Catastrophe award given to 8 year old, humiliating or humorous?

by Assassin~ Badass Buzz Guru Posted 2012/05/30 17:26:26

Related Topics: Student, Teacher, School, Date, TV, Colorful, Joke, students, 2012, Teachers, News, Spring, Class, Belief

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28 votes
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	Humiliating	9 votes	32%
	Humorous	19 votes	68%

(ABC)

The mother of an 8-year-old Arizona girl who was presented with a "Catastrophe Award" for apparently having the most excuses for not having homework believes her child was humiliated by her teacher.

Christina Valdez said her daughter, Cassandra Garcia, came home one day
from class at Desert Springs Academy in Tucson, Ariz., with the paper
award.

The document, which looks like a colorful card, contained the following
message: "You're Tops! Catastrophe Award. Awarded to Cassandra Garcia.
For Most Excuses for Not Having Homework."

The teacher signed the card "Ms. Plowman," added the date - May 18, 2012 - and even included a smiley face.

The teacher announced the award in front of the entire class, and the other students laughed at her daughter, Valdez said in a Thursday interview with ABC TV affiliate KGUN-TV in Tucson.

When she contacted the school to complain, the principal "blew me off,"
Valdez added. "She said it was a joke that was played and that the
teachers joke around with the children."

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Tinka123 2012/05/30 17:57:01

Humorous

+4
Shouldn't the mother be more concerned with the homework excuses? It says in the end of the article that the Mother claimed she was unaware her daughter had a problem with homework - yet she was enrolled in a homework assistance program. That makes no sense - certainly can't be both. lol

I don't know, something's amiss here.
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Zolfie™ 2012/06/02 04:26:31

Humiliating

I'm not in the class so I can't say... I can say I've had teachers do things like this before... and it all depends on the teacher and the class... I've had times with the teacher did it and it was clearly in humor and the teacher was funny about it and did well :) with it.

Other times the teacher did it clearly to bully the kids around because they had the power and the kids as their verbal punching bags so to speak. And they'll be funny with some and means with others, or great with it one day and horrible when they're having a bad day.

Can't say how this teacher or class went with out knowing more.

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goblue1968 2012/06/01 23:02:07

Humorous

I read the article attached to this poll and it doesn't say anywhere how the child felt about this, just "she came home one day with the paper award". Sounds like some details are missing from this story. That'll give the kid more incentive to go for "The Most Likely To Succeed" award next year because there won't be any more excuses for not doing the homework!

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beach bum 2012/06/01 13:10:58

Humorous

humorous

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Kathy 2012/05/31 21:52:35

Humorous

It seems to me that the people saying the award is humiliating are incapable of putting these things in context. Most often these class awards go out to all the students, with each person getting their own personalized version like "Most likely to take over the world" or "Most trips to the school nurse". All the students laugh at all the other students' comments because that's the fun of it, and after it's over they move on and don't think about it again. And if there is a hint of truth to that award, then it sounds like the student was well on her way to being messed-up anyway. If this award is the tipping point that leaves her emotionally scarred then she was already a lost cause. And maybe, just maybe, she'll think she'd like to do better next year and try for "Most likely to succeed".

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Doreen 2012/05/31 04:11:17

Humorous

Actually both. It is obvious that this mother has not done her job as a parent and made sure that her daughter has her homework done. It might be good for the girl to understand that not doing her homework is a good thing. The teacher got the point across to both the student and mother. The mother is probably the most pissed that she was called on her downfall.

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Red Branch 2012/05/31 03:43:15

Humorous

Not necessarily humorous, but if she feels humiliated it is because she has a guilty conscience.

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Chloey Hamer 2012/05/30 23:36:00

Humorous

It's funny. My class used to get awards like this at the end of the year just for fun. In grade 6 I got the "freddie Mercury award" for Liking Queen which was also My teachers favorite band. lol

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XXrawwwrXX 2012/05/30 21:34:01

Humorous

im a mother of an 8 year old, and honestly, i think the teacher was just joking with her. but since the little girl is upset, i think the teacher should apologize.

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Cuppajo 2012/05/30 18:53:30

Humiliating

+1
But if the kid starts doing their homework (or mom gets off her ass to make sure the kid does it) then it worked.

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Flowers 2012/05/30 18:44:10

Humorous

+3
As a mother, I would be more concerned about why my daughter wasn't turning in her homework on time, THEN try and deal with the inappropriate 'award'.

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mk, Smartass Oracle 2012/05/30 18:22:14

Humiliating

+1
8 year olds are very fragile. If it were up to me, I'd fire that teacher.

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swimmingswan 2012/05/30 18:19:48

Humiliating

+1
some teachers dont know how to deal with a child in difficulty with homework

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Tara-ABO-2012 2012/05/30 18:14:47

Humiliating

+2
I don't find it funny to embarrass children like that. The Mother is a lousy parent if she isn't even making sure her child is completing her schoolwork.

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RamblingVoices. 2012/05/30 18:01:39

Humorous

+3
The Mother deserved it more.

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Inquisitve Kat 2012/05/30 17:58:01

Humiliating

+1
Clearly, it upset the child... and, considering the child is able to show her completed homework, it doesn't even make sense.

You can joke around with children without singling them out and embarrassing them. We're pretty insensitive when it comes to children's feelings... do we forget what it's like being a child? I remember feeling pretty insecure at that age and I remember thinking I was retarded, because of notes my teacher and mother were writing back and forth on my school work.

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Tinka123 2012/05/30 17:57:01

Humorous

+4
Shouldn't the mother be more concerned with the homework excuses? It says in the end of the article that the Mother claimed she was unaware her daughter had a problem with homework - yet she was enrolled in a homework assistance program. That makes no sense - certainly can't be both. lol

I don't know, something's amiss here.

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Inquisi... to Tinka123 2012/05/30 18:04:09

+2
I got a completely different impression from that... I thought the mother was confused BECAUSE the daughter is enrolled in a homework assistance program and was able to show her completed homework.

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Tinka123 to Inquisi... 2012/05/30 18:15:26

+3
Could be. Didn't give a whole lot of information. That's why I said, something seems missing from this. If the girl felt humiliated - that's just wrong. imo But I was left with the suspicion that the "humiliation" may have been an opinion of the Mother rather than girl's. I don't know - just seems like there is info missing from this story.

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Sister Jean 2012/05/30 17:27:41

Humorous

LOL

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