DS punished for teachers mistake

Oooh what a mean spirited thing of the teacher to do, it's not really vandalism if he's just written the correct name is it. I'd be more worried that if this is the approach, then what is going on in the classroom. If this came home in my kids bag I'd be popping in for a chat about what reward and discipline structures they're using and are they appropriate. It's vaguely vindictive because it'd definitely be easier to pop a new sticker over the old one or cut and stick the work, so the teacher is very much making a point, which I don't think is very healthy given they're in charge of lots of 8 yr olds.

No sarcasm- just suggestions and perhaps another point of view.

As for child blaming? Not nice?

Is it nice to blame the teacher without knowing for sure what happened?

I’ve never seen a head stay after a school goes into Inadequate - not sure about pay offs but they have to put their last school on their next application and it will be known that they were head of a school judged Inadequate. That’s in secondary though.

@MerryMeet This sanction is over stated too. There are some heads who aren't good enough. However many stay in post for years and are given opportunities to improve their school. If it is inadequate and doesn't improve, they should go. Dc only get one chance at this. I have rarely seen any head get removed. Many move on with a pay off. By agreement.

How do we know they didn't?
This might be exactly what was said to the child, only they impulsively got cross and scribbled it out. The punishment (although extreme) is for them not listening and taking it into their own hands.

I think it’s worse in primary and that’s because headteachers are worried about losing their jobs if they have a bad Ofsted. Everything is oriented towards Ofsted. Independent schools essentially fund their inspectorate so they know they’re not going to be slated in an inspection.

There is the same issue (Ofsted) in secondary schools but the schools are larger and teachers have multiple classes.

I’ve taught in both primary and secondary schools (primary trained and was a LA advisory teacher for years.)

Thank you. That's very much appreciated.

@MerryMeet I really have not seen this behaviour from SLT in schools. Maybe it's where I live? We are all pretty pleasant. I can see issues in secondary schools with unprofessional SLT. Of course SLTs like this should be the subject of numerous complaints. Ofsted have to be told about them. It's also a massive shame there's VAT on private schools because parents now have limited choice and if your local school doesn't suit dc, you cannot get into another school and are priced out of private education which, in general, is kinder and more responsive to parents.

You sound very much like my first couple of HoDs and HT.

It is a shame that there are not more like you in the profession.

This. DS was supposed to use up all of his books eg no gaps between "old" work and the next piece etc

Wow. Way to blame the child and rather sarcastically too. Not nice.

Maybe the teacher was busy at that moment.

Maybe Tommy misunderstood or misreported the teachers instructions when telling his mum.

A quick chat with the teacher could clear it up or

you could use the opportunity to teach little Tommy that life isn’t always fair, not to sweat the small stuff and not to expect Mum to smooth every bump in the road for him.

I'm sorry that you've had that experience. As I noted in conversation with my late husband (also a teacher), too many yes-men get promoted these days.

That's why I made a point of saying that I would put it in writing - so that there's no backing down and there's evidence for the class teacher. It's also why I advise teachers never to go into a meeting with management on their own and to make sure that there are agreed minutes.

I was blindsided once by an unscrupulous HT who was trying to conceal a mistake that he'd made. Fortunately, I managed to handle things, but I never allowed myself to be put in that position again. I'm happy (and vindictive enough) to say that I was there the day he got his comeuppance.

Maybe next time the teacher should behave like a professional and not be sloppy and disrespectful about people's real names.

If she was intending to replace or stick over the label anyway why punish the child? Don't enable disrespectful behaviour from an adult. The mistake was hers and she should not expect a small child to cover up for her. It's not like the child scribbled doodles over the cover.

Its my and many other teachers experience of HoD, SLT and HTs.
These managers are the ones that put pressure on teachers for this type of rubbish to happen and then are quite happy to stab them in the back to look good for each other and in front of parents.

In primary school, too many SLT are this ridiculous and petty. They’re obsessed with conformity and control. I don’t think it’s reasonable to pass this pressure on to an 8 year old, though.

Your DS shouldn’t be punished for the teacher’s mistake.

I would be backing DS and offering the teacher one of the options suggested already. I’d also be making it clear I wasn’t happy with him being labelled a vandal for correcting his own name.

Having been engaged in performance management in a school, no HT with any grain of professional sense would be setting targets based on what a book cover looks like. To suggest SLT are this ridiculous and it's to please ofsted is not believable. Ofsted really don't care in that sort of detail. They look at DCs work, not a book cover. After all, never judge a book by its cover!

I find it unbelievable this teacher didn't just get a new label with his correct name on it. It's not giving the DS any respect and of course his name matters.

What if she did say that. But his reaction was just to scribble over it. Would that then warrant the consequence?

What if OP has had a paraphrased version from her son. I think she should check before going in complaining this teacher is an unreasonable dictator...especially if nothing like this has happened previously

What she should have said rather than don’t worry about it was ‘I’m very sorry Tommy, that was my mistake, please use the book for today and I will replace the sticker after school’ then he wouldn’t have done it

Next time she marks his literacy spellings tell her she’s vandalised his work.

Don’t pussyfoot around this sad excuse for a teacher. Pay her a visit and tell her he’s not rewriting his work because of her mistake.

It isn't improving education but some SLTs are like that. In their mind, everything that a child does is related to the mindset and attitude that the teacher has curated in them (and is responsible for). As such, wonky sticking in or forgetting to underline a date shows a child who "doesn't care enough about their education and has no pride in their learning". This is then considered the fault of the teacher and that teacher can find themselves being hauled over the coals for it.

It's not just a primary thing though: there are plenty of overbearing SLTs in secondary. For me, it's just a sign of a weak/insecure SLT.

I'm also a teacher, and always try to give other teachers the benefit of the doubt, but fuck me, she's being a knob.

Definitely contact her to say that you won't be making your son do the punishment and would like to discuss this further.

My, aren't you cynical?

I have always stood by my staff and would do so in writing.