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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be late for parents evening

353 replies

42bunnytails · 12/01/2015 23:11

DD2 (Y9) has made an appointment with her German teacher.

She hates him, she's absolutely useless at German, gets put in detention and has made no progress in three years.

She's a straight A student at everything else

She's done it purely to see if I can keep a straight face, when she knows I think he's an idiot too.

It's not fair, she knows I had a fit of the giggles watching one of her class just wander off mid bollocking, leaving her parents to hear the end of it.

To make it worse you can see the French teacher trying not to giggle too

OP posts:
FightOrFlight · 12/01/2015 23:56

You do realise you've probably taken a slot that could have been offered to a parent who does actually want to see the teacher? One whose child is actually capable of learning German, unlike your daughter.

You sound like a waste of skin and your daughter is in danger of emulating you at this rate.

ilovesooty · 12/01/2015 23:59

Good point about taking up a slot and wasting time. I bet this little madam is perfectly capable though. She just chooses to waste the time of her teacher and her fellow pupils, encouraged by her irresponsible and immature mother.

TheFairyCaravan · 13/01/2015 00:00

I'm bloody glad I'm not a teacher having to deal with these rude, disrespectful parents who think it is funny that their children are so badly behaved in lessons at school.

You need to learn some manners and once you have done so pass them on to your daughter!

BitOutOfPractice · 13/01/2015 00:05

Op your post made me cringe with embarrassment for both you and your daughter. Really cringe.

Only1scoop · 13/01/2015 00:07

Yabu

Sounds like you are defensive because she's failing in the linguistic department. Mocking and disrespectful.

Grow up

SomethingOnce · 13/01/2015 00:11

I was going to post but it's all been said.

OP, are you the teen in question?

ChippingInLatteLover · 13/01/2015 00:17

The OP has been posting for years under this name.

Original poster
42bunnytails · 13/01/2015 00:20

I knew you lot would get all po-faced and serious.

I couldn't resist.

No it isn't a laughing matter.

Schools shouldn't employ teachers who get awful results from good students year after year after year and totally fail to motivate them.

It's no laughing matter when one teacher is giving out more detentions that the rest of the subjects put together by a factor of two.

It's ridiculous no one has realised the immersive learning curriculum they use in Y7 totally confussed DCs who have never done German and who's parents haven't done any either. Welsh, French and Latin aren't much help when faced with HW totally in German.

It's no laughing matter that the government invents things like the English Baccalaureate (so school make everyone do two MFLs for three years, when DD1 got to choose for Y8) then back tracks so it's utterly meaningless.

MFL have been woefully under invested in in state schools for over 30 years. That's certainly not funny.

But this is Britain, no one cares enough about learning a foreign language for any of this to ever change.

Parents complain about Maths, English and Science, but very rarely will anyone do anything other than shrug at inept MFL teaching.

The HT and governors know it's a problem, but given it's impossible to recruit good MFL teachers when the private and grammar schools get first pick, it slides off the to do list on to the floor.

So yes sometimes joking about things is better than banning your head against a brick wall.

OP posts:
beautyfades · 13/01/2015 00:24

Why don't you say some of this to the teacher?

FightOrFlight · 13/01/2015 00:24

Complain about the teacher in the correct manner then instead of acting like an utter twat.

Original poster
42bunnytails · 13/01/2015 00:26

Chipping you have a wonky memory, I may or may not have been here before, but if I told you I'd have to nibble you to death.Wink

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 13/01/2015 00:26

I honestly think from my years in teaching that MFL is harder to teach than anything else. (And no I didn't teach it).
Classes are full of disrespectful students openly mocking the subject and often, as we see here, egged on by their parents.

missingmumxox · 13/01/2015 00:27

The only people pointing and laughing are us at you, how awful, just because your daughter is failing in one subject you blame the teacher, we can't be good at everything, you need to teach her that

ilovesooty · 13/01/2015 00:33

I get the impression the OP likes to think of herself as rebellious and reluctant to conform and takes some pride in her daughter being edgy as well.
It doesn't make her as impressive as she seems to think.
You're the kind of parent dreaded by a lot of teachers, raising know it all children who think that because they're high achievers they can roll their eyes and take the piss.

BitOutOfPractice · 13/01/2015 00:36

Ah. So your laughing and disrespect is a political statement. I seeee

Sorry op, still cringing

DamnBamboo · 13/01/2015 00:38

Oh give over OP.
Your daughters shit grades, given her excellent marks in other subjects, are her fault!

Nobody else's.

And whilst MFL are certainly important, I would argue a good grasp of maths, English and science are even more so and a comparison is simply inappropriate.

What are YOU doing to help her.

Why are you wanting to mock this teacher instead of approaching him for an adult chat?

ilovesooty · 13/01/2015 00:48

Perhaps you could write to the school expressing your concerns instead of using juvenile tactics and encouraging your daughter to do likewise.
And I wouldn't normally suggest this as I think it's twatty on here, but if you are going to express concern over MFL teaching, you might be well advised to check your own English first.

Original poster
42bunnytails · 13/01/2015 00:52

Because the teacher is too smug to listen. DH has tried having a sensible discussion with him, DD1 tried and DD2 is polite and respectful to him in person.

It doesn't make any difference, he knows his job is safe. In his heart of hearts, he knows no one cares enough about his subject to raise a real complaint.

Sadly, I suspect, exactly the same situation prevails in 1000's of MFL departments across the country. Ambitious young staff come and go and the dead wood remains in ordinary comps like ours.

There isn't an easy answer. We can't conjure up MFL teachers who don't exist. Good linguists don't need to teach. My DF tried it for a bit and gave up. She can make more money with less hassle using her skills in other ways.

The only thing I know that does help is language teaching in Primary.

But that needs investment that is never going to happen. Paid French clubs like my DDs did can never be the complete answer. However, useful it was for DD2, not everyone can afford it. Not everyone wants to do it and sometimes football and netball wins and the class simply doesn't run.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 13/01/2015 00:57

So your daughter is so polite and respectful she's given detention?

And instead of taking your concerns higher up you choose juvenile behaviour instead?

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 13/01/2015 00:58

I am sorry but why waste his and your time.

I bet he has a lot of planning and marking to be done.

The slot you have taken could have been used for someone else who is interested in this subject.

pleaseclosethedoor · 13/01/2015 00:58

Out of interest OP, what is your job?

Lottiedoubtie · 13/01/2015 01:09

It doesn't make any difference, he knows his job is safe. In his heart of hearts, he knows no one cares enough about his subject to raise a real complaint.

Speaking as a teacher, I haven't met one with this attitude for ten years at least. It just isn't a reflection of the realities.

missingmumxox · 13/01/2015 01:09

No you are not allowed to tell people they have no sense of humour when everyone is saying you are out of order, that privilege is for those who get a few PO on a thread, even your arguments fall by the way side, because you have lost us all by your horrible attitude.

missingmumxox · 13/01/2015 01:10

No you are not allowed to tell people they have no sense of humour when everyone is saying you are out of order, that privilege is for those who get a few PO on a thread, even your arguments fall by the way side, because you have lost us all by your horrible attitude.

kali110 · 13/01/2015 01:12

You are not being a good role model to your daughter at all. Taking the piss out of authority figures just because she doesn't like them? That's really going to help her in the future.
I got fantastic grades in all bar one subject at school. I didn't think the teacher was that good.
I was still respectful to them and so were my parents.
If the only reason you're going to go to the appointment is a pisstake, then don't go.
That appointment can be used for a student who takes the subject seriously.
I'd be more concerned why my child was getting detentions all the time.
She is the reason she is getting detentions, not the teacher.
So because she has made no progress in 3 years she bears no responsibility? Maybe she larks about in lessons? Maybe that's why she has a lot of detentions? Just because she excells in her other subjects doesn't mean she hasn't been messing around in this one.