What defines a helicopter parent?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Courtesy of dictionary.com:
ha·rass Audio Help /həˈræs, ˈhærəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[huh-ras, har-uhs] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object) 1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.
2. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.

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Until you can prove that what nikki's parents were doing was 'harrassing" the teacher, you cannot place judgement there.

Just sayin'.

I'm saying that having someone else grade a paper after the fact and going above the teacher's head to the principal is beyond normal behavior about one paper grade.

It may not be harassment, but it's the kind that helicopter parents do.

Now, I'm not saying that you should just let teachers hand out random grades, but one paper is not something that should be going to the principal worthy, I don't think.

I don't pretend to know Nikki or her parents, and they all may be delightful folks, but the situation with the English teacher is exactly what helicopter parents do. (ETA: Maybe Nikki was better off the long run with her parents advocating and getting the grade changed, but I wonder if it wouldn't have been even better to see what Nikki could have accomplished on her own. A kid in advanced English should have some decent communication skills, right?)

ETA: I do apologize for making it seem like I'm judging Nikki's parents so hard. I admit I don't know the whole story, but what's presented here seems like a bad example of how they aren't helicopters. I don't really expect parents to be perfect in every instance and there's a whole range of dealing with teacher issues that are completely the teacher's fault.
I think Nikki is correct in her assessment that if these were the only two times they intervened, that her parents probably weren't the helicopter type.

[SWTXBelle]

When I was teaching 8, 10 and 12th grade I had a rule. I would re-check your test or paper on request, but if I did so, you got the new grade, be it higher or lower. (I would often raise a grade in the initial grading for a student who was borderline but contributed to class, but I don't lower grades. You get what you earn.) I remember re-checking a test - the student got a lower grade. He was shocked - "Are you going to give me the lower grade?" Well, yes. I told you I would give you the correct grade, be it higher or lower. Explaining why a grade was given ( and how to improve ) I had no problem with - I'd happily go over it with a student so he/she could avoid the same mistakes later.
English grading is very subjective. It is more than just following the directions - doing that will get you a "C" for average in my class. However, if I had a student who went from A work to D, I would double-check that paper as a matter of course. That said, if I gave it a D, it would stay a D, no matter who wanted to recheck it or give me pressure. And I would be far more likely to respect an 8th grader who didn't understand why a paper was graded the way it was than a parent who called to complain. I really hated the parents who wanted me to give their children extra credit. I had an extra credit assignment every 6 weeks - your student can do the same one everyone else does. No special assignments for your special snowflake.

Actual conversation from my first year teaching High School.

Lee - "You gave (eta - I hate that. I didn't "give" you a grade - you earned it.) me a C! Do you know who I am?"

Me - "Yes, you are that student who earned a C on his paper."

At least he came to discuss his grade on his own, and didn't sic mommy and daddy on me!

eta - and I'm just commented on general helicoptering - not making a comment about the previous poster's parents. I don't have enough facts to say anything, other than I also think perhaps it was a missed learning moment.