Parent-teacher day 2

I was very anxious about today.  I had a parent meeting scheduled that wasn't boding well.

A student's tutor had sent me a hostile email on Friday evening "on behalf" of the mother.  She had emailed earlier the weak to ask about an exam score - the first I had heard from her, and then followed up with an email blast how I had demotivated the boy in the past few weeks with my "behavior", that I had accused the boy of cheating and destroyed him, that they (mother and tutor) did not approve of the way I was acting.  Etc. etc. etc.

Sigh.

I asked the principal and counselor to attend the meeting with me, for support, clarification, and translation.  Neither showed.  The tutor was young and glowering at me with hatred.  The mother couldn't look me in the eye.  The mother was my kids back-up doctor - I knew her.  I had failed them both big time and there was no remedy.

It was a terrible feeling.

My Turkish wasn't good enough, the mother's English wasn't good enough, the hostile tutor was left to do the translating.

Last week, we were talking about exam answers.  I was sharing with the class generally about answers given, and one described at stereotypical business man as a person who carry's a bag and smokes.  Two boys volunteered they had written this answer.
I said, "Yes.  Your answers were oddly similar.  And you were sitting next to each other.  And you both spelled smokin' the same way.  Did you copy each other?"
They obviously answered no - but I checked their eyes briefly, and dismissed it mostly because I didn't believe either of these boys to be sneaky.  And later, looking at the answers, there was enough difference for me not to purse it.

The one boy went home and a) informed his parents that Exam IV he got a 44% when he had believed he had a 77%.  b) That I accused him of cheating in front of the whole class.

Apparently, a family argument ensued and the boy had been crying overnight since last week.
Because of me.

And the boy is a sweet sweet boy.  Honest (but human), eager, enthusiastic, tries very hard but with very low English skills ... no matter how much he tries sometimes.  The mom couldn't look me in the eye.  Her face was so sad.  The whole situation was so ugly.