00:01 [ONSCREEN] Defensive communication

00:06 [TEACHER and MRS. LAREW sit at a table. TEACHER has a pen and paper] TEACHER: Thank you for coming, Mrs. Larew. It's really nice to meet you finally.

00:09 MRS. LAREW: It's nice to meet you too.

00:10 TEACHER: Um, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about Jackson's reading scores. I'm a little bit concerned. He's falling behind, and…

00:18 [interrupting TEACHER] MRS. LAREW: What do you mean, falling behind?

00:19 TEACHER: He's -- he just -- I think he needs some extra help.

00:22 MRS. LAREW: Okay, extra help, like...?

00:25 TEACHER: Maybe you or Mr. Larew can help him…

00:28 [interrupting TEACHER] MRS. LAREW: Mr. Larew has been out of the picture for at least – oh my God, it's been a year and a half now.

00:32 TEACHER: Okay.

00:32 MRS. LAREW: So, there's no -- that's just not an option.

00:34 TEACHER: Okay. So maybe you could help him with his homework a little bit. I think it would improve his scores a lot.

00:39 MRS. LAREW: I work a full-time job. I don't know what you want me to do at home. He's supposed to be coming to you for that. You're supposed to be teaching him.

00:45 TEACHER: Of course, of course, and I'm definitely trying to give him some special attention, but I just think his homework is really going to pull up his scores.

00:54 MRS. LAREW: Okay, and I don't understand what you're trying to ask me to do about that.

00:59 TEACHER: Just spend a little bit more time with him.

01:00 MRS. LAREW: Well, I don't have a little bit more time. You know, he's the oldest of three. I'm by myself. I don't know what you want me to do.

01:06 TEACHER: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suggest, you know, that you weren't spending…

01:08 [interrupting TEACHER] MRS. LAREW: What, that I'm a bad parent? That I'm not spending enough time with my son?

01:11 TEACHER: Of course not. Absolutely not. But you know he's at an impressionable age, he's…

01:15 MRS. LAREW: Right, and his teachers are the people that we trust to make an impression upon him. I mean, what do you want me to do about this?

01:20 TEACHER: Well, he's been hanging out with some of the rowdier boys in the class, and…

01:24 MRS. LAREW: Are you trying to say that my son is a troublemaker, a rowdy boy?

01:27 TEACHER: Of course not. I think Jackson is a great kid.

01:31 MRS. LAREW: Well, obviously you don't. You seem to have a lot of complaints about my son.

01:34 TEACHER: I'm just concerned about him.

01:36 MRS. LAREW: You don't seem concerned. It seems like you don't like my son.

01:38 TEACHER: Of course I like him. I think…

01:39 [interrupting TEACHER] MRS. LAREW: It doesn't seem like that.

01:40 TEACHER: He's a very sweet boy. How about if maybe you could bring him to school a little bit earlier or let him stay a little bit later, I'd definitely be willing to…

01:48 [interrupting TEACHER] MRS. LAREW: Fine, whatever you need to do.

01:49 TEACHER: Help out.

01:50 MRS. LAREW: Fine.

01:51 TEACHER: Okay.

01:53 [ONSCREEN] Defensive communication: Incompetent responses to suggestions, criticisms, or perceived slights.