To think teachers are not perfect!

[daisygreendaisylilac]

This is based on a large number of posts about teachers - many that assume the teacher could not possibly have done what the OP has said they did.

If they did, it is excused because teaching is stressful and blamed on the government.

AIBU to think that's a bit of a cop out? Personally I know there are fabulous teachers but I know they are not perfect!

I do think there is a tendency here automatically to disbelieve the child, rather than admit that a teacher acted in an unacceptable manner.

I'm sure I was reported yesterday to a parent for refusing to help a child.

I did refuse to help. The class is split in two groups because there are some really disruptive students, my poor colleague has the smaller but disruptive group, one of the students she teaches stormed in to my class and told me to help her because my colleague wasn't. I refused, told her to go back to her own class and stop disrupting mine.

I could bet even money the story the student has told is that two members of staff refused to help her with something she didn't understand.

"No one has said that they do"

Maybe they haven't on here but it is a remark I've seen elsewhere and it's come up in conversations which is why I mentioned it.

I think most people are more than aware there's more to teaching than turning up and babysitting :)

I think we've all had instances like that sashh, but equally we've all known instances where someone really has been misguided, unwise, just wrong or downright inappropriate.

Of course teachers aren't perfect. Nobody is. IMO there are various reasons that posts on MN about teachers are sometimes greeted with disbelief:

1. The tone of the OP - some OPs just come across as teacher-bashers because of the inflammatory and exaggerated way they phrase their complaint.

2. The situation described just doesn't ring true, particularly to those of us who are long-standing teachers. Most parents don't actually know what it's like to be in a school these days. Many are projecting their own feelings about their own schooldays onto their child's situation. Emotions cloud the issue. Teachers on MN have a good idea of what teachers can and can't realistically 'get away with'.

3. This is a parenting website. People are reluctant enough to question the truthfulness of their own child's account (even though, as pps have said, it is odten more a case of exaggeration, not wilful lying). As soon as there is even a hint of a stranger (i.e. MNer questioning the truthfulness of the OPs child, this makes the OP more extreme in their defence.

In summary, I'd say none of the reactions the OP of this thread is describing (and I don't think they are nearly as common as she claims) are down to anyone thinking teachers are beyond reproach. No teacher would ever claim that.

I've seen what the OP is talking about. One post in particular sticks in my memory, about a secret Santa and an OP who was concerned that a teacher was maliciously singling out her daughter.

There was an incident where the whole class had a secret Santa and everybody got a present except for the OPs DD (who had bought a present for someone else).

And the teachers explanation was that she had 'forgotten' to put her name in. There was no back up present or discussion of a present at a later date, just you're not getting one. Apparently the the teacher would also say good morning or goodbye to all the other pupils but just blanked OPs DD.

There were an awful lot of 'a teacher just wouldn't do that' on that thread. I've noticed it on others too.

This happens to my son , a teacher singling him out , not dealing with bullying which made the children in question do it more as they felt it was allowed , ignoring when he said hello , when she was talking to him and another child only eye contact with the other child , and so many other incidences , his self esteem plummeted , and told me if he died they wouldn't care he was 6 , yes it does happen , we withdrew him and now he's at a great school teachers aren't perfect but I genuinely think they try to be as fair as possible . He's doing so much better . If I hadn't questioned some of the incidences , and a ta who told me the truth of what happened I would have believed that he had behaviour issues in school . He has none in his new school above expected behaviour nearly every day . And well liked and working well too .

Strangely, someone on my Facebook is going bananas about a teacher telling lies.

She's called the lea. I do feel a little sorry for the teacher!

time I hope you made a complaint to the school about that teacher's behaviour?

There are occasional rotten teachers, just as there are rotters in every profession. It is REALLY important that parents make formal complaints about those teachers.

I didn't take it further even though I drafted a letter , I think we were so shocked that a teacher could be so unprofessional and really not bothered about a child's emotional welfare that we were received when he was out of there , the other parents were aware so they can keep an eye on their little ones , the new school is amazing no issues he's flying , great friends , and work wise is excelling the proof is there . I don't need anything else , this was last year so had time now to digest it all xxx. One happy boy one happy mum X

It's A difficult situation , we escalated it in the school , not yet lea , so head was aware of issues , that's up to them if and how they wanted to handle it , in case it happens to others in the future , as history of a another child treated the same , they left . Kept all emails and correspondence .

Squidgey teachers do get PAID, it's not a voluntary job. In any other job employees would be disciplined for any of the things you have mentioned.

OP I agree I have read the threads (and no I'm not finding them) where everyone has ganged up on the OP who have dared questioned a teacher. Yes, they have a god awful job and I wouldn't want to do it, but they do get paid to do it at the end of the day.

I've just noticed that this thread is from February....