to think that a teacher should know the difference between lose and loose?

[Lovecat]

I am sure someone will tell me IABU, but I need to rant about this!

Before Christmas, DD managed to lose her reading book somewhere between school and home (ie it never made it home in her bag but the teacher swears blind it isn't in the classroom). There was a bit of a stand off between the teacher and myself (I knew it hadn't come home, she basically refused to believe that) with the result that DD didn't have a reading book or was heard reading for the first half of the term. I was rather annoyed by this but we read other books at home.

At the parent's evening she repeated that DD had lost the book and we must look harder for it at home. I reiterated that DD had never brought it home and it was somewhere in school (the teacher couldn't even tell me what the book was at this point so for all I knew it could have been found and put back on the shelf!). I also said I was unimpressed that she had not been read with, but could we start again with a clean slate. She made me promise that we would once again search for the book at home and after half term she would get another book.

All of the above is to explain why, in her reading diary, the teacher wrote 'happy reading - try not to LOOSE this one!'

This teacher is not dyslexic, before that one gets mentioned. I know that lose/loose is a common misspelling and people assume loose is right because of the 'oo' sound in lose (darn phonics!) but this is a teacher! Teaching 7-8 year olds to spell!

I'm so tempted to circle it in red pen.... but I won't. I'm not that much of a loon. I shall merely grind my teeth and count the days til DD is out of her class...

If it was any other comment scribbled into a reading record I would say that it could just be a mistake as a result of tiredness/lots of marking but the teacher was making a sarcastic comment that she wanted the OP to read so will have checked it. I would always cut a person some slack for a mistake because it's very easily done when marking late at night but I really don't think she knows the difference.

I teach A level English and the standard of students' literacy is getting worse year on year. They think that spellcheck will sort out any mistakes but some, admittedly a minority, have problems with even basic sentence structure. Unfortunately, many of these students want to go on to become primary school teachers! It makes me weep.

I would be especially livid about her not having a book to read though. Even if you had lost it why should your daughter be punished and disadvantaged in this way? I am shocked about pouffepants' school's attitude too!

Is a basic requirement for all teachers still only a C pass at english, maths and science? As well as their other qualifications PGCE etc.

I think much of the trouble is caused because primary teachers can be teaching with only a C grade GCSE english (or maths).

I would be annoyed about "loose" for "lose" but even more annoyed about my child not having a reading book for half a term. That is ridiculous. Children do lose things (hey, so do adults) and shouldn't be punished by having to go without a reading book for several weeks. The fact that no-one listened to her read is also appalling. Surely the school must be used to the fact that sometimes books go astray?

I don't think I'd correct the mistake, as I wouldn't want to antagonise someone who was teaching my DD day-in, day-out. But I'd be bloody annoyed.

I don't understand the argument that if people are busy/tired/stressed, etc., then they forget how to spell and punctuate properly. If you can spell and punctuate correctly then surely you can, erm, spell and punctuate properly? Tiredness doesn't suddenly make me think that I should pluralise with an apostrophe or forget the 'I before E, except after C' rule, or whatever. You don't hear people saying that fatigue has made them forget that 2+2=4, do you?

I would red pen that fucker like a beyatch, but I am a terrible pedant.

I think it is quite hard to understand what it is like trying to control a class and hear a child read and write a meaningful comment in their book though. It can be hard to concentrate. I once wrote God Boy in a book. I know how to spell Good ffs! I still wrote it. You sometimes get interrupted six or seven times whilst writing one sentence.

Having said all that, I get twitchy when I read loose for lose and think the teacher concerned in the OP behaved really badly in not hearing the child read. I find that so shocking.

It is like writing your 8 times table with one hand, doing up some buttons with the other and reciting The Ning Nang Nong....all at the same time

I think it's a bit like driving Oxfordbags. We may have past our test and drive well most of the time......But sometimes we cock it up.

The teacher should never have refused to hear a DC read. All classrooms have several copies of each book. Books are always going missing. I took library books back to school after my youngest left.

Oh lord! No YANBU.
I would definitely highlight it. And what's with the stand-off about a lost reading book? I'm cross for you.
The Primary school my DC was given left me with sleepless nights (neurotic - yes, but whatevs!) when I went to the open day and saw lots of Teacher/TA spelling mistakes in the displays. I actually couldn't believe it. I'm not perfect at spelling and grammar, but if I'd chosen to be a teacher I blummin' well would make sure I was Giles Brandreth!
All I could think was, well, the HT is walking around this room and has not noticed or worse, doesn't care. My DC never started at that school as a result.
But that's just me

I get that, Nagy. And I understand typos when using a computer or tablet or whatever, because that's down to blundering with your fingers, as opposed to your knowledge, etc. I guess I should be lucky I don't have to speed through loads of markings and trying to maintain my sanity and grasp on the English language at the same time I can see how you'd slip up doing lots of markings, too, but I think that this teacher was just being a supercilious cow who is covering up for her lack of experience in the job and probably general naivité by being all pompous with small children. For that reason alone, she needs red-penning!

Or fucking naiveté, even! Oh, see how the mighty have fallen, hahahahah!

I might argue to excuse the occasional typo but poor spelling skills are not acceptable in a teacher.

I once worked for a head teacher who refused to redo a letter that contained several spelling errors. He just didn't think it was important and he couldn't see why I didn't want my name on a document about literacy teaching that contained spelling errors...

It is considered good practice to mark with the children present in primary, as more meaningful to the children. So you are not left in peace to do it either.