Y4 bad start - dd doesn't like teacher

[Vicky13]

Hi

I have a 9-yr-old who seems to have gone from happy pupil in the summer to school refuser in the space of 3 weeks.

Since Sept she's been coming home in tears, and saying she feels sick every morning. The problem is she is terrified of her teacher. She's a very shy kid, but usually relaxes and gets on well with her teachers after the first week or two. This teacher has no patience with her shyness, and has been shouting at her to speak up and make eye contact.

I tried talking to the teacher early on, and I have to say I wasn't impressed with her. She just said that DD was lazy and rude. She isn't, or at least she never has been before. She's just terrified of doing the wrong thing, to the point where she won't ask or even talk in class.

Has anyone been through this? Is it worth trying again with the teacher, or going straight to the head? I'd like to get her moved into the other Y4 class, but don't want to have her singled out. She'd hate that.

x

[PorkPieLove]

I would bypass the teacher and go to the head. You have already told this rude woman about your DD's worries and look how she responded!


The teacher is paaid good money to help each and every child and she is not helping yours!


Go to see the head....by the sound of this teacher there may well have alredy been concerns from other parents.

[mattellie]

Within 3 weeks a teacher has decided that a 9-year-old girl she hasn?t taught before is ?lazy and rude??

Don?t think I?d be wasting too much time talking to the teacher if that?s her attitude. I?d make an appointment to see the HT.

[Vicky13]

Thanks for your advice. I have arranged to see the teacher to see if her attitude has changed now that she's had another two weeks to get to know her. If that's no good I'll be going to the head.

I've also had a good chat with DD to try to get her to go in with an open mind this morning. I think the teacher has been overly strict at the start of term, as she has some very difficult kids in the class. Not that that excuses what she said, but if she eases up a bit it might get easier.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks

[nappydays]

The reality is that teachers are human - and some are good, some are bad, and some are ugly. If your child's teacher has actually said that. and if your child is really unhappy in her class as seems the case, you need to speak to the Head in a non confrontational way. The Head will either be sympathetic and try to do something about it, or yell at you, or be spineless and incapable of doing anything about the teacher. Hopefully he/she will do something about it - but if not I would strongly advise you to act sooner rather than later. My son once had a horrendous year with a pchycopath of a teacher who hated him for reasons no-one else could fathom. The Head was a nice guy who was incapable of doing anything. My biggest regret is not getting him out of that place sooner. We finally did, and he thrived and was very happy again.