To want to go to see ds's teacher?

[VeniseAndMe]

Once again ds has a teacher that has been telling the children some nice stereotype as if they were THE truth.
Over the years we've had the 'boys can do maths but girls can't', and the classic 'girls are good at literature but so not much boys'.
Now ds has been told that 'when men shop they just go into shop, look for what they want and go out whereas women looks at everything else, take their time, will go in a another shop etc... before buying what they want', read men are efficient and straight to the point whereas women are fooling around and inefficient (this is what ds understood, all explained with concrete examples...).

AIBU to want to go and see the teacher and explain that these stereotypes have no place in a classroom? What has happened to looking at people as individuals and avoiding making sweeping gender generalisation? I think it's detrimental to both boys and girls to hear that sort of things :(

The worst bit is that this teacher is actually a good teacher. ds looks up to him so of course believes that 'this is what women do' and thinks that mummy is just annoying/weird again to think differently....

I'd think it depends how old your DS is. It's pretty easy to counter nonsense like that if they are older, but Y1/Y2 not so much.

Well I would have been more concerned with your earlier examples of what boys can do and girls can't and vice versa. I think the latest one you could just dismiss as "Oh obviously Mr Teacher doesn't like shopping and isn't very good at it, otherwise he would know that you sometimes have to shop around to get the best deal"

I do agree with you. My dd had a teacher a bit like this last year. Actually her faux pas were legendary! Anyway, I think it may well be worth mentioning to the teacher how seriously your Ds takes his word, or mentioning it to the school. At my school we try really hard to avoid any kind of stereotyping like this and actively challenge it with our resources and teaching. With Dd's teacher we did make one complaint but then we just talked to Dd about how silly these stereotypes were and that this was a lesson to her that not all adults get it right all the time. It was frustrating for her because she didn't feel able to challenge the teacher but at the same time she knew what she was saying wasn't right.

Having said that OP it was a good lesson to Dd in the sense that she learned that people are different and have differing veiwpoints which she will undoubtably find out herself later in life too, at work, college or wherever.

ds is in Y5.
I have told other teachers previously that saying 'oh boys are good at maths etc..' was nonsense and I didn't agree with her. I was told I had no idea what I am talking about.... That as a teacher she had the experience and knew that boys are finding it much easier (interesting thought that this isn't the case in all countries ...). Said to me and knowing I am an engineer with a very good qualification in maths and science.....

I am still fuming because I did try to talk to ds about it, tell him that not everyone is the same etc... His answer was 'But mummy, this is how it is IN GENERAL. I know it will change for different people you but that's just how things are'.
With another teacher (previous years) he would have listened to me more as he wasn't looking up to them in the same way.

Why, why do people think it's OK to impose stereotypes like this on children?

'Boys are better at maths'. Try telling Carol Vorderman that!

And then you have people wondering why there aren't many girls in the higher sets at the start of Y7 and in some school no girls at all taking maths A levels....

But actually I am even more at the assumption that men are more efficient, straight to the point whereas women aren't.
Since when women aren't able to be efficient and straight to the point too? And men missing out by way by being to focused on one single point that they miss the whole picture?
Arrrg... The last thing I want is for my ds to be taught that sort of stuff.

My Dsd aren't at school yet, but I think I would speak to the teacher about this. Casual sexism has no place in a primary school.

Then again, I suspect I may end up being one of those parents.

Dds, not Dsd.