Father Fosters Future Failures

This takes place during the online teaching era. I teach geometry. A student has requested a one-on-one virtual meeting to discuss his grade. Only he is visible on his screen.

It immediately becomes clear that this meeting was actually initiated by his father, who is sitting just out of view, telling his son what to say, despite the fact that I can hear him perfectly. He begins to argue over a test grade.

Father: “Ask her how we got this wrong. I know that ratio is correct.”

The son repeats the question. I explain exactly why it’s wrong and how to set it up correctly.

Father: “No, she’s wrong! I have an app that does these triangles, and that’s what it told me to write.”

Me: “Sir, this is your son’s exam, not yours. Who exactly took this test?”

Father: “Well, I did, of course! I take all his tests for him! He might fail, otherwise!”

And yet he did the problem wrong. That was a long year.