Correcting teachers' mistakes

[skorpion]

Posting here for traffic, as I would appreciate quick advice...

How would you deal with teachers' spelling mistakes plastered over the classroom walls? There are posters in my DD's class (early primary) about 'not climbing on tree's' and such.
Would you talk to the teacher? I do not know whose it is obviously, and there are two teachers and two TAs. Would you talk to the head? I feel a bit mortified to bring the subject up but every time I see it it makes my head want to explode.
And before you say anything, I would not be that bothered with anybody else, but if you are a teacher it surely is a basic requirement, to be able to spell, no?

[callycat1]

You sound very angry Parisienne

[skorpion]

Parisienne, I got your comment, value your advice and take on board what you said about teachers and mistakes.
I suppose it never occurred to me to think of this as a particular problem for teachers, or TAs.
As you say, certificates and all
Happy to be told.

[OllyBJolly]

"If you are a teacher it is surely a requirement to be able to spell, no?" And such comments. Because no, it isn't actually

I don't agree with this. Surely, reading and writing are fundamental to early years education, and as such teachers should be able to spell and punctuate. I wouldn't accept an accountant making a basic error in my accounts, or a lawyer getting the parties confused in a document. Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but a professional will firstly strive not to make them, and secondly, correct them as soon as they are evident. I do think an early years teacher who doesn't demonstrate an acceptable level of spelling, punctuation and grammar is in the wrong role. I'd like to see primary school teachers also having some kind of basic qualification in science subjects.

And at work I do find adults with dyslexia tend to make FEWER mistakes because they are more aware and take more care in getting it right.

[callycat1]

Well I can assure you I didn't send you a message! How strange.

I agree with olly though. Someone said they worked with a teacher who spelled most words incorrectly but it didn't make them a bad teacher; I would disagree!

[MsJudgemental]

Don't assume it's a TA's fault! I was a TA / HLTA For 10 years and the literacy / numeracy of some young teachers is appalling. We often had to tactfully correct worksheets / power points, etc. As an HLTA I often had to deliver lessons which were absolute nonsense, not just full of spelling and grammatical mistakes but factual errors.- I would blame it on typos and correct as I went along to save the teacher's face but make sure that the teacher knew I had had to do this.

[Cherrysoup]

Speak to the teacher, don't make the situation 10x worse by telling the head.

[57968sp]

ParisienneRose, I am assuming English is not your first language. "Sometimes us teachers do make mistakes" should be "sometimes WE teachers do make mistakes".

[Bluepowder]

No, I wouldn't point out a spelling or grammar error to a teacher. Spotting errors is an easy thing to do, but as a TA I know that however it is done, it is never received well. Sometimes a teacher will check something with me and then it's OK.

[57968sp]

OP, in your position I would mention the errors to the teachers, not the head. It would drive me nuts too, you are most definitely not being unreasonable.

[Ego147]

Sometimes us teachers do make mistake

Or maybe that's a local 'accent' on a chat forum where SPAG isn't vital

[Deux]

Yes do say something. I didn't last year and wish I had. I had to sit on my hands every time I looked at 5R's on a display.

[MsHybridFanGirl]

I'm a TA and recently had to correct a spelling mistake of another TA in our class. When I initially pointed it out to her she didn't even bother changing it!
I then took the sign down myself and corrected it, also noting it to the teacher.
Spelling mistakes in a classroom / school look awful (in my opinion).

[pfrench]

I'm a teacher, I'm happy to be told I've made mistakes.

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

Yes teachers or TAs should hopefully check anything they are going to put up for mistakes, but obviously some get missed.

Most teachers will have no higher qualification than GCSE in English and many will not have previously learned some of the grammar they have to teach to the children. So, whilst hopefully as educated people they have a good level of literacy, most primary teachers are not English specialists.

A couple of people have suggested maybe a TA made the mistake, in my experience many TAs are much better than the teachers they support at SPaG - particularly if they are older, because they were taught it at school.

Having said all that, there really is no excuse for someone putting an apostrophe in a plural!

[PoppyBirdOnAWire]

Yes, of course it is, OP. How on earth do those incompetents slip through the net?
Education has been dumbed down. Simple.

[57968sp]

Ego, accent is not the same as incorrect grammar.

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

Perhaps Ego should have said colloquialism rather than accent then, I think it was obvious what she meant.

[PoppyBirdOnAWire]

Just beginning to read this and already I can't help but notice a couple of people who say they are teachers, are making errors in their posts.

Why would teachers make comma splice errors or show that they are unfamiliar with the semi-colon or say "...us teachers..." instead of "...we teachers..."?

[PoppyBirdOnAWire]

Whatever level you teach, you should have a command of the language. Is it too much to ask?

[Bluepowder]

Having a command of the language is probably too much to ask. Teachers are expected to do and be far too much with too little training.

[RonaldMcDonald]

Yeah - I constantly correct spelling and grammar in my squid's school
I imagine they really appreciate the help

[MidniteScribbler]

Don't go to the head. Massive overreaction.

Mention it to the teacher, but be polite about it. I had one parent who used to come in and have a go at me (as in 'haha you're a teacher and you can't spell) whenever there was modeled writing on the board. The spelling mistakes in that were deliberate as I would make them so as to demonstrate editing your work to the class. He was an arse and just made me roll my eyes when he came near me.

[Andylion]

So, whilst hopefully as educated people they have a good level of literacy, most primary teachers are not English specialists.

But isn't correct use of apostrophes basic?