Competent, Sensitive, and Clean-shaven
I have no way to relate to today's reprint of For Better or For Worse. Thanks to my son's Asperger's Syndrome, we see most of the teachers in my son's school on a very regular basis. By the time the parent-teacher conference comes around, it's not really a special event. He is in 9th Grade now, and it has been that way ever since he was diagnosed back when he was 4 years old. I can't imagine worrying about appearing competent, sensitive, and clean-shaven with my son's teachers. Most of what I and my wife end up doing is more a case of education. The old style teacher is used to bad behaviour = poor student, where firm discipline solves the problem. With my son, it simply is not the case. They have not been trained to and don't know how to deal with him. Many of the teachers (and the principals of the school) have had to be reminded that the American Disabilities Act entitles my son to an education, which means he can't spend every day being sent to the principal's office.
Nevertheless, I recognize the "intimidation by teacher" style of strips have done the joke that the parents regress or try to impress the teacher for quite some time now. Personally, I like the way the comic strip Rose is Rose does it, where the parents turn into child versions of themselves next during parent-teacher conferences. Back in September, Lynn Johnston did her version of Elly's intimidation during Michael's introduction to school as a new-run and covered some of the same ground. If Lynn decides to add any new-runs this week, I wouldn't be surprised if she goes this same route. Lynn has been doing imitation of modern family comic strips lately, in an effort to find ideas for new-runs.
The more astounding thing about the strip is that supposedly Michael's misbehaviour is based on Lynn's own son's misbehaviour. You would think she could make this storyline seem a little bit more true-to-life. Ultimately we are going to find out that Miss Campbell really does not like having Michael in her class, and Michael is under the impression Miss Campbell thinks of him as "the baddest kid in class." That's pretty damning evidence, even though it is presented in a humourous fashion. If this is true, then I would think Elly and John would have been called in for a conference way before this time and not wait all the way until April of the school year. Nevertheless, what we are going to get is the non-linear thinker idea; and that may have been the way Lynn thought about her own son's misbehaviour in school. "He doesn't have a behaviour problem. He is just a non-linear thinker."
Nevertheless, I recognize the "intimidation by teacher" style of strips have done the joke that the parents regress or try to impress the teacher for quite some time now. Personally, I like the way the comic strip Rose is Rose does it, where the parents turn into child versions of themselves next during parent-teacher conferences. Back in September, Lynn Johnston did her version of Elly's intimidation during Michael's introduction to school as a new-run and covered some of the same ground. If Lynn decides to add any new-runs this week, I wouldn't be surprised if she goes this same route. Lynn has been doing imitation of modern family comic strips lately, in an effort to find ideas for new-runs.
The more astounding thing about the strip is that supposedly Michael's misbehaviour is based on Lynn's own son's misbehaviour. You would think she could make this storyline seem a little bit more true-to-life. Ultimately we are going to find out that Miss Campbell really does not like having Michael in her class, and Michael is under the impression Miss Campbell thinks of him as "the baddest kid in class." That's pretty damning evidence, even though it is presented in a humourous fashion. If this is true, then I would think Elly and John would have been called in for a conference way before this time and not wait all the way until April of the school year. Nevertheless, what we are going to get is the non-linear thinker idea; and that may have been the way Lynn thought about her own son's misbehaviour in school. "He doesn't have a behaviour problem. He is just a non-linear thinker."
posted by howard at 1:57 PM
5 Comments:
Personally, I like the way the comic strip Rose is Rose does it, where the parents turn into child versions of themselves next during parent-teacher conferences. Back in September, Lynn Johnston did her version of Elly's intimidation during Michael's introduction to school as a new-run and covered some of the same ground. If Lynn decides to add any new-runs this week, I wouldn't be surprised if she goes this same route. Lynn has been doing imitation of modern family comic strips lately, in an effort to find ideas for new-runs.
And doing a fairly poor job of it; it's similar to how she combines older, better strips to create inferior Frankenstrips that shamble their way into making our Sundays boring.
Ultimately we are going to find out that Miss Campbell really does not like having Michael in her class, and Michael is under the impression Miss Campbell thinks of him as "the baddest kid in class." That's pretty damning evidence, even though it is presented in a humourous fashion.
What this tells me is, that despite Lynn's clear belief that she's a sympathetic character, is that she's so out of it, she can't cope with a boringly average boy like Mike.
DC2
she can't cope with a boringly average boy like Mike.
Even his teacher noticed and described his academic work as normal. The only areas where he showed any noticeable aptitude were completely unrelated to being the Greatest Canadian Author Evah! To judge from this report card, Mike should have been able to make a speech and actually manage his staff, since all the FOOBs are destined from birth to become the adults they will be. Why, it's almost like Shelagh, a teacher so memorable that Michael named his heroine after her, really had no idea what he was like because she didn't like him enough to spend much time with him.
Forworse,
It seems that her barely-disguised relief at no longer having to deal with someone who isn't practically lobotomized would explain her avoiding him.
DreadedCandiru2,
It seems that her barely-disguised relief at no longer having to deal with someone who isn't practically lobotomized would explain her avoiding him.
“All the other kids made snowmen just like mine. And when I talk, they look at me and don’t write on the paper. But not Michael Patterson. He’s a non-linear thinker, which is my nice way of saying, ‘He doesn’t think right.’”
forworse,
To judge from this report card, Mike should have been able to make a speech and actually manage his staff, since all the FOOBs are destined from birth to become the adults they will be.
“Group leadership and public speaking.” Those are great criteria for a Grade 1 kid. What was Lynn thinking? Clearly wish fulfillment for her own son.
Why, it's almost like Shelagh, a teacher so memorable that Michael named his heroine after her, really had no idea what he was like because she didn't like him enough to spend much time with him.
Either that or we have missed some fantastic stories. “Michael was misbehaving, but he did manage to organize the students with some great speeches, when they had their protest rally.”
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