high school himself, he couldn’t understand why Joey was having difficulty getting high scores in the review center.

I suddenly felt sorry for Joey. As a parent myself, I understand how parents want the best for their children. But I guess they are not supposed to turn their kids into something they aren’t.

*not real name