Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask teachers if you are scared

107 replies

crochetmonkey74 · 24/04/2024 17:52

I'm a career teacher (25 years) and have always loved it.
In the last year, parental complaints over tiny things are very very common, and often aggressive. More and more students are making wildly false allegations. We have had 2 lockdown situations at my school (not drills) for armed intruders. The news today from Ammanford has really shaken me. I actually feel scared for the first time in my career. If you're a teacher, how are you holding up?

OP posts:
WearyAuldWumman · 24/04/2024 18:13

I started secondary teaching in Scotland in '84 and only do a little bit of supply these days.

Knives have been a problem for a few years now. Before I quit my permanent post 6 yrs ago, we had several instances of knives in school. Also one instance of a first year/Y8 boy holding a screwdriver to a girl's throat.

Since I started supply teaching, I've not had to deal with knives, but I've broken up fights and stopped assaults. I'm not as worried as I used to be - I'm in my 60s and I now have no immediate family, so if anything happens to me no one else is going to suffer.

I've been hurt in the past. Worst was when I was punched in the stomach whilst trying to keep my distance because I thought I might be pregnant. (Pregnancy was confirmed when I lost it the next day.) That was 20 yrs ago.

Moier · 24/04/2024 18:11

I'm just glad all my Grandkids are home educated. It's a scary world out there in schools these days. One boy got stabbed at a local school only last week. All over a girl.. they were 13 ffs..

MehGeography · 24/04/2024 18:08

We tend to have mouthy rather than aggressive parents. I work in a rural school, it is a very old fashioned everyone knows everyone and his nan type place.I may well feel entirely differently in an inner city setting.

Original poster
crochetmonkey74 · 24/04/2024 18:05

Aware is a good word.
Levels of aggression from parents in primary as well (I'm secondary) is interesting
It's crazy how different the job is from when I started

OP posts:
KatherineofGaunt · 24/04/2024 18:03

I'm not scared, per se, just a bit more aware that where I am at a city centre college there are plenty of young people who may feel carrying a knife is something they need to do. I never thought about it before this.

MehGeography · 24/04/2024 17:58

I'm in primary.
No,
I'm in no way scared.

OldChinaJug · 24/04/2024 17:57

I'm in primary. I'm at a good school. Good both in terms of ofsted and in terms of SLT support. Workload is manageable because the school prioritises staff well being.

But pupil violence and parental verbal aggression is something we deal with (well, I'll add) on a daily basis. There are many parents we're not allowed to meet with on our own because of the very real threat of physical violence (based on past experience of those parents).

Swipe left for the next trending thread