Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Unclear Future In my many years of teaching high school, I have seen all types of students. Noora, a student from Pakistan, was one of the most special students. She was definitely one of the most intelligent I have had. She also had an extraordinary work ethic and interpersonal skills. When other students in her class had difficulty with any subject, Noora was there to help them. I thought she had a very bright future. Knowing her strong skills and knowledge in math and sciences, I thought she would go to a prestigious university. One day I decided to talk to Noora about her future plans and I was shocked by what I heard. She said that two months after graduating from high school, she was going to get married to the son of a family friend. She did not seem very disturbed by this. I went to talk to Noora's parents to explain to them what a great student she was and why they should reconsider their decision to marry her at such a young age. I told them that what they were doing was unfair. The very next day Noora's family sent a formal complaint letter to my school principal stating that I was being disrespectful their culture, and that it is their business to decide their daughter's future, not the teacher's. I was devastated when the principal informed me about this. I thought I was being a good teacher. I still do not want to give up on Noora's future. What should I do? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) Engaging the parents in a discussion about how bright Nora is was definitely what I would have done, however Nora is still their daughter so I think a line was crossed when you told them what Nora's future should look like. Considering that I can't change that, here is how I would proceed. I think that as a whole class, you should spend a day or two engaging in conversations about further education and the procedures for application. Depending on you specific content area, you could even have students complete a mock college application for your review. Then there is also the route of having the school counselor come into your class and do the same, but this way you can avoid another confrontation with Nora's parents.