Is this PE teacher a nutter or am I over-reacting?

[Disputandum]

DD, in Y8/age 13, came home today regaling me with 'humorous' tales of what had happened in her PE lesson this morning.

To summarise - teacher told one child he was 'thick and crap at PE' (child was being cheeky), told two girls working together to go and sit down 'because you're crap', told another boy to pull himself together after falling from equipment (he later fainted and was taken to hospital in a wheelchair, have since heard he had a dislocated shoulder) AND instigated an activity whereby the children worked in pairs to see how long they could stand on each other's backs on one foot. I am not sure whether this is normal practice or not but DD said her back 'cracked' so loudly that everyone turned to look and she is in pain this evening.

This teacher was off sick for a long time last year after similarly erratic behaviour, including making slow runners run forwards while everyone else ran backwards and laughing at them (DD was a mortified slow runner but I didn't complain, though other parents did).

So is this par for the course or would I be justified in contacting school about this?

[Imnotaslimjim]

I would be speaking to the school if my DC had come home with these tales. It is not normal behaviour at all! Getting children to stand on each other? Not checking on a child after they've fallen from equipment? And using the language he did! Its not right and I'd be more than a bit cross about it

[Hullygully]

They are all nutters.

But he sounds quite extreme.

[AMumInScotland]

Not remotely normal, even for a PE teacher - they do have their share of "unusual characters" in PE teaching, but this goes way beyond that!

[Disputandum]

OK that's what I thought...my memories of school PE are far from joyful and I do think that PE teachers have a justified reputation for being rather over-zealous sometimes, but think this one seems particularly barmy!

Right-o, will email or telephone tomorrow.

[maddy68]

I would make sure that these are FACTS and not kids exagerating before going in to school

[CarrotsAreNotTheOnlyVegetables]

Good point maddy

[chill1243]

surely the language alone is enough to get the teacher investigated.

[unfitmother]

Sounds like a nutter to me.

[CrosswordAddict]

Disputandum Certainly follow up the injury to your daughter's back with the school.
TBH I would not mention any of the other complaints as they do not really concern you or your daughter. Don't cloud the issue!

[YummyHoney]

Do you really need to ask? Clearly a nutter - but, also, I suspect, some exaggeration on DC's part.

[Disputandum]

Ah well I didn't do any complaining at all in the end as about a dozen other parents got there before me (according to indiscrete friend in school office).

According to DD their PE lesson today was interrupted by the Deputy Head who asked to 'have a word' and the rest of their lesson was taken by someone else.

My plan had certainly only ever been to mention the 'standing on back' nonsense as felt that the other issues should really have been taken up by the parents of the children concerned, and it seems that they were.

Thanks for the advice though, hate having to complain about anything.