to write a slightly annoyed note to the teacher?

[PeeringIntoTheWintryVoid]

Firstly, I know this is incredibly trivial, but I feel like writing a bit of a snarky note, and thought I'd get a second opinion first before I piss of the teacher..

DD 8 has home/class spellings to do each week, which she fills out all at once when we remember each night Mon - Thurs, followed by a class test on Fri. The list of words is in a column on the left of the page, then each day is a column across the page. The instruction is to look briefly at the word, then write it in the appropriate box. So that DD doesn't just copy them, I cut the word column off with scissors so I can read them out to her. The first time we did this I just put the two pieces back in her book bag, but the teacher told DD that we shouldn't cut up the sheet. So now every week I sellotape the sheet back together.

This week I forgot to sellotape it, and when DD handed in the two pieces of paper, the teacher said "You're not allowed to do that" and threw the spellings straight in the bin. DD tried to explain but the teacher said "You have no right to do that".

Is it really such a big deal that I've cut the word column off that she would throw DD's homework in the bin in front of her? She can still see what the words are as they're written there four times. Is it that I am desecrating sacred school spelling sheets? I'd have thought she'd be glad that I'm taking enough of an interest to read them out to her rather than her just copy them.

It just seems a bit mean to chuck something straight in the bin that DD's spent time and effort doing. AIBU to write her a note to that effect?

I wouldn't do a note, but I'd try and have a quiet (and pleasant) word with the rotten cow her

why not just the fold the page over? (ie in half with a vertical fold?...) i think that's what we were supposed to do.

she didn't throw dd's hw in the bin though, did she? just the word list? (i throw those away every week now anyway as they come stapled in the agenda this year)

i wouldn't bother writing tbh. i only bother if the words are spelt wrong on the 'to learn' list.

Wow. That's nasty. I would say something. I would go in and say something like "I understand there was a problem with the homework that my DD handed in the other day and that you threw it in the bin. It was me that cut up the worksheet not DD so it seems a bit harsh to upset a little girl who was trying to do her best". Can be said as aggressive or as nice as you like.

Some people really shouldn't be working with children. [shakes head]

I would also fold.

This is pretty petty, esp from teacher but I'd save my anger for something bigger say nothing for now

Without the first column it might not be instantly obvious that dd's spellings are correct when she comes to mark them. Probably an overreaction (if it has been relayed correctly!) but annoying for the teacher as she has pointed it out before. I expect the teacher doesn't understand why you cut them up. It's look, say, cover, write so she would expect most children to use that column I suppose!

No she threw her homework in the bin madwoman! I cut it off because I'm usually cooking or something, so it means I can have the word list on the sideboard and read it out. I guess I could fold the sheet and copy down the words to read out to her - it just seems like an unnecessary faff when I don't understand how she could possibly have a problem with me cutting the sacred document piece of paper.

Spring maybe that'd be a better bet. I don't really go to the school, that why my first thought was a note. You're right though, having a word is less confrontational.

Read cover write is an effective way to learn spellings, bit hard if the words aren't there! The teacher asked you not to cut the sheet, you continued to do so. If you didn't understand the reasoning behind her request you should have asked, not just blatantly ignored her so YABU.

I would write a note telling the teacher that she is not being very supportive of you assisting with your daughter's homework and add "petty cow" to the bottom half of the note.

I would then cut the note in half and send it back in two pieces with the "petty cow" visible on the bottom half.

It's called something like 'Look' 'Say' 'Cover' 'Write' and 'Check'

My kids have these and I can honestly say I've never known anyone to feel the need to cut them up, it's plain odd

If she does them every day as she should, instead of all at once, you won't need to cut them up. She can follow the instructions.

Write a note, then cut it in two.

Write a note, then cut it in two.

I'm a bit confused. You say that she fills the columns out all at once then afterwards say you're miffed because of all the 'time and effort' she'd spent on it! You can't have it both ways

so she ripped the hw out of the spellings book and threw it in the bin?

this year dd2's teacher cut a big slash in her gap hoody though, so nothing surprises me.

she'd gone to school wearing a pink hoody and came home and said 'mrs x said this is too difficult to get off, i'm not allowed to wear it any more.' fair enough. i sent her in the next day wearing her big sister's hoody (a different colour) and she came home with a three inch cut from the neckline down at the front. i haven't spoken to her since. mentalist.

at all those who suggested writing a note then cutting it in half.

Madwoman it isn't a spelling book she has, but a sheet of paper each week. A spelling book would make more sense, actually, wonder why they don't do that. It's just dawned on me that maybe she puts all the sheets in a folder of something, and that's why she doesn't want them cut up?

hocus usually DD does them every day, it's only when we've been particularly disorganised that she does them all on a Thurs.. Even so, she's spending the same time and effort to write them out, isn't she?

The problem with 'look, cover, write, check' was that DD's version was 'look, copy word, job done'. Hence me deciding to read them out to her.

at the teacher slashing the hoodie. I'd be furious!

Surely the teacher doesn't need the list to see if the children have spelt the words correctly?

The teacher probably keeps a record of the childrens pages. How is she supposed to keep a neat pile of paper if you go around chopping them up. You don't care about her having to faff, but you think it's unreasonable that you should have to.

Just fold the page and write the words down. It will take you the same amount of time as it does to cut the page.

And don't complain to the teacher, she will think you are a loon.

Curly I've sellotaped the page neatly back together every week since the first, until this week, so they are neat in terms of stacking.

Imfab that's what I thought - unless the teacher isn't sure how to spell the words...

ImFab - e.g. some children might have 'your', some might have 'you're'. Unless you know what was supposed to have been spelt you can't tell if it's right or not. (That's what happens in year 2 anyway).

I'm going to say or write something Curly because I don't think it's very fair on an 8 year old to throw her homework in the bin (with the whole class present, not that they necessarily noticed) because of something her mother did.

oh, ok. hadn't realised they were sheets have always had spelling books here, and it wouldn't have occurred to me to cut anything.

the issue isn't whether or not OP should have cut the paper, the issue is that the teacher's response to it was rude, destructive and insenstitive. And totally unnecessary.

But no OP, you must NEVER write a slightly annoyed note to a teacher. This is MN. Teachers are the Lord's annointed and they never do anything wrong. Fact.