Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Shouty teacher

35 replies

ArabellaUmbrella · 09/02/2019 21:50

DS is 9 and in Year 5. His teacher is also the Assistant Head and I would guess her age is late 50s. DS often comes home saying she's been shouting a lot. I know from talking to other mums that their children also say this. We have parents evening next week and I want to broach the subject but don't know what to say or how to phrase it.
I know teaching is a massively stressful job and I also know teachers are only human but I really don't think shouting shows good behaviour management or creates a positive learning environment. Any thoughts or ideas gratefully received.

OP posts:
walkandwave · 09/02/2019 21:56

I would ask if shouting is the last resort firstly.
Some children will change behaviour with raised voices (I work in a school) it's not something they like to do but sometimes it has to be done. Also ask them about their behaviour policy if your dc school has one and if it's effective then a lot of teachers will just use a stern voice and will tell said child they are using what ever policy is in place

BringOnTheScience · 09/02/2019 22:00

I became a shouty teacher Sad It was a symptom of being utterly exhausted and massively stressed.

Passmethecrisps · 09/02/2019 22:02

I agree with walk. I teach and I almost never shout but sometimes it is all that will work. I have also found children are so used to a much calmer approach (rightly) that even a loud voice or assertive manner can be misunderstood. Meet the teacher yourself and see what you think.

I have had a few kids (secondary) complain to me that they have been shouted at. Upon investigating I have usually found that it was a raised voice required to get attention over some very poor behaviour. Genuinely some children struggle with understanding cause and effect. If you yourself are really loud then the teacher may need to shout to be heard to quieten everyone down.

I don’t like shouting and feel it should be reserved for ‘special occasions’.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

9 year olds General education Primary education
tbd2 · 09/02/2019 22:02

Just lean through and knock her out 🤣🤣

ArmchairTraveller · 09/02/2019 22:04

Is she projecting over their constant banter? Because that can sound like shouting to a sensitive little blossom. Especially if it interrupts their conversations with friends.

Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 09/02/2019 22:04

BringOnTheScience I totally get that, and find it so sad that the job has become so stressful and exhausting. Without wishing to drip feed, I am a qualified teacher working as a TA, there's no way I would go into teaching. I have seen many good teachers leave and its awful.
So I do understand that some teachers have just had enough. However, I have to put my DS's needs first and he's really not enjoying school this year.

OP posts:
Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 09/02/2019 22:07

The school has a very clear behaviour policy. I can't say if she's following it or not as I'm not in the classroom. DS is almost certainly chatty with his friends but I know she's split them all up with the seating plan. Fair enough.

OP posts:
Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 09/02/2019 22:08

To DS, it feels as if she's always shouting. Again I have no way of knowing this as I'm not in the classroom.

OP posts:
walkandwave · 09/02/2019 22:13

Then I would go to slt or ht and ask them to monitor the teacher. I work with a few children that cannot what so ever deal with being shouted at no matter how bad their behaviour is so I worked with other staff to find a better way to deal with it, maybe that's something the teacher could be told?

Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 09/02/2019 22:23

walkandwave thank you, I wish you were in my DS's school! I think its more difficult to go to SLT because as assistant head she's obviously part of that. DS is coping in as much as he's now used to it, but his spark has gone. He had an amazing teacher last year and loved school, he practically skipped in each day. This year, he's just getting on with it.

OP posts:
LJdorothy · 09/02/2019 22:54

Can I just ask, what her age has got to do with any of this?

walkandwave · 09/02/2019 23:02

Then definitely go to ht. your child should not be feeling that way about school. I really hope you manage to sort something soon.

Seaton · 10/02/2019 05:38

Just check what your child thinks shouting is. Are you generally very calm at home? If he does something wrong, do you explain patiently and quietly? For many children, seeing their teacher displeased with them is upsetting and can seem like shouting when it isn’t.

Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 10/02/2019 07:21

LJdorothy her age gives some context. She's been teaching for many years and has worked in a wide variety of schools. This will have an impact on the way she teaches. If she were a young newish teacher I would have mentioned that too, for context, to show that she had not had much experience yet.

OP posts:
roundtable · 10/02/2019 07:38

I've just had this but with beavers. Both dc now attend. Older dc wasn't phased by scout leaders loud voice, younger child was.

I explained to my child that some adults have louder voices than others and are more sound more shouty than others. Doesn't necessarily mean that they are cross just trying to be heard and if they are - make sure you're following the rules.

He's now absolutely fine - I casually check in conversation how he's finding it and he brings up his loud voice but also how it relates to calling over the top of 30 excited children.

It's not ideal at all but there are people with loud voices and shouters in all walks of life. I want my dc to be think skinned enough to realise that it's the other person's 'thing' and nothing to do with them.

Within a school setting I would monitor it then approach if I felt it was an out of control shouting.

Good luck op whatever you decide to do.

Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 10/02/2019 08:16

roundtable thank you, that's a really helpful way to explain it. Even harder with Beavers I'd imagine, when the leaders are volunteers. I'll have another chat with him. I just wish he was a bit happier, a school year is a long time.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 10/02/2019 08:23

I wouldn't use parents evening as an opportunity to talk about this. I'd give the teacher a quick phone call, explain that your DC has lost his spark for school and is there anything you need to know about how he's behaving. Just say he feels like he's being shouted at a lot and what's her take on this? It's very hard to know what's really going on in the classroom unless you're there, and a child will obviously only give their version of events.
Some children see the classroom as an extension of the playground, and just can't keep quiet. Could it be that your child is like this OP?

Greenbug1000 · 10/02/2019 08:25

Please take her age out of this. My daughter is in year 5 with a young teacher (26) and my daughter often comments on how much she shouts.

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess · 10/02/2019 09:47

I had a child complain to her mother recently that I had been shouting really loudly all week and that she therefore hated me and school.
I'd been absent that whole week.
Just sayin' ...

CalamityJane10 · 10/02/2019 09:55

DS is almost certainly chatty with his friends

You know your DS is chatting when he should be learning. But your solution is to talk to the teacher about shouting rather than support her by addressing your DC’s behaviour.

Just a thought - why not broach the subject with your DC? May create a more positive learning environment for all?

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess · 10/02/2019 10:25

My colleague could be the teacher you're talking about. He inherited a class whose previous teacher was very young and inexperienced and basically let the class run riot. They adored her, but frankly learned very little the whole year. The class was extremely noisy and had a poor work ethic across the board.

My colleague has had the unenviable task of getting them back on track and to settle down to work and to do so calmly and quietly. Yes, some of the kids (and their parents) are outraged at this and can't see why their kids can't be having the same fabulous time as last year. My colleague can hardly tell them the truth about it.
Does he raise his voice at times? Yes, probably. Too bad. That's life and the kids will come across it sooner or later.

theduchessstill · 10/02/2019 10:47

I very rarely shout; it's a sign that control has been lost, it's exhausting and it doesn't work, at least not when it's a regular occurrence.

However, many children's definition of shouting is 'being told something I don't want to hear in a firm voice...'.

I really hope you are going to deal with your ds's tendency to chat as it won't be helping. I had a Y9 student aghast last week that he had been put on subject report to me 'just' for talking. Off-task chatter is immensely disruptive and needs dealing with sooner rather than later.

And you have absolutely no right to go to the HT and request that they monitor a member of staff Shock.

LJdorothy · 10/02/2019 15:17

I think the word 'experienced' would have been enough. Maybe I'm being over sensitive but I felt the comment about her being in her late 50s and possibly having 'had enough' were ageist to be honest. You can't possibly know how she is feeling about her job. If your son and his friends are so chatty in class that she had to move their seats maybe she has needed to raise her voice quite often this year. She may be more strict than last year's teacher but it doesn't mean she isn't coping. She is maybe trying to get them back under control!

Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 10/02/2019 15:32

CalamityJane10

Just a thought - why not broach the subject with your DC? May create a more positive learning environment for all?

How do you know I haven't done this?

OP posts:
Original poster
ArabellaUmbrella · 10/02/2019 15:35

Theduchessstill

I really hope you are going to deal with your ds's tendency to chat

How do you know I haven't done this?

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.