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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to correct a word written by the teacher in my ds' spelling book?

80 replies

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:17

Gawd, I have actually just done it anyway, but I have the fear (slightly). Not the fear of being wrong I am never wrong, more the feeling that correcting the teacher is not quite the done thing.

Anyway, she wrote "wack" for my son to copy. Now, I have never heard of whack (I'm presuming) being spelled this way, so I googled it and it does exist, albeit as some kind of American, tut slang, as in "She looked wack". -This is a compliment, apparently.

Whilst writing this, I have realised that there are two strands to this AIBU. First, as above. The second is AIBU to be such an old gimmer that I do not realise that street lingo is all da rage. In Cornwall. Amongst primary school teachers.

Go on then, tell me what you think.

OP posts:

YouTheCat · 25/09/2013 18:20

If you are in Britain, then I'd expect English not to be Americanised and I'd also expect the teacher to either be able to spell or use a dictionary properly.

There is no point relying on the spell checker on a computer as they are rubbish.

mrspremise · 25/09/2013 18:22

YANBU, I would do exactly the same. I have, in the past, corrected spellings in red pen on permission slips...

Celticlassie · 25/09/2013 18:23

Eh? That is not a spelling word!

edam · 25/09/2013 18:23

YANBU. The teacher can't have been paying attention, surely? Goodness knows how she managed to put 'wack' on a list for a child to copy.

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:23

Oh, the spellchecker. No, I googled the meaning. Wack in slang terms means nothing like whack in my world. Surely, Americans spell whack the same way as the UK?

OP posts:

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:24

Exactly edam. I immediately thought she was so sick of writing it so many times that she had made a mistake. Either that, or she has taken a very funny turn.

OP posts:

Finola1step · 25/09/2013 18:25

No YANBU. I'm a teacher and I have corrected spelling lists sent out by colleagues . Children should not be taught incorrect spellings. I blame MS Word and its American English spell check.

MotherofBear · 25/09/2013 18:25

Yanbu
I am very tempted to contact a local school who have added superfluous apostrophes to a particular section of their website. 5 times.

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:25

Ooh, I didn't use red pen. I'm not that bad mrsp

OP posts:

HumphreyCobbler · 25/09/2013 18:27

that is not a word though? Very strange.

Is it handwritten or photocopied and stuck in?

If handwritten I suspect this is more in line with a typo than a spelling error. It is surprisingly easy to do when in charge of many small children.

Regarding correcting teacher spelling, I think there are better ways to do this that writing over it in red ink. This is rude. I want my children to learn to spell, I also want them to learn manners and as such would try to set a good example. If a teacher has a problem spelling then it should be addressed by a visit to the head or the teacher concerned.

edam · 25/09/2013 18:27

You can set spell check to English English though, so there's no excuse really. (Although it's not perfect.)

Finola1step · 25/09/2013 18:29

Oh and "whack" might be included in a spelling list if the child has been learning the "wh" digraph and the teacher wants spellings with two digraphs (hence the inclusion of ck).

missinglalaland · 25/09/2013 18:30

Even Americans spell it "whack." Not sure if "wack" has made it into the dictionary yet. The American phrase is "out of whack." The new urban slang term "wack" can be spelled either way. And, frankly, would be an odd word to give children in school.

You did the right thing!

Beccadugs · 25/09/2013 18:31

As a teacher I was going to say something along the lines of all human blah blah, assuming this was a eat in a piece of work, sometimes mine get a but scrawly (30 books is a lot) but as a spelling word, never an excuse...

Also wack or whack, odd spelling word!

thebody · 25/09/2013 18:33

perhaps she was writing down what she actually wanted to do to your child. beware pissing her off.

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:36

Yes, they appear to be testing "ck".

I just had a thought, (though I am on my 2nd glass already ). It's not one of those weird things that teachers sometimes do, where they spell the word phonetically is it?? She's never done it before, but maybe I'm interfering with some kind of fabulous tried and tested teaching method....oh bugger!

OP posts:

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:36

thebody, how very dare you, he is an angel...

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thebody · 25/09/2013 18:37

Topseyt · 25/09/2013 18:38

Perfectly reasonable to me. I have been tempted so many times to do something like this.

I have seen spelling mistakes in my children's work which have gone uncorrected after the teacher has marked the book, and it makes me wonder if the teacher can actually spell. One was "coronation" being spelt "corAnation" repeatedly. It irritated me, and I sooooo wanted to point it out, but didn't.

I have also seen work from other children up on display on school walls with blatant spelling mistakes on. One which sticks in my memory was when horse the animal was spelt "hoarse".

I must admit that as I am getting older I am having to question my own spelling more and more now, and find myself arguing with myself (yes, really) about certain spellings, but it hasn't dipped that much. Not yet, I like to think.

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:40

Oh no, it can't be the sound of the word can it, or surely she would have written (and it was written in, not photocopied) "wak"??

OP posts:

redskyatnight · 25/09/2013 18:41

It's not a weird teaching acronym is it? DD's book was covered with WALTs - I eventually asked the teacher who on earth this Walt was ... ("We are learning to" for those who are as ignorant as I was)

Original poster

PeppermintPasty · 25/09/2013 18:42

You see, I was surprised, as this has not happened before. I'm amazed at how many people are saying that this happens a lot.

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happystory · 25/09/2013 18:44

Not part of that dreaded initiative that they spell nonsense words?

TheOrginalPoster · 25/09/2013 18:44

6"I have also seen work from other children up on display on school walls with blatant spelling mistakes on. One which sticks in my memory was when horse the animal was spelt "hoarse"."^

See I don't see this as problem myself, as it is the child's own work. At least it shows they weren't just been spoon fed by the teacher. I like to see the child really has taken ownership of the work.

Part of learning is having a go and making mistakes. You don't have to get it perfect every time.

However, of course the teacher shouldn't be making mistakes!

JaneEyresHeir · 25/09/2013 18:44

Wack?
Never 'eard of it. Wacky like the teacher ......

at thebody

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