Is it me or does everyone else insist on 'teacher-bashing' all the time?

[dollybird]

My DS has had a great year R and finishes school next week. My DD starts in September and has the same teacher and I am pleased as DS has got on well and his end of year report was brilliant. She is a quiet teacher which I think will suit DD's personality as she's very shy. Apart from 2 or 3 'common sense' type things, we have had no issues with her over the year.

However, when I told some of the other mums that dd has the same teacher next year they were mostly horrified and asked if I was 'OK with that' (like I have a lot of choice anyway and I say better the devil you know..). Then, since the reports came out all I've heard in the playground is her being slagged off for one thing or another. It really annoys me as a) I don't she's ever done anything that bad and b) they all know I've got her again so it's a bit insensitive to keep going on about it all the time. I believe the reports for their children were maybe not as good as they'd hoped, but is that any excuse. Is this sort of thing compulsory??

[Steward]

I know with my son that the teacher he has had this year has been really good, bu concerned about the teacher he is having next year. It is the same teacher he had in year 1 and personally felt was holding son back. I know this teacher has upset another mom whose son is in the same class. I am hoping that beacuse it is a differnt year she normal teaches that she will be different.

It could be that thay have had problems with her, but if you have has=d a nice report and had nice dealing with the teacher, then ignore the other moms. It's there problem not yours.

[yellowvan]

Yeah! You should hear the slating my DS's school got for daring to mix up the calsses for next year without consulting with every single parent about what their darlings' preference would be.

fgs they don't do this kind of thing lightly. It seems to me that the classes must have been unbalanced in some unforseen way, such as by ability, personality or behaviour, and they have just sought to rebalance them.

None of the chn seemed bothered, it had been sold to them as an "exciting opportunity" (as indeed it should be), but you should have seen the lines of anxious parents storming up to complain.

Head issued a stinker of a letter tho, defending her professional integrity, bit over the top, but I kind of saw her point.

So yes, teacher bashing among parents sometimes normal, and no doubt parent bashing among teachers also normal

[2ndtimeround]

Most parents haven't got a clue about education and hold Daily Mail readers attitudes towards teachers and education. People still actually believe the better teachers teach in private schools....yea right!!! The easier job is the private school, so who would choose to work there I wonder??? I have worked in education for a long time and my husband is an amazingly skilled and experienced teacher. I agree with you and I am sure your child's teacher will be lovely for the next year. Parents need to take more responsibility for their child's education, children learn most from home, parents attitudes and beliefs supported by a nurturung education environment. Good luck and ignore the other mummies. I can't wait for my 2 to be old enough for school!!!

[dollybird]

2TR - I agree with your comment "Parents need to take more responsibility for their child's education". One of the mums complaining about her dd's report (and therefore the teacher) has openly said to me she doesn't bother with the homework and sometimes does the reading) - I wonder why her child is not above average then!? She is a real hands-on mum and a lovely lady but she thinks five is too young to get work to do at home so doesn't do it. the other mum reckoned her friends kids who go to a different school don't read yet so she doesn't see why pressure is being put on her ds. But surely learning to read is in the National Curriculum - ie a REQUIREMENT of the school not something they can do if they feel like it??

[quadrophenia]

so because you are happy with the teacher everyone else should be? these parents may have very valid concerns that may not have been apparent to you or your child.

[OrmIrian]

"but she thinks five is too young to get work to do at home so doesn't do it. the other mum reckoned her friends kids who go to a different school don't read yet so she doesn't see why pressure is being put on her ds"

Well I agree with her as it happens (as do quite a few teachers of my acquaintance). But then again I wouldn't 'bash' my DC's teacher unless there was some kind of non-academic problem. I have to assume that teaching-wise they know what they are doing and would only be unhappy if my child was unhappy because of how a teacher was behaving towards him/her.

[constancereader]

I can get very upset about teacher bashing on here, but I remind myself it is often just letting off steam. No teacher will please every parent and child all the time. What does get me annoyed are all the people who suggest storming in to complain at every little thing. Teaching is a balancing act, just as parenting is. We want the best for your child's education, just as you do!

lol at 'parent bashing'.

[mummypigoink]

I think there is a lot of teacher bashing around, particularly about issues which I consider to be basically the responsibility of the parent ie discipline. Teachers can only work with what they are given.

Also, further to 2ndtimearound, I did a mentoring programme in some pretty tough schools in one of the 'worst' education authorities in the country, and the teachers who were offering their time after school in these programmes were fantastic. I would be delighted for any of them to teach my kids as they had passion, commitment and were succeeding getting through to kids, some of whom were becoming disenfranchised before reaching senior school.

[dollybird]

I agree also that five is probably too young to get homework, but at the end of the day, they do get homework and we are expected to help them with it, so surely you can't blame the teacher if you're child can't read/write/whatever if you don't put the time in. I also agree some of the mums may have valid concerns but I am talking about them starting to pick on every little thing - 'oh, she made a face at the children' - seen through the window - perhaps they were reading a story, or talking about feelings or something but everything is assumed as being bad

[OrmIrian]

I do agree with you dollybird in general. There are some miserable buggers for parents at my school and it seems as if nothing that the school ever does is right. There do seem to be some parents who always have angry faces and aggresive tones when they speak to the teachers. Often it's about lost cardigans or something being stolen from a place that it shouldn't have been left in the first place, or a complaint about a punishment which to an outsider seems perfectly justifiable. I just feel so glad it's not me that has to deal with them. I have to say that with all the teachers I've had dealings with they have all been without exception caring and committed - they make mistakes sometimes but who said being a teacher makes you infallible?

[onlyjoking9329]

teachers don't always get respect, some parents are never happy with any teacher.
i have never had an issue with any of my kids teachers, i have had issues with some parents thou

[Bink]

I think the teacher-bashing is one of those things which takes on a life of its own - like people gossiping, it spirals, with people feeding off each other - and you have to be quite determined not to get drawn in. Human nature, really.

It isn't that difficult to keep out though - a few non-controversial things like "really? ds really likes her - I think they must have the same sense of humour" (which people can interpret whatever way they like!) - is non-prim but lays down a line. And it means the thoughtful parents will spot you as one of their own, which is just what you want!

[rarrie]

Yes, yes, yes! I'm a teacher, and it infuriates me the way everyone seems to think that they have the right to comment on teaching, usually based on their experiences 20 or 30 years ago!

The number of times I have heard that I finish at 3pm, and have long summer holidays and so have no right to complain... I just wish those people could see when I'm sat up working till 1 or 2 am, or the fact that I do actually work during the summer holidays.

I do believe that the latest bash in the papers this week, was that teachers only need 2 GCSEs to become a teacher (that was the headline in the express) - I don't know any teachers who have only got 2 gcses- in fact where I'm working, over 50% of teachers have got either a masters or higher!

I could go on, but it would be boring, but it does just irritate me how people seem to think that teachers are some sort of superhumans, who muct get everything right all of the time, when at the end of the day, we're just humans like everyone else!

[dollybird]

one thing that does my DH's head in (he does morning school run four days a week) is (when DS was being dropped off at the class door - luckily they are transitioning them for Y1 now so all go in one door). Anyway, when he was trying to get DS in the door and leave to go to work all these 'bloody women' getting in the way giving out their instructions to the teacher "Johnny's going to be picked up by X today, but if it's not her, it'll be Y". I'd hate to be a teacher trying to remember all that crap in the morning!

[cornsilk]

This is definitely the time of year for teacher bashing, when next year's classes are announced. You can't please everybody. Let them get on with it and keep out of it!

[nooka]

I think that part of the problem is that schools are (or appear to be round my way anyway) very poor at communicating, and sometimes slip into the adult child relationship when talking to parents. My mother was a teacher, and I notice it's something she does too (my father also occasionally slips into accountancy mode too, so I'm not saying it's exclusive to teachers). This is pretty much guaranteed to annoy (probably brings out the teenager in us!). Most of the rest of the public sector is at least attempting to be more "customer focused" but I don't think that schools are picking up on this trend. Maybe it's not possible/innappropriate, but it does mean that as a parent your relationship with your children's teachers is not the same as any other relationship you are likely to have, and this can grate to say the least.

[dollybird]

I think, actually, DS's teacher is perhaps not so good with the parents as with the kids and maybe because I haven't had much need to talk to her about DS because he just muddles along fine I haven't seen too much of that side of her. Hopefully DD will be the same!