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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be mildly amused by the teacher placing sticky tape on her pupil's mouths?

178 replies

Firsttimmemummy · 04/03/2014 21:11

I know it's not on. I do. But all the same I can't help chuckling every time it's read out on the bbc news and picture this teacher just snapping.

Please don't all be mean to me, I'm new!!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-26431417

OP posts:
shggg245 · 05/03/2014 11:19

Sueing

shggg245 · 05/03/2014 11:20

Suing? No bloody idea - good job I'm not a teacher!

MyBodyIsAtemplate · 05/03/2014 11:21

Sparkling couldn't agree more.

MyBodyIsAtemplate · 05/03/2014 11:23

Daniella is an idiot who I think collapsed her nose through her drug taking. great role model that one. daft mare.

MissBetseyTrotwood · 05/03/2014 11:23

As a teacher, I have dreamed long about the various detailed and humiliating punishments I would like to mete out to various unpleasant children I have taught. Many of these have been discussed at length at the pub of a Friday night.

But. You just don't. I know what you mean about it raising a chuckle but I honestly can't see how anyone (parent, poster or teacher) can actually believe that sticking tape over their mouths will actually fix the disruptive behaviour or prevent it from happening in future. Really odd behaviour.

nonameslefttouse · 05/03/2014 11:24

Or having them sitting still with mouths shut could also been seen that they didn't put up a protest which could give the impression that maybe she did it to one or threatened to do it then the bulk of the class joined in to get it done! Let's face it Sellotape is hardly going to stick to months long what with all that moisture, I have trouble getting most of it to stick too dry pieces of paper together, let alone wet lips!

I would still question my dc's first and foremost to find out why the teacher did this, and if it was a case of them being misbehaved then I would deal with my dc's behaviour before calling for the scalp of a teacher! I would also make my dc give the teacher an apology for being so misbehaved!

Teachers have far too much bad behaviour to deal with and then income the precious parents who's little Tommy can do no wrong, parents should support teachers it's a job I certainly would not do -not without gaffer tape-. How much learning time is wasted because of disruptive children, I saw some figures a while ago and that was disturbing!

Ledare · 05/03/2014 11:26

Daniella Westbrook took coke in labour. I missed it. What did she say?

Quoteunquote · 05/03/2014 11:27

Shit teachers are not funny,

I rarely use the word hate, But I hate people who are shit at their job, and carry on as if it does not matter.

If you are shit at your job, go and do something else, especially if you work with children.

Anyone who cannot lead a class of children, without having to get physical, is not any good at a teaching, and really needs to find another job.

No adult would accept someone doing this to them in their place of work, so expecting children to accept it, is bulling.

If I put tape over the mouth of one of my employees, I would be in serious trouble, and face a law suit.

Shame on all the adults that have allowed this to happen.

shggg245 · 05/03/2014 11:33

Ledare - Westbrook's just really thick. Typical over reaction -made it sound like resovoir dogs ear scene. She just irritates me to the max.

Agree that inadequate teachers should find another job.

Iddi9 · 05/03/2014 11:47

Agree shggg245 Westbrook being very childish and can understand the frustration of the teacher if she has a lot of parents like this to deal with. For schools, it's not just the children they have to deal with it's dealing with the parents too. I am not a teacher but over the years I have seen plenty of examples of parents behaving in such a way that I can't help thinking what hope have the children got.

Of course it goes without saying that the teacher was in the wrong if it was just a case of her losing control but how many of us have heard what's happened in our own child's classes and not thought poor teacher because it's not just one naughty child they have to deal with plus having said that you have to admit that just one child in a family can upset the whole moment/day for the whole family.

Crowler · 05/03/2014 11:48

I find it irritating that D.Westbrook could make her way into what should be an important discussion.

ShadowOfTheDay · 05/03/2014 12:17

it is not either-or....

you can both cut a strip off your kids for misbehaving AND still think the teacher was wrong....

Ms Westbrook is a recovering, reformed drug addict, married with 2 children... I think she is as qualified as anyone to have their own opinion.

RedToothBrush · 05/03/2014 12:21

I went to primary school with a french girl who stayed with a couple of my classmates for several terms when we were all about 7 or 8.

She was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of the teacher when the class got noisy. Her english wasn't brilliant so she would resort to gesturing to seal lips frantically. This was because her teachers in France would use sellotape over her mouth if she was too noisy, it was very distressing not being able to use her mouth and this was really painful when they removed it, as it took half her lips off in the process.

I can still remember the fear in her eyes after all these years. The fact she continued to panic in a completely different setting, where she was repeatedly told, that it wasn't allowed, says enough to me about just how cruel it is.

Cocolepew · 05/03/2014 12:23

Im baffled that people think this is funny Confused.
Even if it started as a joke and the kids let her, wtf was she thinking ? How on earth can taping , and repeatedly taping up childrens mouths be seen as good teaching?

I belong to the era of flying blackboard dusters and rulers across the knuckles, it didnt stop bad behavior in the majority of pupils.

Droflove · 05/03/2014 12:37

I think it's fine. As long as it was done in the joking kind of way and to children with an appropriate personality, I'd say the kids loved it. In my memory it was crazy stuff like this that we all got the biggest thrill out of but sure it was forgotten an hour after the class was over. Total total over-reaction. I'm fine with my little fellow getting a bit of tape over his mouth if he kept disrupting the class (again, done in a jokey way).

tethersend · 05/03/2014 12:53

There is no justification for this.

I repeat, would anyone be ok with this if the children had SN?

Would it be an ok thing for a foster carer to do?

BackOnlyBriefly · 05/03/2014 13:14

because her teachers in France would use sellotape over her mouth if she was too noisy, it was very distressing not being able to use her mouth and this was really painful when they removed it, as it took half her lips off in the process.

Really? I hadn't realised France was such a hotbed of child-abuse and parental neglect. (presumably parents patch up the kids faces there without complaining).

Surprised it wasn't in the news at the time if it was so widespread that the girl didn't know it was not allowed in the UK.

It's almost as if...

LouiseSmith · 05/03/2014 13:16

I was stood on by a teacher as a child. Because I stood on a wasp during an outside lesson. And she still teaches today.

The worlds gone mad!

tethersend · 05/03/2014 13:20

BackOnlyBriefly, DP is French and some of the punishments used in French schools when he was a child (80s) were horrific.

His teacher broke his nose with a heavy textbook once. His mum's reaction was "What did you do?".

Dawndonnaagain · 05/03/2014 13:20

I am shocked at the amount of people on here that say this is acceptable behaviour, despite stating that I ended up in hospital when it happened to me. I also pointed out that it would make me bleed, but people don't read the thread do they. Look at the OP then unthinkingly post there tuppence worth without thinking or indeed looking at what the consequences of such an action may be.

KellyElly · 05/03/2014 13:32

I must have a sense of humour failure because I don't find this funny at all. I'd be pissed off if this had been done to my DD.

cobaltcow · 05/03/2014 14:05

It was stupid and she shoukdn't have done it but folk are making out she was horrible and abusive when I can imagine the kids all lining up giggling to have it done and thinking it was a great crack. Stupid but I think intent is important and I can machine a jokey intent rather than an abusive intent. Maybe it was abusive and done meanly but I doubt it.

Cocolepew · 05/03/2014 14:06

Ialso used to tape my mouth closed and try to punch a little hole in it to breath. I stopped after pulling it off and lifting the skin off my top lip.
Stupid, thing to do but I was about 6., not a grown woman in charge of children.

tethersend · 05/03/2014 14:08

I understand your point about intent, cobalt- but as professionals, teachers cannot afford to be that thoughtless.

usualsuspect33 · 05/03/2014 15:25

She is a crap teacher, I wouldn't want her any where near my children.

If you are so stupid as to not think of the consequences of taping a childs mouth, then you are too stupid to teach them.