When the teachers get it wrong...

[AudTheDeepAndCrispAndEven]

What do you do? I'm not talking the odd typo but getting facts wrong. This week my kids have been told that a rhombus has no lines of symmetry, had arithmetic tests with incorrect answers (a weekly occurence) and this morning that there are three types of formal conjunction 'and, but and CASUAL' (this last should be causal). The teacher pronounces it 'casual' through the lesson too, so it's not just a typo. I private messaged her to let her know in a friendly way and have had rather a snotty reply. I know they are overworked and under appreciated blah blah but surely they should be checking what they are doing? I wouldn't get away with constant errors in my profession.

You've handled it correctly. She shouldn't have been snotty in the reply. You can now either reply to her again or you can escalate to the line manager or head (depending on school type) if you would like to raise further concern.

I'd have been mortified to receive an email like that for a parent and I would have apologised and owned up to the children at the earliest opportunity.

The reply was along the lines of how long it had taken to research the piece and film it, all on a Friday night, and how occasionally mistakes will occur, poor me etc. I've responded that it's not just a typo as it is said wrong throughout and that I'm not trying to be pissy but helpful as although I've told my boys the correct thing her other pupils may end up confused. I really don't want to fall out with the woman!

I messed up a historical fact recently. Nothing major but a learner asked me a direct question and I got it wrong. I am human and working in very strange conditions.
I just mentioned it in the next lesson that I made an error and corrected myself.

If her mum had emailed me I would have been mortified.

@KitBumbleB my motivation was not to mortify or embarrass the teacher, or show off, but out of a concern that pupils are being taught the wrong thing. I've not mentioned LOADS of minor typos, especially a recurring 'it's' instead of 'its', which is driving me crackers! I'm just surprised at the defensive response, in her place I'd be all 'Oh goodness, thank you for pointing that out, what a wally, I'll let the children know the correct term' etc.

It depends on how you wrote that email.... you may have seen it as friendly but it may not have been 🤷🏻‍♀️

I would not mention you’ve heard her pronounce a word in a lesson. You shouldn’t really be listening? That sort of thing can come across poorly as if you think you’re an OFSTED inspector.

And you shouldn’t have followed up with an email. Maybe a call would be better.

@Moooooooooooooooooo 'unfortunately, a lot of teachers have very poor standards' what piece of research do you base this nugget of wisdom on?
OP has had a bad experience with one teacher.
OP, you may need to involve someone more senior in the school.

@Moooooooooooooooooo

Standards of education and, unfortunately, a lot of teachers have very poor standards.

Not just schools, Uni's can be the same.

My son is doing a Maths degree at a top 10 (for Maths) university. Time and time again he spends hours on a "proofs/sequences" question and just can't get the "proof" to work, so he reluctantly submits what he knows is a wrong answer anyway. Nearly every week, when they get the marks/answers back, there's a glib "sorry" comment from the lecturer that there was a typo in the question. It really just isn't good enough.

Honestly I know teachers are human mistakes happen but they need to get the basics right and I think it's fine to have a word when the don't. Ds science teacher taught them that Mars was the closest planet to the sun!!

On the flip side.. Your child listened to you.. Mine would have insisted teacher is right and I know nothing😉

I feel your pain. I teach alongside someone who is constantly making glaringly obvious mistakes and it starts to get embarrassing.

If a parent emailed me for an error I would thank them, own up to it and then correct it with the students. I'm always telling them in class that we don't know everything and occasionally we make mistakes and it is ok for them to point them out or question things.

As for a pp saying that you shouldn't be listening in...it depends on the school policy for safeguarding. For ours, a parent must be present whenever a child is on 'live'.

@Iggly

It depends on how you wrote that email.... you may have seen it as friendly but it may not have been 🤷🏻‍♀️

I would not mention you’ve heard her pronounce a word in a lesson. You shouldn’t really be listening? That sort of thing can come across poorly as if you think you’re an OFSTED inspector.

And you shouldn’t have followed up with an email. Maybe a call would be better.

Why shouldn’t she be listening? I listen to all my son’s live lessons as he needs additional support.

You wrote email just to her.
I would be grateful not copied to anyone else!
I am in education and made a mistake with something on a zoom session, and when realised, apologised, corrected the mistake and we all moved on!

@Iggly, is that a well-known homeschooling rule? My eight and ten year olds have to have someone sat with them otherwise they do fuck all!
It was a private message on a learning portal. The teacher is also in school teaching, I'm sure a request to go and respond to a phone call from me would be most inconvenient and go down like a cup of cold sick!
There's now been a blanket private message to everyone correcting the error, whilst also pointing out that that level of knowledge is not necessary at this point anyway.

And thanked the adult who pointed out my mistake!
No harm done...

Our school requires an adult to be in the room, especially for younger end (KS1).

Maybe she though your email was “unasseptable”

At our primary, parent/carer in session and 2 members of staff.
[It was the other member of staff that gently corrected me!]

The lesson was pre-recorded so not live. If I were not present with the DC they would piss about on YouTube, fight, and wander off to play Lego.

And I also wonder how many years she has been teaching it incorrectly...

A high school geography teacher attached a satellite image of South America to a fact sheet on Africa recently. I know they're both vaguely similar pear shapes and it's probably an easy mistake to make when they're just blank green islands and not labelled .... but come on, I spotted it immediately and I've not done a jot of geography since I left high school!!
I didn't say anything, I just corrected my child and chortled inwardly.

I listen in to my yr2 child lessons or he'd do nothing. He blatantly lies that he wasn't told to do anything.
The only mistake I've come across was a teacher mispronouncing mesopotamia. Not exactly high on the importance stakes.
If something was badly wrong I'd consider sending an email.

Teaching something incorrect is worse than not teaching it at all.

@ILoveShula

Teaching something incorrect is worse than not teaching it at all.

You not been on MN long then @ILoveShula

Sometimes teachers have brain fart moments. I was teaching a comprehension today about Ancient Egypt. One of the children asked me about solar calendars and I couldn't remember if the Earth went round the Sun in a year or a month. My brain just went into meltdown. Obviously I took a moment and re-explained myself, but stupid mistakes happen.

@bjs2310

Sometimes teachers have brain fart moments. I was teaching a comprehension today about Ancient Egypt. One of the children asked me about solar calendars and I couldn't remember if the Earth went round the Sun in a year or a month. My brain just went into meltdown. Obviously I took a moment and re-explained myself, but stupid mistakes happen.

Oh bless 😅