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Original poster

French Teacher

60 replies

lottysmum · 26/05/2017 20:54

Just looking for a little bit of advice please....

My dd had her French Oral exam today (Yr10), in previous years she has done great - last year was 100%. The presentation element of the Oral went well - but a couple of sections of the questions werent great - one probably down to DD being TOO laid back because she felt secure in this area so probably didnt revise and another section was weak because they havent fully covered this topic - so dd struggled to improvise ....

However the main issue DD and the other girls are finding is that their French teacher is not very personable and rather than give them encouragement - "slags them off" - including pulling faces during the Oral showing annoyance - when the girls have not answered a question well, so allot of the girls are really lacking in confidence and demoralised (she's not very well liked and has a habit of saying derogatory/inappropriate comments This term she stated in front of all the class that she thought my daughter must be on illegal drugs because she was so lively in class (my DD is a chatterbox).

This morning I did try and say to my DD to try and not look at the teacher during the oral because having met the teacher I know she is very animated - therefore I felt that if DD went wrong in her oral at the start she would know this from the teachers face and just fall apart (other teachers have done the oral in the past). A number of the girls came out the oral demoralised and in tears because the teacher had said in very harsh words they had not done very well - not in an encouraging manner....

My big concern is that I think DD is OK overall with her French oral - learnt a few lessons from this morning BUT DD did state that the same teacher will take them for the GCSE Oral - I personally think she is unsuitable to do Oral Exams because of her negative traits ...

I dont think she's a bad teacher - just lacks interpersonal skills ...Have I justification to ask for her not to do the Oral exams with this class next year?

OP posts:
LadyinCement · 27/05/2017 11:47

BarbarianMum Grin That was my immediate thought too. Imagine going to France and thinking that everyone's going to be grinning encouragingly when you murder their language.

It doesn't matter whether the teacher breaks out into song every time you get a word right or sits there with a malevolent look on her face... it is an exam !

ilovesooty · 27/05/2017 11:41

It's an independent school.

dingit · 27/05/2017 11:22

Is it a academy? Ds' French teacher is an utter bitch.

ilovesooty · 27/05/2017 11:10

Well. What a dramatic reaction to the mere suggestion that your daughter's behaviour might be a problem.

BarbarianMum · 27/05/2017 11:06

Not everyone your daughter meets in life is going to smile encouragingly at her (this is particularly true if she ever tries her French on an actual French person). Tell her to revise properly, do her best and ignore her teacher's expression. And to listen more in class.

Original poster
lottysmum · 27/05/2017 01:41

Titchy - thanks that's your opinion ....HOW DARE YOU !!!!!! - If you read my daughters's reports - she is a pleasure to teach - very understated this post isnt about my daughter being a chatterbox - this is about a teacher who cannot motivate her class and does the opposite - I had no reason to mention about my DD being a chatterbox but I wanted to post a balanced view ...I didnt ask for a character assassination of my daughter

I was actually trying to find a way to address an issue where kids are turned off because of the mannerisms of a teacher...ARE you a teacher Titchy ?

Pain in the arse NO...a child that we moved into an independent school because she was bullied YES...Bullied because she had a large GAP in her teeth....bullied because she has Hyper-mobility ...she is a chatterbox (I think she sometimes reacts when she feels bullied again - low self esteem) She is actually FORM HEAD for 2017/18 Year 11 - which is a post given to her by teachers ...because she's a genuine honest caring child ...who relates to her peer group ... She still doesnt have a easy ride in school because we are NOT affluent parents - just parents who want our daughter to have a good education and have a chance of fulfilling her potential ...

I could have barked at the teacher when she made a derogatory comment to me daughter - I didnt because I know this teacher struggles to relate to her students - This teacher started this year by making some statements about NOT being liked ...

The girls considering dropping out are quiet girls - who feel bullied by her - and I think my DD relates to this ....

OP posts:
titchy · 27/05/2017 00:17

Sorry but your dd is a complete pain in the arse. No teacher or school 'appreciates' a chatterbox.

Original poster
lottysmum · 26/05/2017 21:21

My DD is a chatterbox and we have worked with this - this is her personality which is very difficult to change and the school appreciates this and allot of teachers like the fact that she's pro-active in lessons. In the same context this teacher seems to demoralise the children in her class by her mannerisms. My dd is probably the least affected by this but other girls now want to give up French - that is how serious it is ...

There will be complaints made and questions asked because the girls are demoralised - its an Independent School where the parents do voice their opinions very loudly ..

There are other French teachers who can take the Oral - this is the 4th or 5th Oral my daughter has had and scored over 90% in all previous orals and 100% in the last Oral - personally she wont score that highly this time because she was too laid back with the revising of questions on this occasion - BUT I would rather not have this teacher take a public exam Oral because I believe that she should not show any negative emotion during the Oral ...which she has done today ...

I intend to speak to her about the drugs comment - highly inappropriate but that's another issue ...

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 26/05/2017 21:01

If you have a specific complaint then make it. You can't control staff in at the school.
She's a chatterbox? Maybe the teacher is pissed off that she disturbs lessons?

ilovesooty · 26/05/2017 20:59

I doubt very much that you would be able to stop her doing the oral exam. Who do you imagine would do it instead and how would they justify action like that?

I'd be rather more concerned if the teacher really suggested your daughter takes illicit substances.

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