to think English teachers should be able to spell?

[teenyweenytadpole]

DD is yr 7 so just started new school, just as background she is excellent at English, put forward for level 6 SATs (got a high 5 in the end which she was delighted with). Anyway I was looking through her school books and noticed her English teacher had commented "I liked how each sentence had some good descripsion" and then added "check to see theres no missing words". So poor spelling, poor grammar and poor punctuation! I am not very impressed but feel if I comment to the school it seems kind of petty. I just think it's a shame, English is DD's best subject and I would hope that she would be taught by teachers with a more impressive command of the language than this.

Correct it in red pen and return it

I agree OP. It would get right up my nose.

It would piss me off too. A teacher who can't spell is like a doctor who can't name the bones in the body - it's so bloody basic!

I agree that English teachers should be able to spell. However if you're going to criticise someone else's punctuation it might be a good idea to ensure that yours is faultless.

Yes I'm afraid you are if he or she is under forty.

Maybe I will be more generous and make that under thirty.

YANBU, its teribel

ilovesooty - disagree! OP's dd's english teacher is presumably a qualified professional, who is paid to teach English. I would expect his/her grammar, punctuation, spelling to be exemplary. OP, you have every right to be concerned (and I did not notice any problems with your english usage!).

Why the ageism???

Speaking as an English teacher, I think that's appalling!

any othe teacher i mught be sympathetic, but an English teacher should know better.

red ink correction and send it back?

maybe teacher has typing issues too!!

ilovesooty - disagree! OP's dd's english teacher is presumably a qualified professional, who is paid to teach English. I would expect his/her grammar, punctuation, spelling to be exemplary. OP, you have every right to be concerned (and I did not notice any problems with your english usage!)

I agree absolutely that the English teacher has fallen well short of professional expectations, but I can't agree that there are no errors in the OP's post. If she's going to complain (as I agree she should) it will look much better if her own communication is faultless.

I don't agree ilovesooty. It has nothing to do with the content of the OP, unless she is an English teacher too.

I would not be impressed if DS's primary school teacher couldn't spell, never mind an English teacher.

I think you would be scraping me off the ceiling.

Fair enough. I can agree to disagree.

I think we're all agreed that the teacher's performance isn't good enough though.

teachers make the occasional mistake... but one would have thought that the English teachers should have higher standards given that they are teaching the next generation.

All teachers should make sure their spelling is correct.

Anyone who has read the new Ofsted framework will know that!

YANBU. I'd get right back to the teacher on this.

I get peeved at the well-nigh universal use of "there's" instead of "there are" in the spoken media, presumably where this teacher got it from.

Shocking! If an English teacher can't grasp the basics, there is no hope.

How would you make your comments known though?

I don't think you should let this go without comment, OP. Your dd's education is at stake here. She has a right to expect the person who is teaching her English to be able to spell and to use the correct grammar. The errors made by this English teacher are disgraceful! I would find that standard of teaching unacceptable and would speak to the Head teacher about my concerns, if I were you.

My mum used to correct my old English teacher's corrections , I always wondered what on earth that particular teacher was doing in that subject of all subjects.

hmm.

Well. I have worked with teachers of English who are dyslexic. For any 'official' things they check and double check to make sure that they get it right, but hand written things often go unchecked.

Also - spelling etc is something that is obvious but not essential. It is perfectly possible to communicate effectively even if you're a poor speller. English is about a lot more than spellings. In fact, spelling is a relatively minor part of the skill set used. Spelling, grammar etc evolve constantly, so although knowing what is the accepted norm is a good thing, it doesn't exactly set you up for life, as what is
'correct' will gradually change.

fwiw, I would assume that a math teacher would know the time tables faultlessly, but if they had to stop and think, or slipped up on one in an informal situation, then I wouldn't write off the years of A Levels and degree and post-grad training that they had, just because of it. If they constantly made mistakes, even when delivering a key learning point I would complain, but not for a couple of minor slips when they are probably working late with 30 or 60 books to get through.

explain to your child that people make mistakes, and give her the correct version. at parents' evening - there might be one early in the year for transition pupils - gently ask the teacher about it. this will make her aware and give him/her the opportunity to explain, if there is a particular problem with spelling.

alternatively, see the head of year or house, the lead-learner, academic mentor or even the form tutor about your concerns.

Yes yes yes. Dd had this in year 8. Dd very annoyed with it. She said she wrote stuff on the whiteboard which included "youre" instead of "your" and "seperated" instead of "separated". The thing that dd said was the worst was that the teacher said "free" instead of "three" and "fing" and not "thing". Hate it.