Shocked at DS's teacher this week!

[WellThisIsShit]

She made a mess of something last week, which I did mention (politely!) in an email in which I was covering a couple of other unrelated things.

I then found out that lots of parents were 'up in arms' about the problem and there'd been multiple complaints, from individual parents and group complaints. Plus an angry exchange on Monday morning in the play ground, when a parent went in full throttle, and the teacher reacted in kind. All of which was inflamed by the teacher making it clear she hadn't got a clue what the issue was, or even what the parent was talking about at all.

Anyway, big furore and much concern that the teacher isn't up to the job (I'm glad I wasn't at the school gates this week!).

The wider context is that this teacher is coming into a challenging situation and is under the microscope, as she was parachuted in two days before the start of term after another teacher left the school in a fix when they pulled out with no notice. So, ht did a lot of classroom/ teacher shuffling and DS year ended up with this completely new teacher, who is very newly qualified, and has never taught in the uk before (or lived here actually). The school is really demanding and I have often mused that the poor teachers must have to be excellent, every single day, just to keep up - utterly exhausting to think about! Also the parents are err, well, they are much more involved than alot of schools, I think, and they expect to be listened to more as well.

So, anyway, it was all a bit heated and some of the parents were gearing up to a vote of no confidence in this teacher.

All made worse by the teacher responding ineptly showing her inexperience at handling parents... being confrontational, refusing to back down on things that she really shouldn't have chosen to make a stand about, being patently untrue and embarrassing to watch unfold (like the time when she decided to be firm and immovable that there was no one of x name in her class when grandparents did the pick up, and of course everyone watching was aware that x was been in that class for the last 3yrs and was in fact clearly there! Utter cringe my awful moment!), etc etc.

So basically, situation going nuclear fast argh!

So, I was completely shocked to get a sensible, well thought out response to my email, explaining her rationale at some points, and openly taking on my thoughts at others. Admitted she'd got the particular thing X wrong, and why, and how she was moving on from it... and according to other parents who are more tapped into this stuff than me, the teacher has responded in that same way to all the other complaints too, written and also verbal, meeting parents etc.

Basically, I'm really impressed.

Takes a big person to come back from this. And tbh, I wasn't expecting it!

So really, I wanted to share it on here and do a little private cheer for her :)

[Feenie]

Oh my god. You all sound like total nightmare parents. Sorry.

[Feenie]

Have re-read and would amend to absolutely fucking nightmare parents. Jesus. Poor teachers.

[vlooby]

Yup. Poor teacher!

[BitchPeas]

Feenie is 100% right. There is nothing more to be said.

[MaudAndOtherPoems]

Poor, poor teacher if she regularly has involved parents sending polite missives, letting her know what she's doing wrong.

[Topseyt]

Who the fuck would want to be a teacher?

Reading stuff like this, I am honestly amazed that anyone joins the profession at all, and am certainly not at all surprised that they leave it in their droves.

[Theimpossiblegirl]

Really, no teacher should have to put up with this shit. What a nightmare. My heart goes out to her.

[RosaDeZoett]

You could not pay me in diamonds to teach. Is there any other job in the world where this would be considered acceptable behaviour??

[Topseyt]

The parents all sound worse than the children.

[RosaDeZoett]

I've read it again. The teacher sounds amazing. She will probably quit immediately

[ImminentDisaster]

Just want to add my condolences for the teacher having to put up with all of that. Completely unreasonable parental behaviour. Actually quite horrified.

[Topseyt]

How can a child have been in the class for the last three years? That makes no sense.

[clumsyduck]

What could she possibly have done wrong

Fucking hell I feel bad for teachers they don't seem to be able to do right for doing wrong ! Luckily I Massivley respect my dc teachers and think they do a wonderful job !!

You sound like your dissecting the ceo of a massive company or something . thank god on not one of "those parents "
Seriously they works there fucking socks off

Give over

[OkPedro]

I don't have an email address for my Children's teacher! Should I?
We communicate face to face or written notes in my children's journals. They are in a huge school but the teachers always have time for a quick chat.

My daughter has a new teacher this year, I have been hearing snippets of her being a "shouter" apparently she lectured the children (8/9 year olds) for 10 minutes as they forgot a particular book for homework. All 27 of them forgot this book. Funnily enough turned out be a mistake on the teachers part. No big deal we all make mistakes. I can't accept shouting though. Some of the children are afraid of the teacher and are upset going to school. The parents are trying to organise a meeting to resolve this issue. Surely speaking to the head is the way to go? Not bombarding the teacher with emails etc

[antimatter]

I would hate my kids to be in a school where parents gang up on a teacher, send some convoluted emails and are shocked that they get sensible reply.
Awful!

[Only1scoop]

Bloody hell

The nitemare parent vigilantes

Grim

[Refilona]

As a teacher I've dealt with the unimaginable. Some parents are psychopaths and while you pity the kids it's absolutely insane that we have to deal with certain stuff.
I hope I am mistaken but did I sense a little racism there too?
Poor teacher.

[PerspicaciaTick]

The HT should be dealing with the parents and not permitting them to bully a new member of staff. Or patronise her on social media.

[User24689]

As an ex teacher I am appalled by this. She "showed her inexperience" in responding to the parents? She is inexperienced, you say she's newly qualified. And to be honest in no other profession would someone be expected to deal with being rounded on in this disgusting way. I quit teaching for a variety of reasons, one was abuse from parents. I have had parents walk into my classroom after hours and call me a cunt for keeping their 9 year old in at playtime. So she 'responded in kind'- what does that mean? She was angry? I'm not surprised. Poor poor teacher.

I hate when newly qualified is used as a criticism. Where would you like these newly qualified teachers to gain experience? Should we put them in classes of robots for a few years until they are deemed experienced enough to be let loose on real humans?

You sound a fucking nightmare.

[VimFuego101]

Does your school have a high turnover of teachers by any chance?

I have some concerns about DS' new teacher but there's no bloody way I'd be talking to other parents about a vote of no confidence or sending her an email telling her what she's doing wrong.

[Topseyt]

Dictatorship by the twats parents. Very likely trying to tell the teacher how to do her job. Because of course it is so piss easy.

[SparklyMagpie]

That poor woman! You need to have a word with yourself.

It's parents like you ( and the others) that put me off wanting to persue a career in teaching and make me dread when my 2 year old DS goes to school

[Out2pasture]

You certainly have a certain amount of chutzpah to type and post this.
No school or teacher needs your kind of support.
Positive thoughts you can “mature” over the weekend, and step away from schoolyard politics.

[TiesThatBindMe]

In eight years of school, I have never once needed to contact my child's school.