That teachers do NOT always get it right.

[callherwillow]

1. This is not teacher bashing. Teacher bashing would be criticising people just because they are teachers.

1. I am a teacher. I know children misunderstand things, a lot. I know what can sound awful was actually nothing after establishing the facts. I would never recommend a parent goes in 'guns blazing.'

1. I know teachers work hard. I know it can be thankless task, knackering, the odd mistake can be forgiven and indeed expected and so on and so forth.

Now to the crux.

Whenever someone complains about a teacher on here there are so many replies that assume the parent is unreasonable, that assume the teacher is right (because they are a teacher) and it's getting to the stage where I know opening a thread where someone asks about a teacher (which will happen a lot as so many have school age children) will have numerous pages insisting that whatever they are concerned about either didn't happen at all or that if it did, it's fine and excused on the basis teachers work hard.

No.

Teachers lie. I had a teacher tell a lie about me that could have been very serious indeed. Luckily, enough students were brave enough (and it was brave of them) to be truthful. The teacher in question was their head of year and it was a horribly awkward situation. I have known numerous Headteachers and senior teachers lie. They started their careers as ordinary classroom teachers. Do not kid yourselves teachers won't lie. They might lie out of awkwardness, out of anxiety, out of misplaced loyalty or just to be spiteful.

Teachers do sometimes take against a particular child. I haven't seen this happen a lot - only a handful of times - but it does happen. Again I am NOT saying if you think this is the case to go in 'guns blazing.' I am saying that while it's rare and probably is not the case, it is nonetheless a possibility.

Teachers don't know everything, that should be obvious. However, if you have real concerns about the education your child is getting, it does not stand that because the teacher has a degree and a teaching qualification that they know everything. I nearly missed out on my university place due to not being taught a vital part of the curriculum on one of my A levels. I am sure the teacher did not mean this to happen, I am sure they felt really bad about it. But still, if the university hadn't let me in anyway, that would have altered the course of my life. It certainly affected some other students in the class. It is acceptable to ask questions, to ask on here first and then raise concerns with the teacher. It is not acceptable for a load of ITS A TEACHER DON'T BE DAFT NOW RUN ALONG.

Teachers sometimes make a bad judgement. Nine times out of ten it's probably just a normal human error and I'd say let it go. If it's upsetting your child - raise it. A good teacher won't mind talking to you and sorting out whatever the issue is.

It's the end of term. Teachers for the most part do a brilliant job, but amongst them as well as the kind, intelligent, supportive and enthusiastic are the sinister, cruel, lying, bullying and incompetent. Rare? Yes. Never heard of? No.

Mumsnet is a great resource for sharing ideas about children's education and I think parents should be able to enquire about it without angry teachers slating them for having the gall to ask.

Is this thread discussing the education profession though? Or the fairly self evident fact that teachers are not always right? Which is a slightly weird thing to discuss because it's clearly true, and no sensible person would try and argue that teachers are always right! There's nothing to discuss here.

Yup, Nicki has nailed it.

I'll say what I always say - if you feel the thread contravenes talk guidelines report it, if you disagree, say so, if you just don't like it, go!

SpeakNoWords You obviously haven't read the threads on which many posters will argue that teachers are never wrong.

Does anyone ALWAYS get it right?

Of course not. Teachers are no different, nor are parents or doctors or any other human on earth.

I don't think I've ever seen a thread where someone has said that teachers are never wrong - does it happen a lot? Maybe you could post a link to a classic example?

Clearly though anyone who argues that "x occupation is never wrong" is not worth arguing with and taking seriously! It's such an easily disprovable statement.

The education profession is talked about far too much on MM. I vote for threads such as The Milkman is NOT always right.) He forgot to leave my apple juice today.) It's is nearly the summer holidays we can forget about teachers for a while.

Well you seem to be alone in thinking it "weird" so that's a relief. Everyone else seems to think it's rather a useful discussion, whatever angle they're coming from. My issue is that labelling things "weird" and "odd" tends to put people on the defensive and shut them down because they don't want to be perceived in that way which is I suspect often why it gets said.

But hey you don't give a crap what I think so I won't expect a response

Yes it does Speak I'm no good with links but someone might do it for you. I was ,I suppose you could call it, bullied on one thread when I had the temerity to suggest that a teacher could be wrong.

There may not exist a thread where every single post says "teachers are never wrong" but I would say that threads asking for advice about whether to talk to the teacher etc never do go well for the OP and they often aggressively ridiculed and dismissed very harshly. Clearly many others on this thread have seen it too.

In those schools, good teachers wither and die inside, if they can recruit them in the first place. There are serious problems within teaching, and we should educate ourselves as to what they are.

Teacher here. The above says it all.
Most of the teachers I know care about children but that simply isn't appreciated or seen as a good thing by senior management. That itself is because of downward pressure from government. Govt doesn't care about your children's wellbeing. It cares about how useful they are going to be as economic units in society when they grow up.

There are some capricious and bitchy teachers out there. As a result of the ethos outlined above, they aren't really seen as a problem. Results are all. What the data looks like is seen as much more important.

I totally agree! But it seems to be the norm on here to take offence at non-offensive things or tell people they're making a fuss of nothing when they have every reason to make a fuss or ask questions. The woman getting told off (for want of a better phrase) for asking if she could claim damages etc when she and her dc got hit ON a zebra crossing springs to mind. She was deemed all sorts yet was very clearly in the bloody right for asking.

My issue is that labelling things "weird" and "odd" tends to put people on the defensive and shut them down

My issue is that when someone starts a thread with comments about how 'evil a teacher has been to their child', with little proof yet, some posters will immediately be on the defensive (on the teacher's side), whereas if some parents could remain calm and talk to those involved if they so wish before going down complaint routes and rants on MN, then I bet you wouldn't get half as many posts that you object to.

But then, AIBU wouldn't be half as interesting to read!

But furthermore, I've met some parents with bizarre ideas about what goes on in classrooms. I am not here to bring your child up and teach it how to use cutlery, get dressed and undressed for PE, remind it to take its homework home and make excuses for its bad behaviour. Also, I cannot bend the 'no jewellery' rule just because your kid has a sentimental attachment to it and neither can I comb the school field for it when your kid has lost it.

YANBU.

I'm glad I no longer have to deal with school politics surrounding SEN and MNers who think all teachers are god.

whereas if some parents could remain calm and talk to those involved if they so wish before going down complaint routes and rants on MN,

But they're asking for advice before complaining and surely better to rant on MN than feet first into their child's school?

Bang on post, Hope re: schools being govt. controlled and good teachers (and children) rotting at the bottom of the cesspit of state school politics.

That is so depressing Hope. Both posts really.

Of course teachers aren't always right.

But I would like to think that, as a teacher, I wouldn't be hung, drawn and quartered on the say-so of an 8 year old before being asked to give my side of a story.

I teach secondary. I make mistakes. Sometimes I don't know stuff. I am happy to apologise/make amends.

But what pisses me off is when parents believe, without question, things their DC tell them and attack without showing interest in the other side of the story. No need to tell stories - there are numerous examples.

FWIW, I teach in a school with about 550 students and 35 permanent teaching staff. I signed 18 Goodbye & Good Luck cards today.

And, those eighteen goodbye cards were because of nasty parents, is the implication?

I only had three passably good teachers in my whole school/college/uni career. The rest were mediocre, bullies and everything in between.