It's no secret that teaching is a very important job that's often both underpaid and underappreciated. In addition to disrespectful students, unsupportive administrators, difficult districts, and pesky government interference, teachers also have to deal with a range of parents who make their job even harder.
Perhaps you had a parent-teacher conference to address a few minor concerns you had for a student. The parent arrived 20 minutes late, fast food in hand, and proceeded to eat their meal without making eye contact with you. They kept shaking their head and scoffing at your concerns. After you finished speaking, they said, "Are we done here?" then got up, left their trash on the desk, and walked out of the room.
Maybe you had a parent get upset you busted their child for plagiarism. Even though you let the student redo the assignment for partial credit, their parent was livid. Rather than be upset their kid cheated, they were mad you wouldn't accept their plagiarized work. They left you many nasty emails and voicemails, called your principal, and even tried to get the district to fire you.
Or, perhaps a parent laughed in your face and said their kid was "too stupid" to teach and that you had your work cut out for you. This both broke your heart and left you feeling furious. The student was genuinely bright, they just struggled with some learning disabilities and hadn't received support before.
