To not have corrected teacher?

[Snowyelephantshavewrinkles]

I sat in a KS1 Geography lesson today.
We were looking at the country Spain.
Teacher told the children that never snowed there and that the only way to get there was to fly.
What about the Pyrenees?

Have you heard of a ferry?

Did you know...

... that the dragon on the Welsh flag belonged to St George?

... that metal window frames create condensation?

... that you breathe out carbon monoxide?

According to my DSs' teachers all of the above are true.

Someone told me of bring taught during an OU course to take 10% off a total price, say, by taking 10% off each of the items and then summing them. She asked politely if maybe she could sum it all then work out the 10% bit. She was told no, it wouldn't give the right answer.

She bit her tongue - she was a former maths teacher changing careers. But it did make her question the content of the entire course.

''You can get there by Elephant, Hannibal did'

What from the UK?
And do you think the elephants crossed the Gibraltar straight by themselves? With Hannibal on their backs?'

That was an example of the sort of response you'd get from a Y2 child, along with chariots pulled by dolphins, hot air balloons and the rest.
I realise that Hannibal came from the area that is now Tunisia, but there's nothing to stop you taking an elephant through the Chunnel and then walking it to Spain, using the logic of a 6 year old.
See how misunderstandings start?

'Did you know...

... that the dragon on the Welsh flag belonged to St George?

... that metal window frames create condensation?

... that you breathe out carbon monoxide?

According to my DSs' teachers all of the above are true.'

Now, is that the teacher, or is it the understanding of the child, muddling the information? I'd check his science book before making a decision.

Eyesunderarock - I wish you were my DS's teacher. If get spots anything (one day I witnessed hIm reminding the teacher she'd forgotten something the class does as routine) he is told to be quite and that he needs to respect authority. Him can one respect authority when authority can't respect when they are wrong and model the right behaviour of being able to admit it and thank the individual for the help?

That attitude never made sense to me.
There are times when you have to say 'We'll check that later, or 'I'll deal with it at break' but you have to make sure that you do.
True respect is gained, not a right.

I couldn't agree more. DS told me last week that a teacher had told him to "Buzz off". Now, I get that he can be pedantic, and is an over-explainer, and takes a while to get his words out...but, really? Buzz off?!!! I know if he were to say that to a peer he would at the very least receive a warning for it and lose his end of week class reward.

Are you sure the teacher wasnt just trying to teach the name of each country with something memorable like "In Spain it snows only on the plane" or something? Ive always heard the old "In Spain it rains mainly on the plane" even though Ive never imagined it doesnt rain there (I know it does).

Or, if not, I imagine the poor teacher was just super nervous and cocking up because it is always a worry being observed. He/She probably went home and said to the dh/dw "You wont believe what I said today....."

My year 7 teacher told us Sodom and Gomorrah (in the Old Testament) were destroyed by an atom bomb.

And when you pointed out the problem with that, what did the teacher say?
Or were aliens the problem all along?

Eyesunderarock, I was in the room for the dragon one when we were checking out schools in a new area when we moved house. Was polite enough not to splutter or correct though.

Being totally fair I think the carbon monoxide one was a typo on a homework sheet. Should have been carbon dioxide. Easy slip.

Both of these where DSs' teachers.

The metal window frame one was from my own discussion with a teacher at their school. I'm in the construction industry and we were talking about how important it is for children to have good indoor environments. I was a bit but not actually surprised at her comment. Psychrometrics isn't everyone's specialist subject.

There are some truly daft misconceptions out there, but unless someone corrects them politely, they will keep growing.
So one person's error becomes the misunderstanding of 30 in a blink.

My own teachers told me such gems as...

By the time you grow up we won't need to eat food - there'll be special pills to take instead.

Women wanting to work will mean that everyone will only work three day weeks.

We won't use wool and cotton anymore for clothes - man made fibres will be cheaper and better.

You know, it's not the end of the world. I managed to become an engineer anyway and haven't had my world view damaged too badly by a bit of inaccurate guesswork.

You're right Eyes, errors do get multiplied but there's no need to offer a correction in public which is I think what the OP was asking.

I don't think the dragon thing is important (but made me chuckle); the CO/CO2 one will be corrected later and by me now as DS is only 10; and the condensation one is one which many people never understand (insulate, heat, ventilate and avoid creating cold surfaces if you want to avoid condensation).

I don't think it's a real problem if the students are prepared to ask, challenge and question and are taught to be active learners.
If they just accept everything passively, or if they are worried about the consequences of asking why and what, then that's a problem for me.

I love a good question too. The world is a fascinating place and it's a shame any of us feel we should have all the answers. The phrases 'I don't know, how can we find out?' and, 'I don't know, what do you think?' are big ones around here.

I'm older than Gove, he can sod off. It's not as if the majority of politicians are known for their thinking skills, is it?

In one of the secondary schools we looked round last year they had some of the kids' work spread out on tables. Someone had done an essay on something or other and written something like "He meets John, who's his best friend" and the teacher had corrected it to "whose"!!

Not impressive. DC won't be going there.

' The teacher should have done a bit of research. '

Anyone who needs to do research about this should not be teaching but should be confined to a small padded room.

Kerrist. Research?!