To already roll eyes at the whingy school threads..

[Ditsyprint40]

Working in a school, and being totally inundated with both serious and trivial things..

It's heartbreaking to see a DC sobbing over a bucket, feeling dreadful and just wanting to go home

I imagine its not a bed of roses for the parent who works so far away, knows their kid is sick yet still has to travel to get them.

I am very mindful that everything to do with your child's career should be done with respect. It should be completely appropriate to approach staff members if you have a concern. It should be done politely.

Unfortunately though there are things I require teachers to monitor and need to let me know - fortunately DD's teachers have always been smashing about this and simply catch me/her dad at the end of the day or pop a note in her diary

Why should teachers be any different?

Because many people expect from teachers a level of devotion to their jobs in the face of all manner of crap, a level of self-sacrifice and of irreproachable behaviour in public and on social media that they would never think of demanding from people in most other jobs. I'm not saying teachers all actually conform to this (nor should they), but it's what some people expect.

I love my childs school and cant complain about the teachers. They seem to monitor parents fb though which I found weird as parents liked the schools fb page.

Sorry, if it's unclear, that was responding to a comment upthread that other people complain about their jobs, so why can't teachers.

I see lots of threads about the NHS too?
I suspect that most MN'er's don't have a huge amount of contact with the old bill, but I could be wrong!

I am in Scotland.
The Curriculum for Excellence is a howling mess.
Even the SNP are acknowledging that now.

But at least there is less uniform silliness.
To my mind, if the child is wearing the school colours and sensible footwear/coat then they are 'ready to learn'.
Glad our local school doesn't send 50 kids a day home!

And what about the teachers who are parents? They are the absolute worst for sending their children ill because they can't take time off. I know this because my mum was a teacher, so we were never ill in term time ...

I have to say, my mum loved her job & never moaned the way primary teachers do on Mumsnet. My DH is a secondary teacher, which I suspect is different, but he is not a moaner by nature. He loves his job!

I can't think of any other professional job where complaining on a public forum like this about "clients" would be considered acceptable.

Quite 123!

I agree that everyone needs to vent about their job and "clients" from time to time, but I do wonder about some teachers' desire to do so on the country's largest parenting forum. It seems like stirring to me. I always kept my moaning amongst my peers for the sake of my profession's esteem in the eyes of the public.

I'm a teacher. I like parents; most of them are great. I am one too.

As a parent and reading the responses in this thread, I am finding myself nodding more at the teachers' posts than the parents.

I can't understand how any parent feels that aggravating teachers over minutiae will ever benefit the relationship between them or help their case when the shit really does hit the fan.

I make an effort to abide by the rules (whether I agree with them or not) on uniform/labelling/punctuality/emergency contact etc and to communicate effectively with the teachers about anything they need to know. I try and let them know we're a team with one objective - let's help my child learn. Then if anything really bad happens I know they'll listen to me and respond because I wouldn't be there moaning otherwise.

Starting the year with an aggressive 'bloody teachers' attitude like some of the parents at my DS's school isn't going to get anyone anywhere. Teaching is a hard job, being made harder every day. I wouldn't do it for any amount. The pressure of an office job is one thing, but if I mess up in my role, no one is going to be scarred for life, unfortunately, a teacher can't say the same thing.

I have been in schools, not teaching. Have seen children crying because nobody has come to pick them up when ill.
fair enough if you work miles away make sure your dc can be picked up within 10 mins, which is what most parents have to be able to achieve.
Or heaven forbid put your dc first and work closer to school, or choose school close to work. It disgusts me when you see children breaking their hearts.

I have been in schools, not teaching. Have seen children crying because nobody has come to pick them up when ill.
fair enough if you work miles away make sure your dc can be picked up within 10 mins, which is what most parents have to be able to achieve.
Or heaven forbid put your dc first and work closer to school, or choose school close to work. It disgusts me when you see children breaking their hearts

Do you ever stop to think that some parents have no support network? That they can't work cloers to school. Or that they can't get a place for their kids closer to work (although not sure how that would work with catchment areas).

Crikey. Well I think teachers do a great job and cope with an awful lot on their plate at all times! I'd be really disappointed if any of my childrens teachers were posting on this thread moaning about parents though.

I'm sure everyone needs to offload about the frustrating people they deal with but there's a time and a place and often a suitable audience required! A public forum with almost daily Daily Mail articles about its threads probably isn't the best place to do it for some professions. It's certainly not going to make mrs roughasabadgersarse treat you any better, probably the opposite. The parents that think their kids teachers are true professionals are probably questioning that too now as we've obviously never heard what goes in the staff room.

Or heaven forbid put your dc first and work closer to school, or choose school close to work. It disgusts me when you see children breaking their hearts

What a strange statement. Neither me or my ex can drop work at a moment's notice - and nor do we have a support network. However one of us will make damn sure we could get to the school asap to pick DS up. I don't think many teachers would begrudge parents who can't get to school within an hour.

But...sending ill kids to school - I totally get why parents do that. I have had children who clearly shouldn't be in school being sent in - with the comment 'please let us know if you think they are ill' - which the child often picks up on. But at the same time, I've had children who 'claim to be ill' and who want to go home suddenly get better with some fresh air,

Not all parents can drop their work at a moment's notice.

I have to say, my mum loved her job & never moaned the way primary teachers do on Mumsnet

Teaching has been interfered with a LOT. The vast majority of complaints I read from teachers in here aren't actually about teaching. Even in the time I've been on Mnet the amount of exasperated threads from teachers on the verge of quitting has quadrupled.

Ego

You wouldn't have gained a place at 2 of our 3 dc schools.
No show after 10 mins and you'd have been vilified. No excuse I'm afraid, it's disgusting to leave an ill child that long.
Some people don't care about their kids, you find cover.

DailyMailEthicalFail

I'm not a teacher. You seem to think otherwise because I don't have a beef with teachers.

Yes there will be individual teachers who aren't very good - you get that in any profession.

I however think that we would all get further if we all had a bit more respect.

You wouldn't have gained a place at 2 of our 3 dc schools

Seriously. Your school expects parents or someone to be there in 10 minutes?

No excuse I'm afraid, it's disgusting to leave an ill child that long

You really believe that?

Neither me or my ex can drop work at a moment's notice - and nor do we have a support network

Parents should make sure they have a support network if they work further than an hour away. This can include your child's friend's parents, who don't work/ work part time (with a few of them, all days should be covered), neighbours/ friends who are retired but you are friendly with and live locally to the school. Yes, it takes effort to build these relationships and you often need a hobby to find local friends, but it doesn't need to be a grandparent/ uncle/ aunt all the time.

I can't think of any other professional job where complaining on a public forum like this about "clients" would be considered acceptable

What do you expect when there are loads of threads moaning about teachers?

If a thread started up about my profession, I would join in. Why? Because it is anonymous and I'm not stupid enough to name any of my clients or add details which would identify them (and I have actual clients not quasi "let's pretend parents are clients" when they're not).

No excuse I'm afraid, it's disgusting to leave an ill child that long

90% of the children who have been 'ill' in my class have recovered by the end of the lesson. Or after lunch. Or play time.

The ones who are 'properly' ill are usually looked after by a member of staff - and I have NEVER come across a school demanding a parent be there in 10 minutes. And I have worked in a lot of primary schools

10 minutes?

Based on our catchment area it takes dd and I twenty minutes to walk to school

... if you work miles away make sure your dc can be picked up within 10 mins, which is what most parents have to be able to achieve ...

I think 10 minutes is an impossible expectation - even for children with a SAHP.

Or heaven forbid put your dc first and work closer to school, or choose school close to work.

For most parents putting their children first means earning money. It simply isn't realistic to expect all parents to work close to their DC's school(s). Those that don't aren't being neglectful or selfish.

I'm not even going to comment on the idiocy of or choose a school close to work - if you think this is even remotely possible, then you are dillisional

Most student live rurally so it's a fifteen minute drive or 30 minutes on the bus. 10 minutes is staggeringly hilarious.

gilly - if I'm ever unfortunate enough to have to "sign on" again can you come with me to explain why I shouldn't be sanctioned for not taking a job an hour and a half away? Please? Only if that happens my child would go hungry for several weeks. I think one day of crying in to a bucket for an hour is the lesser of two evils.