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Original poster

Teacher here... did I fuck up?

164 replies

ForSillyGreySwan · 10/09/2025 16:55

I went through my classroom rules.

  1. don't argue with my instructions
  2. treat me with the same respect as a male teacher (had sexist comments last year)
  3. phones handed in at start
  4. don't talk while i'm explaining
(I am a young female teacher who doesn't want to encounter any behavioural issues so i'm being firm from the start.)

I said 'if you have an issue with any of these rules, feel free to discuss them with the principal'.

In short, one of them actually did and now I'm being called into a meeting about it with the very principal I referred them to. Meeting is at 10am tomorrow. Really anxious about it.

OP posts:
XelaM · 10/09/2025 17:13

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:09

nah the phones is a schoolwide thing we have a special box for them

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Are you the OP?

40andlovelife · 10/09/2025 17:13

Your principle should have backed you to the kid who was soft enough to raise it with him/her. This should have never even got back to you.

Coconutter24 · 10/09/2025 17:12

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 10/09/2025 17:04

How?!

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It comes across negative, so Op is starting the year off in a negative note with her class. Have rules that’s great but they could of been worded far better

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:11

XelaM · 10/09/2025 17:11

That's such a waste of time. Why not have them be handed at the beginning of the day at reception?

Edited
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maybe you should write to the headteacher and ask him

XelaM · 10/09/2025 17:11

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:08

every teacher in the school is expected to take phones in at the start of every lesson and the ones who dont make other teachers jobs much harder

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That's such a waste of time. Why not have them be handed at the beginning of the day at reception?

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:10

tripleginandtonic · 10/09/2025 17:10

This Surely there are school codes of conduct ? You sound weak from the off I'm afraid OP.

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😂

tripleginandtonic · 10/09/2025 17:10

Coconutter24 · 10/09/2025 17:04

  1. don't argue with my instructions
  2. treat me with the same respect as a male teacher (had sexist comments last year)
  3. phones handed in at start
  4. don't talk while i'm explaining

If you said the rules as blunt as that then yeh I’d say you fucked up

This Surely there are school codes of conduct ? You sound weak from the off I'm afraid OP.

Curiossir · 10/09/2025 17:09

I don't think you've done anything wrong. I am sure your principal will back you. Who'd be a teacher nowadays. Crikey.

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:09

XelaM · 10/09/2025 17:09

This. I bet it's the phone rule that is disliked.

The rules sound quite passive aggressive to me.

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nah the phones is a schoolwide thing we have a special box for them

XelaM · 10/09/2025 17:09

TheFallenMadonna · 10/09/2025 17:02

What's the schools policy on phones? Handing them in at the start of every lesson seems a faff.

This. I bet it's the phone rule that is disliked.

The rules sound quite passive aggressive to me.

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:08

AngelaRaynersHair · 10/09/2025 17:07

You need to research positive behaviour management OP. You’re getting their backs up straight away. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the phones rule. Sounds like you’re asking them to hand them in which they don’t do across the board? (Otherwise they’d be handing them in centrally at the start of the day). They will think this is unfair as it’s their property.

Remember, relationships are the key to great teaching and learning.

every teacher in the school is expected to take phones in at the start of every lesson and the ones who dont make other teachers jobs much harder

AngelaRaynersHair · 10/09/2025 17:07

You need to research positive behaviour management OP. You’re getting their backs up straight away. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the phones rule. Sounds like you’re asking them to hand them in which they don’t do across the board? (Otherwise they’d be handing them in centrally at the start of the day). They will think this is unfair as it’s their property.

Remember, relationships are the key to great teaching and learning.

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:05

senua · 10/09/2025 17:05

I said 'if you have an issue with any of these rules, feel free to discuss them with the principal'.
Shock
Did you agree this with the Principal beforehand?

he normally backs up teachers on disciplinary issues

Wingingit73 · 10/09/2025 17:05

Your rules should really he just the school rules. Go to the meeting and accept whatever advice they give. Its not the end of the world

senua · 10/09/2025 17:05

I said 'if you have an issue with any of these rules, feel free to discuss them with the principal'.
Shock
Did you agree this with the Principal beforehand?

clarepetal · 10/09/2025 17:04

I think rule 2 is totally reasonable if you had trouble last year.

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:04

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 10/09/2025 17:04

If you wait for one of the kids to be a twat then set the boundaries, its 10x harder then just setting them at the beginning

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LITERALLY, this is what i will say word for word.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 10/09/2025 17:04

Coconutter24 · 10/09/2025 17:04

  1. don't argue with my instructions
  2. treat me with the same respect as a male teacher (had sexist comments last year)
  3. phones handed in at start
  4. don't talk while i'm explaining

If you said the rules as blunt as that then yeh I’d say you fucked up

How?!

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 10/09/2025 17:04

Hercisback1 · 10/09/2025 17:00

It's quite a provocative pre judgement to make of you've never met the group before.

If you wait for one of the kids to be a twat then set the boundaries, its 10x harder then just setting them at the beginning

Coconutter24 · 10/09/2025 17:04
  1. don't argue with my instructions
  2. treat me with the same respect as a male teacher (had sexist comments last year)
  3. phones handed in at start
  4. don't talk while i'm explaining

If you said the rules as blunt as that then yeh I’d say you fucked up

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:04

clarepetal · 10/09/2025 17:04

I think your rules are spot on. Am a TA in a school and I like them.

<3

clarepetal · 10/09/2025 17:04

I think your rules are spot on. Am a TA in a school and I like them.

yhtrfh · 10/09/2025 17:03

cant waste class time arguing with students who want to argue about petty shit, thats not how stuff gets learned, just wastes everyones time

C080889 · 10/09/2025 17:02

This would get my back up.
Its starting off with a negative tone. As said above deal with issues as they happen individually.

Greggsit · 10/09/2025 17:02

I wouldn't have said number 2. You're accusing them of being sexist from the off. You could have just said "Treat me with respect".

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