To think that the teachers should know how to spell Pythagoras?

[CharlieEppes]

DC had a special maths assembly today. At the front of the hall there was a big topic board and in large letters it said Pythagorus and again underneath in smaller text.

Is it just me or should the teachers have picked up on this even if the kids had helped with it?

If its any consolation dd teacher was doing an assembly on the British flag and how it is a combination of the George cross and St. Andrew's Cross. My dd asked why isn't the welsh flag part of the union flag and the teacher didn't know. I would have thought it would have been an obvious question given the topic

My youngest had 'umbrella' corrected in his literacy book and had to copy 'umberella' ten times at the end. FFS. I just wish they'd check if they aren't really sure, and not rely on Rihanna songs for sounding-out help.

Not much beats my midwife asking me to spell caesarean for her though

My DS had his spelling of dandelion corrected in red biro to 'dandilion'.
His teacher sulked for the rest of the year because I changed it back.

Gove changed the rules so that anyone can be a teacher. If you have a pulse, you can be a teacher. Because you don't need qualifications.
Incidentally, I'm a teacher. I have 2 degrees and a masters. And I can spell Pythagoras.

Ouch. Teacher should have looked it up, but I suppose they thought they knew.

Did they get the actual theorem right?

My 8 year old's teacher used to use him to check her spelling

When I was at school my geography teacher couldn't spell Mediterranean and my English teacher told me there was no such thing as a Christmas bauble.

With the exception of the odd typo, there isn't any excuse. I'm a teacher and spelling is not my biggest strength. I'm more maths, science and ict. This means that I check religiously. Sometimes marking takes even longer then the eons it takes my colleagues because I want to make sure it is right.

Even Homer nods...............

His teacher sulked for the rest of the year because I changed it back

TBF in his time, I'm sure he a) wasn't actually called Pythagoras and b) his name didn't have a fixed spelling. When did they invent spelling? Not before Pythagoras, surely.

Maybe it was an advanced idea to challenge the children on their understanding of the hegemony of language. Not.

Yes, he was called Pythagoras, but it was written in the Greek alphabet, which did and does require transliteration. However, it'd be odd to transliterate it as Pythagorus, and there is an accepted English spelling.

Spelling wasn't 'invited,' though I agree with you that back in the day the man himself probably wouldn't have given a toss.

I agree, it's hardly the end of the world but still made DP and I they've had Ofsted in this week too..

I remember arguing with my French teacher who said the Second World War ended in 1944.

We have an event posted for our school and a parent teacher posted "your all invited". I almost clicked Not Going on Facebook as it annoys me when it comes through my newsfeed!

It made 'DP and I' do what?

Yes, ok, I know.

I was going to comment on that, Jeanne!

People get such a kick out of catching a teacher out, don't they? They must be compensating for something in their childhood.............

Yeah, we're both big meanies.

I will admit, earlier today I told a student I couldn't spell caesura off the top of my head without writing it down, and she should look it up.

I'm going to hell.

There was a whole 20 year tranche of education where hip lefties decided grammar didn't matter. I have worked for all that time plus the following 20 years with the punctuationally challenged.

You know, some of my childrens teachers have been dyslexic - I hadn't realised according to MN that dyslexia is a bar to being a great teacher. FWIW I am old enough to have been educated by unqualified teachers. Most of todays teachers couldnt hold a candle to them

I can't spell. I am ludicrously well educated, but I can't spell. My dd is at university having got excellent A levels, and she can't spell. My ds, brought up by the same people and going to the same school has been able to spell practically anything sine he could read. In the grand scheme of things, spelling is pretty low down the list of skills I require from a teacher!

But it is one that it's easy for people to latch on to, and feel superior about.

Absolutely. I like to hunt down a spelling mistake because it makes me feel so much better about the time I was told to tuck my shirt in during a Geography lesson.

I can understand that.

There are two newspaper articles in front of you. Both analyse the same topic. Both arrive at the same conclusion. One is perfectly written. One is littered with spelling errors. Which of these would you treat as a credible and trustworthy source of information?

Correct spelling does matter. It implies knowledge, and attention to detail.

CV with spelling errors in front of me? Guess who's not getting the job.

Shouldn't it technically be 'me and DP' rather than 'DP and I' in the statement of 23.11...? If we are picking on other people's spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Yep. And because I know I can't spell, I make sure I get somebody to proof read my CV. Or something which is going to be published. But in any other circumstances, if I didn't have to time, I wouldn't.